'Tis The Season

March 25, 2013, Panama City, Panama: Americans must file their required IRS forms by April 15 and their FBARs, if required, must be received by the U.S. Treasury Department by June 30.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

The U.S. annual tax filing date is coming up. Americans have three weeks until the April 15 deadline. If you're living outside the United States, you get an automatic two-month extension until June 15. That extension applies both to filing and to paying any taxes due. The latter part is important, as a regular extension (obtained by filing Form 4868) applies only to filing, not to any payment owed. With a Form 4868 (which gives you until Oct. 15 to file), you must include payment to cover 90% of your 2012 tax liability to avoid penalties and interest.

March 24, 2013, Panama City, Panama: As I explained to Rudy Maxa’s radio listenership, Panama, Belize, Ecuador, France, and Ireland are the five best countries to retire overseas in the world.

Dear Overseas Opportunity Letter Reader,

"Name, if you would, Kathleen, your top three recommendations for someone considering retiring overseas," began Rudy Maxa after he'd introduced me to his radio listenership yesterday.

The Benefits Of International 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges

March 22, 2013, Panama City, Panama: A 1031 like-kind exchange can be an effective tax-planning tool; however, before you use it for foreign real estate, you must understand the tax implications on both sides of the investment.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

As tax season dawns upon us, many investors are searching for tax-saving strategies. One that is often misunderstood is the 1031 like-kind exchange that an American can use to defer capital gains taxes on investment real estate profits.

The Single Biggest Cost Of Living Factor For The Retiree Overseas

March 21, 2013, Panama City, Panama: Currency exchange rates are the single biggest factor affecting cost of living for the retiree overseas.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

What's the world's most expensive country? Some surveys say Angola.

A few years ago, high-cost Liberia and Chad topped the lists.

Retiring Overseas Just Got Easier

March 20, 2013 Panama City, Panama: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) make it easier for retirees overseas to stay in touch anywhere in the world.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

Want to get better quality on your Google Voice calls over the internet? Try a VPN.

VPN stands for virtual private network. VPNs come in two versions, free and pay. We'll talk more about VPNs in a minute, but, first, how about those phone calls?