Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller discusses a variety of topics that reflect his ongoing concerns about expat life, political corruption, and personal experiences. He begins by introducing a new podcast by phone service offered by his parent station, PRN FM, allowing listeners to access his last five podcasts by dialing a phone number or using Skype. He then shifts focus to discussing health insurance and healthcare in Latin America, emphasizing the importance of having a plan, especially in light of potential political and health-related uncertainties. Johnny criticizes the proposed GMO labeling laws in the US, accusing lawmakers of being influenced by Monsanto and lacking scientific knowledge. He highlights the lack of transparency in food labeling, suggesting that the new laws would require consumers to scan QR codes rather than read labels directly. Johnny also mocks the political establishment for their alleged ignorance and warns listeners to take action by securing health insurance.
In the next segment, Johnny continues his critique of the political system, calling it corrupt and malignant. He suggests that individuals should 'vote with their feet' rather than trying to change the system. He mentions specific politicians, Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow, as being involved in a Monsanto-driven cover-up. Mueller then shifts to a discussion about music, comparing rap, hip-hop, and reggaeton to GMOs, suggesting they are contributing to the corporate dumbing down of the music industry. He expresses a preference for traditional music with structure and meaning, contrasting it with the repetitive and shallow nature of modern genres. The segment also touches on the value of personal data in the digital age, referencing a Microsoft study that assigns a monetary value to personal data, and advises listeners to be cautious about their online presence and privacy.
In another segment, Johnny recounts a true story shared by Jack Brett, an author and expat, about a man who returned to Switzerland after living abroad and faced difficulties opening a bank account due to his U.S. citizenship. The man was unaware of the FATCA laws and the U.S. requirement for expats to report foreign bank accounts. This led to a realization that he had been non-compliant with U.S. tax laws for years. Johnny comments on the U.S. tax system's complexity and the lack of information provided to expats, noting that other countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina have also adopted similar policies. He highlights the dilemma faced by the expat, who hesitated to renounce his U.S. citizenship due to concerns about his mother's future and potential geopolitical risks, but ultimately felt the burden of compliance was too great.
Johnny then discusses his experience with the U.S. State Department's renunciation process, highlighting the significant increase in the administration fee for renouncing U.S. citizenship from $450 in 2012 to $2,350 in 2014. He describes feeling that the U.S. government was acting like a criminal institution, akin to the Mafia, where citizens had to either pay protection money or a lump sum to leave. Johnny realized that the fee could potentially be raised even higher in the future, which led to his frustration and anger at himself for hesitating to renounce in 2012. After researching, he found that there were other forms of relinquishment that did not require paying the fee, but none of them applied to him. Eventually, he decided to renounce his citizenship at the U.S. embassy in Bern, Switzerland, on February 20, 2015. The process was described as bureaucratic and inefficient, with delays in receiving the official certificate of loss of nationality (CLN). Johnny was informed that it could take three to five months for the CLN to be processed and mailed from Washington to Bern, and that until he received it, he would still be considered a U.S. citizen for travel purposes.
Finally, Johnny recounts his experience of renouncing U.S. citizenship, highlighting the bureaucratic delays and frustrations he faced. He mentions that his case was resolved in April 2015, three months after he renounced, but it took eight months of waiting for the certificate of loss of nationality. He speculates that the delays might be intentional, serving as a form of administrative punishment for renouncing U.S. citizenship. He also reflects on the overall experience, comparing it to dealing with a 'banana republic' rather than a superpower, and expresses gratitude for being able to renounce without significant financial or legal complications. He also mentions the refusal of the U.S. Embassy to accept U.S. Federal Reserve notes as payment, highlighting the perceived dominance of U.S. financial systems.
Topics
Podcast by phone service, Health insurance and healthcare in Latin America, GMO labeling laws in the US, Criticism of political establishment, Consumer transparency and food labeling, Political corruption and the influence of corporate interests, GMO labeling compromise bill and corporate cover-ups, Music industry critique and the comparison of modern music to GMOs, Digital privacy and the value of personal data, U.S. tax compliance for expats, FATCA laws and foreign bank account reporting, Renouncing U.S. citizenship
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:01:33 Podcast by Phone Service Introduction 00:02:10 Health Insurance and Healthcare in Latin America 00:02:46 Criticism of GMO Labeling Laws and Political Influence 00:06:20 The Corrupt System and Voting with Your Feet 00:07:09 The GMO Labeling Compromise Bill and Corporate Scams 00:09:38 Corporate Dumbing Down of the Music Industry 00:10:18 The Value of Personal Data in the Digital Age 00:12:15 The Consequences of U.S. Citizenship for Expats 00:12:35 A Man's Journey to Renouncing U.S. Citizenship 00:15:38 The Burden of U.S. Tax Compliance for Expats 00:18:12 The Tipping Point for Renunciation 00:18:16 The Fee Increase and Its Implications 00:18:22 The Cost of Renunciation 00:18:27 The U.S. as a Criminal Institution 00:18:33 The Mafia Analogy 00:18:41 The Potential for Future Fee Increases 00:18:46 The Business of Renunciation 00:18:53 The Lack of an Expat Lobby 00:23:54 Renouncing U.S. Citizenship and the Bureaucratic Process 00:24:12 Receiving the Certificate of Loss of Nationality 00:24:34 Speculation on Delays as Administrative Punishment 00:24:59 Reflection on the U.S. Government's Performance 00:25:41 Exit Tax and Financial Implications of Renouncing 00:26:39 U.S. Embassy Payment Policies and Financial Dominance
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play and now as I wonder Hello there all you expat wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started. Okay. Here's some good news There's a new podcast by phone feature my parent station PRN FM up in New York City The mothership is offering for those of you who are on the road. So what's that mean?
[00:46] Well now there's a way for all you listeners to hear my last five Podcasts slash radio shows by dialing up a phone number or skyping whatever phone service you're most comfortable with All you have to do is dial up this number 1 7 0 1 7 1 9 0 8 9 3 once again 1 7 0 1 7 1 9 0 8 9 3 and I imagine the first digit one is for people living outside the New York area That would be the long-distance code. At least I think it is last time I dialed the phone up in the States 27 or 28 years ago So now you can go to your phone rather than go to the archive or try to download the show from other sources Now remember using the dial-up method you'll be able to get the last five shows again
[01:33] That's called the podcast by phone service for people on the run. Sounds great Anyway, you know last couple shows have been talking a bit about health insurance and health care first-world style here in Latin America Always an extremely popular subject with the over 40 crowd I might add now to piggyback on that a bit if what I'm going to tell you now doesn't get you off the fence If you are a fence sitter Still thinking you could hunker down in the state somewhere when the shite hits the ventilator And by the way, I'd lay odds that it does right after the election Anyway after what I'm gonna tell you now if you don't think you ought to get that plan be going full speed ahead Well, you'll be better off just sitting on the sofa grabbing a bag of Cheetos and the remote and watching a few episodes of botched Oh, and by the way botched is pretty popular down here in Latin America. It's translated on e-entertainment Latin America, but it's not called botched
[02:25] It's called boat shed left like crazy when I first heard a Latin person say Johnny Have you seen that new show boat shed? Yep. Once again lost in translation Speaking of lost in translation. You really have to look out for Google Translate Believe me you can get yourself in a lot of trouble using that Anyway, I want you to listen right now to a couple of snippets from this article starts by saying Monsanto puppets in the US Senate announced a compromise to outlaw GMO labeling laws nationwide Then it says while UK citizens were revolting en masse voting for brexit Another cabal of prostitute lawmakers were plotting against American food consumers According to a US Commission on agriculture nutrition and forestry lawmakers have come up with the compromise
[03:12] agriculture biotech solution So what is this so-called compromise compromise on what it degrees that for two years? There'll be no GMO labeling of foods in the US Meanwhile as the FDA ponders the best way to deceive consumers and hide Monsanto's GMOs for another few years the proposed law gives the US FDA the right to declare any foods with less than 50% Bio-engineered content that's GMO to be considered non-gmo for labeling purposes and as a bonus Surrender to Monsanto the law would not require animal products derived from GMO fed animals to be considered Bio-engineered at all allowing cattle feedlots to pump cows and other animals full of GMOs and
[04:00] Glyphosate's the resulting meat and meat products being considered all-natural Then finally after two years the FDA would require food companies to roll out a QC barcode Then consumers would have to use a smartphone to scan those codes and that would be the only way the consumer would know Which foods the FDA says have GMOs So according to the proposed law there need only be a scannable bar code in other words No longer will GMO labeling have to be in actual symbols letters numbers or words This is how the food industry can claim. They have agreed to label GMO products without actually labeling GMOs So that's the state of subterfuse between in Monsanto and your scumbag
[04:47] Sociopathic politicians who by the way you voted in so bottom line a QR code is unreadable by humans It must be scanned. So the US Senate is rolling out a GMO labeling law That basically states they don't want you to read the ingredient labels with the human eye So the legislative prostitutes for Monsanto are at it again. And yes in the end they will win So you must get off the fence and get that plan be going. I mean really what are you waiting for? Then it goes on to say if you look at the aging Congressman and senators who are pushing such laws You'll see most of these individuals even look like they've been poisoning themselves with age and wrinkle accelerating chemicals In other words, none of them with any real scientific knowledge of what kind of damage chemicals pesticides
[05:38] Glyphosate etc can do to humans and animals Then the author says like I've repeatedly advised natural news readers Republicans as a rule are scientifically illiterate and Democrats economically illiterate Politicians are all he says cognitively retarded on certain subjects And so in the end, we're all having toxic poisons shoved down our throats while the political establishment Ridiculously claimed they are fulfilling their duties by mandating labeling Even though they can only be read by computer scanning devices Then finally he says doesn't this make you just a little bit angry What is it gonna take for the American public to get pissed off? Well, they're not but the smart ones will vote with their feet now won't they I added the last part by the way
[06:27] So I'll ask you again. How was that plan B coming by the way If you want to know who's running this Monsanto driven GMO cover-up crap It's Pat Roberts Republican of Kansas and Debbie Stabenow Democrat of Michigan Hey, these are your scumbag dickheads. You voted them in now It's time you vote with your feet because you cannot change that system. It's too corrupt too malignant It's over with and if you can't see that now Well, like I said grab that bag of Cheetos and that remote control and start surfing by the way This bill is called the dark act GMO labeling compromise bill Sounds so trite and innocuous doesn't it? That's what they want you to think anyway It's just a biotech Monsanto scam designed to stealthily outlaw GMO labeling
[07:15] You can see the whole breakdown and write-up of that on Mike Adams natural news Oh and one thing about politicians expat Eddie who's always good for a quip He says when they get reelected, it's just a case of the criminal returning to the scene of the crime Can't argue with that when speaking of expat Eddie. Here are some more words of wisdom I heard from him the other day. We were talking about how real old-school Musicians people that actually play real musical instruments They consider rap hip-hop and DJing a lesser art form even to call it an art form is being kind kind of like the difference between a Gogan or a Picasso and a kid bringing home a crayon stick drawing from sixth grade art class Anyway, Eddie and I were saying to real musicians the only so-called music
[08:03] That's even more grading than hip-hop and rap is that awful Raggaeton music which is by the way the oh so popular bad Latin Spanish language copy of rap and hip-hop If that's possible and it is anyway as Eddie puts it bad music is like be oh You notice it, but the purveyor never does So down here, you'll hear that awful raggaeton music all the time So you'll have to flip a switch in your head and try to turn it off Like you try to do at the dentist or a bad karaoke performance. Otherwise, it's a miserable experience Like I said the past show call me old-fashioned. Call me a prude Call me a stick in a mud But I like a song with a beginning a middle and an end one that has words that occasionally rhyme a song that has
[08:48] More than five words that keep repeating over and over again And maybe one or two multi-syllable words to break the monotony one with themes other than hoes guns bling drugs money sex and shooting people a song that can actually be sung where a guy's hands aren't Spastically bobbing up and down and his fingers poking imaginary holes everywhere now Is that too much to ask music used to be like that, you know, but you see I'm kind of prejudiced I started playing cello in second grade along the way learned to play about five or six more real instruments I actually play it as a side man for a few famous groups You might have heard of from the 70s and 80s So I have some skin in the game and miracle of miracles I can actually read music where I used to be able to read music So when guys like me make the comment that rap hip-hop and reggaeton are the GMOs of the music business
[09:38] Contributing greatly to the corporate dumbing down to the music industry sound familiar Sadly I can present a pretty convincing case, but I digress as usual man. Did I die Chris anyway for a minute? I want to refer back to a show I did last week when I was talking about using anonymous mail services like start mail, etc I'm sure you'll like this just reading this from PC magazine recently. You read that magazine. It's kind of geeky Well, you know reach his own anyway It says a Microsoft sales department study notes that the intrinsic value of each first-world person's Personal data is worth $1,250 in today's marketplace So think about that every time you give up your name address or email address in a pop-up box trying to get free stuff
[10:29] It ain't free all of internet marketing and sales is based on data mining. Why because it's got that value So like it or not, that's what all internet users are caught up in don't think that any of those free services out there are benevolent They're not oh and by the way Microsoft also put a value on the debts and personal data of Third world people that would be people from India China Indonesia Latin America. They put that value at $300 in today's market that said as you formulate your plan B and come down to Latin America or elsewhere in the third world it will probably be the first and last time in your life you're able to gain back a substantial chunk of your anonymity and significantly lower your internet and social media footprint do keep that in mind as you prepare your plan B
[11:18] That said here's something I'm sure you didn't know when you sign up for Facebook You automatically give them permission to turn on and record from your computer or cell phone camera Go ahead check out the terms of the agreement which no one ever reads and you'll see that it's true So my advice leave your phone in another room on date night and when nature calls Of course, you could always drop your drawers and moon Zuckerberg. That'd be cool Maybe we could even pick a day and have all 3 billion people on Facebook moon him at the same time I can think of no one else that deserves it more. Can you and now on to an expect topic? That's really hot these days Renunciation of American citizenship, you know just a few years back No one ever spoke of renouncing but lately I've been getting plenty of emails about it That's it today. I'd like to read you some excerpts of one American's journey into the never-never land of
[12:08] Citizenship renunciation by the way, if you consider doing it you'll have to have another citizenship a passport from another country Or you'll be a stateless person and illegal alien, but you knew that already, right? Anyway, I'd like to thank Jack Brett the author of that famous little e-book fast Spanish that so many people have been asking me about By the way Jackson alumnus from one of my expat insider seminars He forwarded this true story to me the articles aptly titled Unbecoming American one man's painful journey to renouncing citizenship and I'll paraphrase a bit here It starts out I am an American and in April 2012 I returned to Switzerland Which is the country of my birth to commence a new phase of my adult life Naturally one of the first steps to undertake when establishing oneself in a new country is to open a bank account
[12:58] So I went down to the local Reifstein bank branch in the village of Eschick Lucerne Switzerland where my relatives and ancestors have lived and worked as farmers for over 10 generations At the bank I received the standard application forms required to open a basic check-in account The form asked me about my nationality I marked Swiss as my nationality and the United States as my second nationality The clerk reviewed the forms and said I'm sorry We can't open a bank account for you because you are a US citizen. I said, but I'm a Swiss citizen I know I know she said but you have US nationality, too And earlier this month we received a directive from top management not to open any more accounts for US passport holders Even if they are also Swiss, so I left the bank angry and confused
[13:46] I checked with other banks several other banks. It was the same story with all of them I told the story to my Swiss relatives. They all had the same reaction, but you're Swiss at that time I was completely ignorant of the FATCA laws the global taxation of US citizens the requirement to report foreign bank account balances over $10,000 US to the Treasury Department via the F bar paperwork when you do your taxes back then in 2012 I knew nothing of all these compliance matters that at least amongst US expats have become hot-button topics in recent years As for my story I left the US at the age of 22 after university Never having really worked in the States beyond part-time Student jobs and in fact had been living in Japan and Taiwan for the previous seven years teaching English before moving to
[14:39] Switzerland it's not as though the US government gives you an exit interview when you leave the country Explaining to you how to comply with all their cumbersome laws just because you're outside the states The burden is on you the taxpayer to inform yourself or face heavy penalties up to ten thousand dollars each year of non-compliance Nope, they don't tell you that stuff, but you are guilty until proven innocent Suddenly I realized I had technically been non-compliant with the US laws for years Although I never made much money at all I was furious What right did the US government have to try to tax me or make me declare anything to them not having actually lived there for almost Ten years no other developed country in the world requires this I didn't make enough money to actually have to pay US tax not only that you know
[15:28] You can exclude more than $100,000 of foreign earned income each year if you live out of the United States most of the year Alright, let's stop for a second. This is me Johnny budding in again He says no other developed country in the world requires its citizens to report their foreign income and get taxed on it He was right about that until this year now as you know if you've been listening to this show for any length of time Colombia Brazil and Argentina have jumped on that bandwagon So do remember that if any of those countries are in your plan B, so let's continue He says the very principle of having to comply with all this crap enraged me That's when I first considered renouncing my US citizenship So I contacted the US Embassy in Bern, Switzerland who quickly sent me an informational package
[16:13] All I had to do was back file five years of tax returns I could exclude all my earnings from US taxation make an appointment at the US Embassy in Bern, Switzerland and pay a $450 administration fee as I was already a citizen of Switzerland at birth I wouldn't have to pay an exit tax it only took two to three weeks to receive an appointment It seemed quick and easy however I hesitated that was back in 2012 Yes, I hesitated I thought about my mother. She still lived in the US What if she got sick or something what if Switzerland or Europe becomes a terrible place to live in the future? What if the EU breaks up? What if hordes of Muslim immigrants and jihadis invaded a place? Hmm, that was me Johnny who threw that last one in about the Muslims
[17:01] Anyway, he goes on to say I thought it might be wise at that time to still keep my US citizenship just in case a second nationality You know is like an insurance policy against economic and social decline But what should I do exactly should I go through the rest of my life outside the US? Lying about being a US citizen and saying I was just a Swiss person would have been dead easy to open a bank account That way I found out I'd been non-compliant for years already and had never heard a thing from US authorities Maybe I could just continue under the radar forever Or should I just swallow my dignity and comply with US tax rules? I only had to file a simple tax return in the F bar form as mentioned I made too little money to tax anyway, but then how does this concern my wife?
[17:49] What happens when we have children and I die wouldn't they have to pay the US inheritance tax on everything? I own what would be the point of keeping my US citizenship if I didn't plan on passing that Citizenship on to my kids. I went back and forth like this in my mind for a couple of years I couldn't make a decision I didn't want to lie for the rest of my life, but neither did I want to comply with those ridiculous tax laws Then in September 2014 came the tipping point for me The US State Department raised the administration fee for renouncing your citizenship by 522% from 450 bucks back in 2012 to $2,350 I realized then I was dealing with a criminal institution The US was the Mafia either pay protection money your whole life or pay one lump sum to get out in the end
[18:41] What was preventing them from deciding to raise the fee to 5,000 or even 10,000 in the future? Nothing prevents them there had been record numbers of renunciations over the past few years. It was good business for the US It's not like there existed a powerful expat lobby in Washington Pressuring them to change their policies on renunciation then rage took hold of me again I was so angry at myself for hesitating back in 2012 on my first instinct that my hesitation cost me at least 2,000 bucks. However, I let my rage stew for a few months more I researched the various forms of relinquishment to see if I could find a way out of paying the fee turns out Renunciation is just one type of relinquishment I found out and certain types of relinquishments do not require you to pay the fee
[19:27] However, I wasn't ready to pledge allegiance to another religion or al-qaeda and none of the other situations their criteria applied to me So I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment to renounce My appointment was set at the embassy in Bern, Switzerland for February 20th 2015 I've been told by the embassy beforehand that it generally took two to three months to process The certificate of loss of nationality called a CLN the document which officially states You are no longer a US citizen a few days before my appointment I went to a networking event where I spoke with two insurance professionals who served foreign clients They both related stories to me of US citizens in Switzerland who renounced their citizenship for one client It took the government over a year to process that CLN document
[20:14] The other client had renounced 18 months earlier and still hadn't received his CLN. What the hell was going on? I thought then February 20th finally arrived and my appointment was at 3 o'clock So I took the afternoon off work and headed to Bern I went to the embassy about 15 minutes before my appointment There were several US flags flying outside and I felt no motion when I looked at them The entrance was guarded by some kind of African military guy wearing a bulletproof vest He opened the door after I rang a bell I had my laptop with me. He gestured towards it. He said no laptops allowed in here I looked around there was nowhere to put it. So what do I do then? I said to him He said go see the lady outside by the security box I asked her she told me in Swiss German There was a police station a few blocks away where I could leave it like I needed this crap
[21:02] Once back at the embassy, I went through the metal detector and checked my phone with the security They directed me downstairs and I walked towards a female security guard who greeted me She said take off your sunglasses. I said, they're not sunglasses. They're regular prescription glasses What do you need them for she said to move through space? I informed her Well, she said we don't allow sunglasses in here. So take them off till you reach the seating area I took them off and use sonar to find the seat then put my glasses back on Once I regained my vision I saw there were three other people with me who are gonna renounce all with expressions of resignation on their faces I might add I was feeling too somber and involved to chitchat. I sat silently while I was there I eavesdropped on a lady who was talking with one of the people who was gonna renounce
[21:48] She had also brought a laptop and in course of conversation said the bakery across the street Let her store her laptop there for three Swiss francs. I thought what kind of an embassy is this running a cash for laptop storage scam This stuff happens at the embassy of the leader of the free world So I waited about five minutes went to a window to answer a few basic questions and they give you a pay slip Then you take it to another window and pay the 2350 bucks So I took my receipt back with me to the waiting area while I was there I watched and heard two other people going through the entire renunciation process which takes five minutes when it was my turn I recited the oath of renunciation and signed a piece of paper handed over my US passport, which he punched holes in invalidating it The council then informed me it would take three to five months before I received that slip of paper the CLN
[22:37] It would be mailed from Washington to the embassy in Bern, Switzerland And they would contact me when it came he asked me if I had any plans to go to the US during that time I said no he then explained that until I received that paper I would not yet be officially non-american and could travel as a US citizen However to enter the US or any other country you need a passport mine was no longer valid It had holes punched in it that meant I'd be barred from entering any other country including the states on less I had a very good reason like a funeral. I yes, but maybe not unless I could document it with a death certificate Maybe okay flash forward six months later August 2015 I had not heard a thing from Bern, Switzerland or the consulate I called the US consulate and I found out they only take calls during a two-hour window each day
[23:27] Once I got through a call and identified myself and told them of my case Explaining they said it would take from three to five months and now it was six or more the consulate guys said yeah It's been taking longer lately due to IT issues and your paperwork is hung up in Washington We have to wait flash forward to October. I phoned up again same thing said the guy at the other end IT issues in Washington Christmas and New Year's came and went and it was now one year I decided to call a friend of mine who worked at the State Department a guy I'd known in the Peace Corps He found out my case was done and resolved in April 2015 just three months after I renounced Sure enough a week later after my friend's inquiry
[24:12] I finally received my certificate of loss of nationality after eight months of pointless waiting since it was already done and Processed so as for my final thoughts Especially after the delays and experience. I've heard from others who've tried the same thing It makes you want to believe they intentionally delay finalizing renunciation as a form of Administrative punishment for doing so they know you're in a kind of a limbo and can't visit the US during that time Could it be a final spiteful parting middle finger in your face from the US government looks to be as for me in the end I needed to actually use government context and pull administrative strings to receive the service for which I paid so generously That said the experience didn't do much to diminish the impression
[24:59] I had of dealing with a banana republic rather than the greatest superpower the world has ever known so in the end I'm truly grateful. I consider myself quite lucky to have been able to accomplish this at all I'm grateful though to have been citizen of birth of one of the most prosperous most developed democratic societies in the world Switzerland without Swiss citizenship renouncing would have been much more difficult along with that. I'm grateful I did not have any assets or money when I renounced which would have made the compliance much more difficult in my case Except for the couple of grand at the beginning. It was virtually Costless I'm also grateful that I was not subject to an exit tax for those who are Upon renunciation the IRS taxes you as if you had sold all of your assets right now at one time
[25:47] then they make you pay tax as if it was income the moment you renounce and Last but not least. I'm grateful. I do not have to vote in the 2016 US presidential election and just a sidebar to that another guy writes I unloaded my USA slave status when it was 450 bucks and have a very similar story to tell I'm not free by any means, but at least I only have one slave master now that second passport nationality flag I was lucky to get and that everyone should get now while they still can then he says this is the weirdest part of my story I went to the trouble of getting $450 and US Federal Reserve notes to pay the US Embassy. They refused to take my cash I said but these are US dollars green pieces of paper with a statement for all debts
[26:37] Public and private printed right there in English However, they still would not take my Federal Reserve notes, but they did take Visa and MasterCard shows you who's in charge, huh? Okay. Wow, that doesn't get you kick-started on your plan B. I don't know what will speaking of plan B I've got a few spots left for my January 2017 Exped insider seminar and you know It's one of the best ways to get your own plan B jump-started and on the fast track Just go to www.thenewexped.com click on Johnny's 2017 seminar link at the top of the page Do check it out and while you're there for even more knowledge and extra boots on the ground Be sure to have a look at John Galt's pre and post seminar trips And finally do check out my youtube site. That's youtube slash the expat files
[27:25] Have some fun and laughs with the pictures and slides that go along with the show do subscribe. It's free South of the border This is the expat files living in Latin America If you want me to help you out with your own plan B Just schedule a one-on-one consult send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to learn how to move forward with your own plan B from right up there in the states go to www.expatplanb.com and check out my three videos. See ya nos vemos