On this episode, Jason and Tim talk about their recent trip to Belize including offshore investing, overseas retirements, and their impressions of life in Belize. 80% of privately owned land in Belize is owned by Americans and English is a the national language.

Belize offers numerous advantages for those who enjoy aquatic adventures including boating, fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling on one of the largest reefs in the western hemisphere. Originally part of the British Empire, Belize shares a common colonial history with other Anglophone Caribbean countries. From 1862 to 1973, its name was British Honduras. It became an independent Commonwealth realm in 1981, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as head of State.

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Jason Hartman talks with Robert Landori about money laundering – the world‘s third largest business. It is so prevalent that the world‘s various authorities fighting this criminal activity hesitate to name a total figure. They only offer tentative estimates. Depending on whom you ask the figure ranges between US $600 Billion and $1.5 Trillion worldwide per year.

According to the International Monetary Fund, this represents between two and five per cent of the world‘s gross domestic product. The lower figure is equivalent to the value of the total output of an economy the size of Spain‘s.

This massive sum of illegal money usually finds a home in geographical areas that have lax control over their financial institutions (off-shore tax havens) where it is invested principally in ‘passive’ i.e. non-tangible-asset producing, ventures. This has a very serious impact on international economic development. Money laundering can only flourish where some sort of banking system exists that is willing to cooperate with money launderers. Because banking for money launderers can be extremely profitable many bankers cannot resist the temptation to participate.