Last week, I saw firsthand how Panama handled a major earthquake, and I left even more confident in the country. This week, Marc and I break down what happened, how Panama held up, and what’s ahead on my upcoming trip to Paraguay. Plus, some exciting opportunities for the Expat Money community. Tune in!

Antigua and Barbuda says it will likely suspend its citizenship-by-investment program by November 12th. The EU's terms: drop it, or lose Schengen visa-free travel. I called the pattern last year: the Caribbean complies, then the goalposts move again.

We've spent the last two weeks here in Paraguay, and yesterday was our last day. My friend Markus took the whole family out for lunch. We've been having an ongoing conversation about artists, as he's quite interested in the local art scene here in Paraguay. Over lunch, we discussed the art itself, the artists, and quite a bit about the business of art. My ten-year-old daughter was listening quite intently. She loves to draw and is incredibly creative, so naturally, the conversation caught her attention. On the walk home after lunch, we were chatting, and I said to her: "Hey, maybe you'll be a famous artist one day, and people will be discussing you and your work. Maybe we'll even hang some of your art in one of our hotels. You could create special pieces just for us." Without missing a beat, she said: "Yeah, we could make a contract for it." But then she started thinking about it a little more... "Although, if we make a contract now, we'll have to be careful because of inflation." I looked at her. "Really? Because of inflation?" "Yeah, because if we write the contract now and I don't make the art for you for a few years, then the money will be worth a lot less." Now she really had my attention. "Oh yeah? How come?" She started explaining that the cost of her materials would go up. Her paints, her easel, her canvases, and everything else she would need to produce the artwork. So I pushed a little further. "Well, where does inflation come from?" She answered: "The government, of course. The government prints more money out of thin air, and that makes everything more expensive because there's more money fighting for the same amount of paint and canvas and all the other goods in the world." I was incredibly proud. Here's my ten-year-old daughter, walking down the street in Asunción, Paraguay, casually explaining monetary inflation, purchasing power, and the economics of a long-term contract. Meanwhile, there are millions of grown adults back in the West who can't seem to grasp these basic concepts. Including, apparently, a good number of the people running the governments. And let's not even talk about the socialists who think the solution to every economic problem is to have the government spend more money. Where do they reckon that money comes from, anyways? Apparently, that's a question my ten-year-old has spent more time thinking about than they have. The funny thing is, she wasn't trying to impress me. She wasn't reciting something she'd memorized for a test. She was simply applying what she'd learned to a real-world situation. We were talking about art; she started thinking about contracts, and naturally, she recognized that inflation would affect what she should charge for her work. That's what real education looks like. Not memorizing a bunch of nonsense to pass a standardized test. Not sitting in a classroom being told what to think. Learning how the world actually works, and then being able to apply that knowledge. I told her she was absolutely right and how proud I was of her for understanding these things. She was beaming. And I was reminded once again why we're raising our children the way we are, travelling the world, exposing them to interesting people, real businesses, different cultures, and conversations that actually matter. These are the lessons that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Now, speaking of art in Paraguay... During our two weeks here, I've been sharing quite a few updates from the ground in our Telegram channel, including pictures of some of the beautiful Paraguayan artwork we've been acquiring for our new hotel project in Asunción. We're working with local artists to commission some very special pieces, and I've been sharing a bit of the behind-the-scenes process. If you're interested in following along with what we're building overseas, the places we're visiting, the people we're meeting, and the opportunities we're discovering, join me on Telegram. Join my Telegram channel: ExpatMoney.com/Telegram I share plenty of things there that never make it into X posts or emails.

Lula Wins The Presidency: Why I Am Still Betting Big On Brazil hubs.ly/Q04CnxzX0

Very disappointing news out of Brazil tonight. It's official. Lula has won another term as president, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro with approximately 51.8% of the vote to 48.2%. My heart goes out to the Brazilian people, especially those who were hoping for a different future for their country. Brazil will now face another four years under Lula's left-wing government. There are already allegations of election irregularities and questions surrounding the voting process. Nothing has been proven, but I hope every legitimate concern is thoroughly investigated. A very sad day for those who wanted to see Brazil move in a different direction.

Panama vs. Venezuela: The Deadly Cost Of Government Failure hubs.ly/Q04BCFF20

Hungary upping its wealth tax game… imidaily.com/tax/hungary-wea…

More earthquakes in Panama over night... This is the last 7 days. It's been scary while at the same time incredible to see how resilient the infrastructure here in Panama is.

ExpatMoney.com/Telegram for the most up-to-date info.

Panama earthquake aftermath update: A few days after the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake here in Panama, we're starting to get a clearer picture of the damage. Nearly 900 homes damaged after more than 200 aftershocks. Remarkably and thankfully, there are 0 reported fatalities. My family is safe, and I'm grateful to everyone who reached out. Panama has a difficult recovery ahead, but I'm confident in the people who call this place home. I'll continue sharing updates as we learn more.

BIG news out of Argentina! Milei's government has revealed new details of its Citizenship by Investment program. Starting at $350,000 USD, investors could soon have a path to a second passport from a G20 country, without a residency requirement. Details here: expatmoney.com/blog/milei-op…

Earthquake update: A few scary tremors overnight, but today things are already looking up. I’ve already inspected our projects in the area and our personal home and everything is in tact. So far, hearing 0 deaths and 17 injuries. This was a scary 24 hours no doubt: but Panama has incredible infrastructure and will seemingly emerge from this without too much damage 🙏

Contributed to @imidaily giving my thoughts on Paraguay residency: Read the full article: imidaily.com/opinion/what-pa…

Just felt the Earthquake here in Panama. Strongest one I've ever felt for sure, the kids were pretty freaked out by it. Everyone is ok here, it looks like the epicenter is about a 4 hour drive from Panama City.