When it comes to quality of life -- which is, after all, the thing that most people are looking for when they think about retiring or living abroad -- we find that comparing countries is far too difficult.

Where's the best place in the world to retire? Is it Abruzzo, Italy or maybe Cayo, Belize? The truth? Only you can decide. But to help anyone who migh...

If you're old enough to collect Social Security, there may be no better place to live right now than Latin America.

As we bobbed in the warm cerulean sea off the coast of the Dominican Republic, a stately row of palm trees on the beach our only companions, we couldn't help thinking about how misguided Christopher Columbus had been.

If you like spending time in the garden, love to eat healthy, organic food, and enjoy traveling, there's a way to combine these passions. Best of all, you can do all this for free.

There may be no better place to retire in Nicaragua than Granada.

Chances are very good that your friends and family aren't going to understand. When you tell them you're thinking about moving to a new country for your retirement, their responses will likely range from bemusement to shock and horror. They'll think you've lost your grounding and are over-indulging in fantasy... or, worse, that you've flat out lost your mind.

So, you're thinking of retiring to Latin America, are you? Then you'd best learn some Spanish. At least a little, por favor. Pantomime works, yes, but only so far -- and at what damage to your self-respect?)

The poshest and most popular Central Valley destination -- for foreigners and locals alike -- is Escazú, just a few miles west of San José. Several foreign embassies are located here, as are the residences of the U.S. and British ambassadors, and you're as likely to hear English spoken as Spanish.

Residency and citizenship are not the same things. This is one of the most common causes of confusion we've found among future expats. You don't give up citizenship in your home country when you move to another country.

So can you live a good life on your Social Security income when you live overseas? Yes. We know people who are doing it. And while no one is happy about the idea of budget cuts to Social Security and Medicare... frankly we're not worried. Our retirement strategy has always been to do just what we're doing now. Live better for less overseas. Now that's security!

Yep, if you've got a yen for island living, we can't think of any island that delivers more than this one.

Ever dreamed of retiring to a tropical paradise? With the low cost of living and vibrant expat communities of many countries south of the border, some...

Do you dream of spending your golden years drinking wine in the Loire Valley, exploring the dramatic coastal cliffs of Ireland, or surrounded by the m...

You want to retire overseas, for instance -- to that sublime stretch of beach or sun-dappled colonial village -- but your significant other says "no way, Jose." Whatever can you do?

Over the last 11 years of living throughout Latin America, we've missed lots of things we had back in the States. Just one example... roasted red peppers packed in olive oil. Eight brands in the supermarket back home... none in the first two countries we lived in.

The Internet is a wonderful thing. From a small condo high in the Ecuadorian Andes Mountains, we can view properties for sale in Omaha, Nebraska. During winter, this is the perfect way to see properties in Omaha if you no longer own a parka and mukluks.

Of course, weather is a subjective thing. For reasons we've never been able to understand, some people actually prefer snow and ice. Others, again for reasons unknown to us, long for the kind of weather you find inside a sauna.

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A midlife crisis -- if you fully embrace the stereotype -- can be expensive. Fancy car... trophy spouse... new body... new career. But -- as with so many things -- your buck buys you more when you take your midlife crisis to a tropical paradise and teach it to dance the salsa. Consider these alternatives...

The point is that in many cases, 'offshore' isn't about banking and secrecy... it's really about internationalizing your life. It's about taking the best possible advantage of perfectly legal opportunities and structures in other countries that allow you live a better quality of life for less money.

Over the past 12 years, we've begun to wonder why more people don't take advantage of this simple idea... that living abroad in the right place can save you money and improve your lifestyle at the same time.

Moving to another country with a lower cost of living is a great way to make a fixed income go as far as possible... but you may also find many opportunities there if you don't have a sufficient fixed income stream or simply want to keep working and earning no matter where you live.

Granada's current popularity as a tourism and entertainment destination certainly brings more people and services to the city, and for many of the people who live here -- including many of the expats that call Granada home -- that's a good thing.

I'd be arrested for taking videos while driving in the States... but this is Nicaragua, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.