Money

By Kathleen Peddicord You may be surprised to learn of the two biggest expenses expats often face. Most of us think of rent. Food and entertainment. Taxes maybe. But, in my experience, many expats spend more on two other expenses. These two costs rarely show up in cost summaries for destinations abroad, and they rarely...
By David Morrill and Deke Castleman What do U.S. expats think about using the U.S. dollar in Ecuador? Not much, frankly, although it’s hard to deny that it makes life easier. We don’t have to worry about exchange rates or go through the hassle of trading dollars for a local currency, like expats in other...
By Ana Veciana Suarez Rolando Gutierrez grew up in Miami, but he knew he wanted to eventually move to a quieter, more affordable place where he could live comfortably on his City of Miami police sergeant pension. After a few trips to Central America, he found his retirement nirvana in a tiny town four hours...
By Liam Higgins You almost never hear someone ask, “Hey, what does it cost to live in the USA?” People understand that there are variables. Are you talking about living in lower Manhattan or Arkansas? In a penthouse or house trailer? In a suburban neighborhood in Coral Gables or Paris, Texas? Will you pay monthly...
By Lief Simon Going offshore can be a big, scary idea. In fact, thanks to the well-publicized stories of criminals who have indeed taken their ill-gotten gains offshore, many people think that “going offshore” is illegal. This is not true, of course. For the record, there is nothing at all illegal about taking whatever you’ve...
Bank of America announced on July 28 that it was suspending international wire transfers to and from banks in Belize. According to its statement, Bank of America said it is exploring other options for transferring funds to Belize but didn’t provide details. The reason for the suspension of service, the bank said, was to comply...
By Jonathan Lachowitz Overseas Americans have faced a myriad of challenges in managing their financial lives, especially in the last five to ten years. They have felt unjustly burdened with financial accounts in the U.S. or abroad being closed or restricted, a tremendous amount of paperwork to prove U.S. tax compliance to overseas banks and,...
Editor’s note: To read about Ecuador banking requirements for foreigners, click here. By Laura Saunders The traditional challenges of expatriate life—adapting to a new culture and language, separation from family and friends—are being complicated by the tougher U.S. laws and more aggressive scrutiny of overseas bank accounts held by U.S. citizens. William Hart, who moved...
Ecuador banks are scrambling to establish rules for U.S. citizen account holders to comply with new IRS reporting requirements. The new rules will affect existing accounts as well as new accounts belonging to U.S. citizens. According to spokespersons at Banco Pinchincha and Banco Internacional, the rules are the result of the U.S. Foreign Account Tax...
By Deke Castleman This survey, conducted in January 2013, received 282 responses: 240 from Cuenca and 42 from miscellaneous places around the country (Vilcabamba, the coast, Quito, Loja, Cotacachi/Otavalo, etc.). Just over 200 respondents rented (73%); the rest (27%) owned. Just under half of the renters paid $300-$499 per month. Another 15% shelled out $500-$599;...
By Robert Wood America is a great land and lures immigrants worldwide, yet record numbers of U.S. citizens and permanent residents are giving up their citizenship or residency. For all the immigrant arrivals the trickle the other direction is increasing. The number is still small, with the “published” expatriates for the quarter 630 for the...
By Michael Corkery As government regulators crack down on the financing of terrorists and drug traffickers, many big banks are abandoning the business of transferring money from the United States to other countries, moves that are expected to reverse years of declines in the cost of immigrants sending money home to their families. Some financial...

Dani News

Google ad

Google ad

Property 3br News

Fund Grace News

Hogar Esperanza News

The Cuenca Dispatch

Week of March 24

“They are pressuring me to resign so they can remove me from office,” denounced Verónica Abad, Vice President of the Republic.

Read more

Ecuador Navigates Economic Challenges with IMF Agreement Looming.

Read more

“Since when does thinking differently mean being a traitor?” Pierina Correa questions in reference to the Tourism Law.

Read more