A NOTE FROM THE CLUB DIRECTOR

Unicorns, Creating Jobs and Presidential Debates

It was 9:30 on a Monday night and the train wreck was in full-on carnage mode.

The metal twisted and distorted over 90 minutes right in front of our eyes. Aside from the occasional pause to express horror and disbelief to my wife, we just sat and watched with 80 million other transfixed and horrified Americans.

Yes, the presidential debate season, like hurricane season, is upon us. And this year is expected to be a doozy.

Something You’ll Never See

It didn’t take long to see how distorted the perception of government’s role has become. And just how lacking in basic economics the entire system is.

“Mr. Trump,” asked debate moderator Lester Holt, “the same question to you. It's about putting money, more money, into the pockets of American workers. You have up to two minutes.”

Ahem. Just once I’d like to hear a candidate say…

“Ahh, yes, that’s easy, Lester. Let me start by saying it’s not the federal government's job to ‘put money in people’s pockets.’”

[He waits for audible gasps from the audience to subside.]

“A responsible government should create an environment where the rule of law is respected,

November 2016, VOLUME 4 | Issue 2

continued on next page >>>

by Jud AnglinHealth Services Expert

Donald Trump has promised that if elected president, he will repeal and replace Obam-

acare. Only problem (other than the likelihood of him winning) is he’d need a supermajority in the Congress to repeal it.

More likely is a Hillary win, with most polls showing her in the lead. Unfortunately, when it comes to your health care, a President Clinton is a sprint in the wrong direction. Not only does she support Medicaid expansion, but she also favors a public option, which would be the final stepping stone to socialized medicine.

As bad as this is, something more sinister awaits us under a Clinton presidency — and it could mean life or death to you or a loved one. In fact, it’s all set to begin just one week after she’s sworn in as the 45th president.

Fortunately, there is a way you’ll be able to sidestep the worst of it… and I’m going to show you how.

Introducing the “Rejection Board”

When the government passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, they understood that Medicare was heading toward financial armaged-don. This should come as no surprise, as the politicians who legislated Medi-care in 1965 priced the enrollment for eligibility beginning at 65. Today, the fastest-growing demographic is folks over the age of 100.

That’s why, as part of the ACA, they created the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), whose sole purpose is to reduce Medicare funding. And once activated, the 15-member board of unelected bureaucrats will hold the ultimate power over your personal health care decisions.

In simple terms, this means that if you need a knee replacement,

Denied! The Seedy Underbelly of the Affordable Care Act Is Nearly Upon Us… Protect Yourself With This Plan B

WHAT’S INSIDE

The War on Savers Has Become a Bloodbath

By the Numbers

Your “War on Savers” Counteroffensive

The Biggest Mistake Made by Small-Business Owners

They Said… What?!

Hiring the Best “Tour Guide” Requires Thinking a Little Differently

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45

6

68

Laissez Faire LetterYour Playbook for a Healthy, Independent & More Prosperous Life.

HEALTH CARE ALTERNATIVES

“This 15-member board of unelected bureaucrats will hold the ultimate power over your personal health care decisions.”

laissez faire letterwww.lfb.org2

which is ordinarily covered by Medicare, you’ll receive a rejection notice. You will have to cover that expense instead, which will run you about $31,000, according to Healthcare Blue Book. This is the choice that you’ll be left with.

Thankfully, you do have an alter-native that promises immediate access and VIP treatment at an amazingly affordable price.

Destination Health CareHealth City Cayman Islands is a brand new state-of-the-art hospital that opened its doors for surgery a little over two years ago. If you follow my reporting, you’ll recall that I’ve discussed this fantastic and affordable gem in the Caribbean in the past.

Last year, I traveled to the Cayman Islands with Chris Campbell, managing editor of Laissez Faire Today. During our visit, we got to conduct a site inspection and meet the executive management team, along with the chief surgeons.

As the founder and manag-ing director of MedRetreat, the first medical tourism facilitation agency in the U.S., I’ve had the amazing opportunity of visiting more than one hundred hospitals worldwide. And since 2003, we’ve helped thousands of uninsured pa-tients get the surgical procedures they needed by putting them in contact with advanced, highly ac-

credited hospitals, most of which were in Asia. To be sure, these are world-class hospitals. But given the choice, I personally would want to be treated at Health City Cayman Islands.

It starts the minute you enter the large, bright, modern reception area, when you’re immediately greeted by warm, generous, wel-coming smiles. This isn’t an act. Every staff member I met during my three-day visit was friendly and absolutely loved their job. And they all communicated the same message: They’re on a mission to change health care around the world, based on two core princi-ples — quality and affordability.

The chief surgeons I met with are among the best and most respected in their chosen specialties. These

doctors hail from India, but they left their na-tive land because they so desired to be a part of this hospital’s world-changing mission.

But don’t just take my word about the doctors’ bedside manners. Here’s C. Barnhill, who traveled to Health City Cayman Is-lands this past summer for a double knee replacement:

I made an appointment in April with Dr. Alwin for a second opinion. When he came over, his compassion, his interest, the explanation of the surgi-cal procedure and the overall feeling that I got from him just made me feel so comfortable.

where monetary exchange is free and unfettered so a dollar today is worth a dollar tomorrow. Oh, and we need to create a simple tax structure where American citizens get to keep almost everything they earn. Because one thing government is really good at is taking a dollar in taxes and turning it into 30 cents.

“In short, the U.S. must be a place where individuals want to invest, build businesses, and hire people. If we accomplish that, we’ll all do better.”

[Your club director wakes with a startle from his daydream.]

Here’s a way to navigate the upcom-ing mind-numbing debates. When any government official says “investing” or “creating jobs,” simply replace the words with “waste” and “higher taxes.” Because the only possible way for a government to do anything is by extracting money from productive businesses and citizens.

What Wasn’t Said in Monday Night’s Debate

Not surprisingly absent from the first debate was any mention of the govern-ment program that is perfecting the idea of extraction with IRS enforcement: the Affordable Care Act.

Neither side wants to touch the lightning rod issue. But in the coming months, provisions of the 20,000-word law take effect that will have unseen and dire consequences for any American who relies on Medicare.

This month, Jud Anglin predicts may-hem in the health care industry and explains what you can do to avoid it.

Sincerely,

Doug Hill Director, Laissez Faire Club

Unicorns, Creating… continued from page 1

Copyright 2016 by Laissez Faire Books LLC. All rights reserved. This newsletter may only be used pursuant to the subscription agreement, and any reproduction, copying or redistribution (electronic or otherwise, including on the World Wide Web), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of Laissez Faire Books LLC, 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202-2406.

The publisher forbids its writers or consultants from having a financial interest in securities recommended to readers. All other Laissez Faire Books LLC (and its affiliate companies’) employees and agents must wait 24 hours prior to following an initial recommendation published on the Internet, or 72 hours after a printed publication is mailed. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. The accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed. Signed articles represent the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the editors. Neither the publisher nor the editor is a registered investment adviser. Readers should carefully review investment prospectuses and should consult investment counsel before investing.

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Laissez Faire Letter is published monthly for US $99 per year by Laissez Faire Books LLC, 808 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202-2406, www.lfb.org. Laissez Faire Club President: Addison Wiggin Club Director: Doug Hill; Managing Editor: Luke McGrath; Graphic Design: Mena Fusco

“The chief sur-geons I met with

are among the best and most respect-ed in their chosen

specialties.”

3laissez faire letterwww.lfb.org

I don’t say this lightly, but Health City is much more than a hospital that conducts surgeries. I believe they truly heal your body, mind and soul. The destina-tion itself is magical: a stunning tropical island in the heart of the Caribbean. And then there are the convenience factors: It’s just an hour flight from Miami, English is the primary language and U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere. It couldn’t be an easier destination to navigate, especially when recuper-ating from surgery.

I’m guessing that this all sounds great, but want about the cost?

Health City makes it easy for you, as they provide “bundled pricing,” meaning there are no hidden costs: You’ll get just one simple bill per-taining to your procedure. You can see how their prices compare in the sidebar below. Note that these are approximate, but they should give you a good idea of the cost savings.

How to Get StartedTo learn more about Health City Cayman Island, follow these simple steps:

1. Visit MedRetreat by clicking here.

2. Click on Step 3: Free Membership in the upper-left corner of the homepage.

3. Complete the Free Membership Application.

4. Make sure to enter Lais-sez Faire in the How Did You Hear About Us? field.

5. Once received, you will receive a free consultation call to answer questions and help determine if

medical tourism is right for you.

If Hillary Clinton becomes our next president, which looks likely for now, you’ll need a good Plan B for obtaining the highest-quality surgical procedure at a very afford-able price. Health City Cayman Island is that Plan B you should earmark today.

Judson Anglin is the founder of MedRetreat.com and a board mem-ber of the Laissez Faire Club.

ProceduresHip Replacement

Knee Replacement

CABG Heart Bypass

Angiogram

Spinal Lumbar Fusion

Healthcare BluebookFair Price*

$31, 393

$31, 393

$56,392

$9,760

$57,539

HCCI Price$15,800

$15,800

$31,700

$3,200

$19,000

* Healthcare Bluebook Fair Price is the negotiated price that insurers pay hospitals. If you don’t have health insurance, you pay a much higher price. The prices listed above are from San Francisco

“Health City is much more than a hospital that con-ducts surgeries. I believe they truly heal your body, mind and soul.”

“‘Bundled pricing’ means there are no hidden costs,

you’ll get just one simple bill per-taining to your

procedure.”

Featured Board of GovernorsHealth innovations: Jud Anglin, founder of MedRetreat.com; Tax strategy: Mark J. Kohler; Tax preparation: Sandy Botkin, president, Tax Reduction Institute; Alternative investments: Ryan Cole, editor, Unconventional Wealth; Wealth Building: Mark Ford, Founder, Wealth Builders’ Club; Online security and privacy: Mike Leahy, Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and attorney; Economic forecasting: Jim Rickards, editor, Strategic Intelligence; Retirement and income specialist: Zachary Scheidt, editor, Lifetime Income Report; Anti-Aging: Dr. Al Sears, MD; Bitcoin: Dominic Frisby; Bio-tech investing: Ray Blanco, editor, FDA Trader; Biohacking: Dave Asprey, founder, Bulletproof; Lifestyle — Wine: Joe Maga; Lifestyle — Food: Katie Vogel; Resources & Military: Byron King, editor, Outstanding Investments and Military-Tech Alert; Government regulations: Jeffrey Tucker, Chief Liberty Officer, Liberty.me; Al-ternative Health: Brad Lemley, editor, Natural Health Solutions; Self-Reliance: Lee Bellinger, publisher, Independent Living; Crisis preparation: Frank Bates, founder, Food4Patriots; Roving reporter: Chris Campbell; Resiliency: John Robb, editor-in-chief, HomeFree America; 401(k) Watchdog: Dave Gonigam; International Investing & Expatriation: Mark Nestmann; Safety & Survival: Jason Hanson, Spy & Survival Briefing; Rogue Economist: Bill Bonner, founder, Agora Inc.; Trends Forecasting: Gerald Celente, Trends Research Institute; Laissez Faire Club President: Addison Wiggin; Club Director: Doug Hill; Managing Editor: Luke McGrath

laissez faire letterwww.lfb.org4

by Mark NestmannFounder, The Nestmann Group

Last year, German savers with more than €100,000 in their bank accounts woke to the

news that they faced a new 0.4% annual charge. There was no warn-ing; it happened overnight. And those impacted had no recourse.

It's a penalty that financial institu-tions across the world have been imposing on their corporate clients. But this is one of the first instances in which personal depositors have been targeted and penalized.

This move signals danger on the horizon for anyone with savings in the bank.

What, exactly, is this penalty? And what can you do to protect your-self? To answer these questions, we first need to understand a couple important things about banking.

Banking Basics We’re all familiar with the way saving money in a bank works. You deposit funds, and depending on the prevailing interest rate, you earn a return.

For a bank, many factors go into determining the rate offered to savers. Arguably, the most important of all is the federal funds rate. This is the in-terest rate that determines how much banks pay to borrow money from each other. It’s a benchmark rate set by the Federal Reserve, and it trickles down to the rest of the economy.

When the federal funds rate was high, like during the late 1970s and

early 1980s, you could sock money away in the bank and earn a nice return. But since the financial crisis struck, the Fed — like other major central banks — reduced their benchmark rate to record lows. They argue this spurs borrowing and spending, which increases economic growth. The flip side, though, is that when rates are between 0.25 and 0.5 percent, you earn practically noth-ing for saving money.

But even with near-zero rates, many countries have discovered that economic growth has still not been forthcoming. Which is why, right now, central banks are responding by doing something extreme…

Paying for the Privi-lege of Giving Your Money AwayTell me what you think of this of-fer: You lend me $1,000 today, and in one year, I’ll give you… $950.

Sounds crazy, right? After all, that would imply a negative interest rate. But strange as it sounds, that’s exactly what’s occurring right now — but on a massive scale.

The theory behind the controversial policy is simple enough. Negative rates penalize banks for parking their cash, so they are incentivized to loan it out. By passing on the negative interest rates to the public, we are then supposedly encouraged to spend or invest, thereby boosting economic growth.

But in fact, we are punished for

saving, as this topsy-turvy policy means that with each passing year, you would have less money in your account than the year prior.

Incredibly, a quarter of the world economy is now subject to a negative

base rate, including the Eurozone, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. Even banks in the U.K. are quickly rewriting their rulebook to pave the way for negative rates.

Japan and the eurozone are quickly learning, however, this policy is backfiring, resulting in neither growth nor inflation.

Economics for Dum-mies (And Central Bankers)Here’s why negative interest rates don’t work:

The bank run scenario: There’s a simple flaw in the design of negative

The War on Savers Has Become a Bloodbath Around the World, Depositors Are Picking up the Tab for a Bizarre Mass Economic Experiment — Here’s How to Fight Back

“Central banks are responding [to the lack of eco-

nomic growth] by doing something

extreme...”

INTERNATIONAL INVESTING & EXPATRIATION

BY THE NUMBERS

Percentage of American high school seniors aca-

demically prepared for college-level math and reading.

Portion of corporate executives who are psy-

chopaths, according to a recent study. (Interestingly, this rate is almost the same as the prison population.)

Number of copies of Hillary Clinton’s new

book, Stronger Together, that sold in the first week. (Living History, her 2003 book, sold nearly 500,000 copies in its first week.)

1 in 5:

37%

2,912:

5laissez faire letterwww.lfb.org

rates. If (when) the banks pass on the interest rate to the public, cus-tomers simply withdraw their funds. Since the introduction of negative rates in Japan, sales of personal safes have soared. Similarly, when Swit-zerland first introduced negative rates in the 1970s, the amount of cash held in the economy increased enormously.

Decrease the likelihood of lending: Rather than encourage banks to lend money, negative rates have the oppo-site effect. Banks don’t want to make loans on which they’re guaranteed to lose money, so instead, they swal-low the cost of parking their money. That in turn eats into their profit margin, which means they are even less likely to lend. When the ECB adopted negative rates, interbank lending actually dropped.

It kills government bond yields: Yields on over $10 trillion worth of sovereign debt bonds are now in the negatives. This means an investor will receive less value on maturity than they originally invested. This has a knock-on effect as inves-tors hunt out higher yields in U.S. bonds, which drives yields lower.

The negative bond yield has halted the growth of pensions and mutual funds in the eurozone and, indeed, in America. Twenty-six percent of JPMorgan’s government bonds value is in the red, while Goldman Sachs re-cently closed their European Money

Markets funds to new investors.

By killing the bond market, inves-tors and fund managers are forced to make riskier moves to hit their growth targets. This leads to…

Riskier mortgages: Negative interest rates may have the effect of paying homeowners to take out a mortgage. It sounds wonderful, yet if interest rates increase, the institutional inves-tors that bought negative interest rate mortgages — think pension plans and insurance companies — will need to borrow money at higher interest rates to honor their terms. That’s a problem with any fixed-rate mortgage, but the risk is amplified with negative interest rates. (This introduces yet more potential to repeat the 2008 crisis.)

Escape OptionsRight now there are no immediate signs that the U.S. will adopt nega-

tive rates. In fact, Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen is committed to raising rates (albeit at a glacial pace). Eco-nomic confidence, however, is extremely vulnerable to interest

rate increases. Meaning, the Fed may raise rates in the future — only to discover they’ve sent the econo-my into a tailspin. This is why Yel-len has noted that, “if circumstances were to change,” then “potentially anything, including negative inter-est rates, would be on the table.”

As has happened elsewhere, if negative rates do become a reality, it will be done without any official warn-ing — and if you have money in the bank, you will pay the price.

By escaping the banking system, you can reduce your exposure to the vola-tility and insulate yourself somewhat to the chaos of

destructive central banking policies.

A store of gold, held overseas (or even domestically, for that matter), offers an excellent hedge against uncertainty, although in periods of deflation, gold’s value will fluctuate with the market.

Not only that, but if it’s held cor-rectly, no one (not even the IRS) needs to know about it.

[Director’s note: This is one of the strategies that Mark explores in de-tail in The Lifeboat Strategy, which is widely considered the gold standard in American client asset protection and financial privacy resources. We’ve arranged a special offer on it exclusively for Laissez Faire Letter readers; to gain access, click here.]

“With each passing year, you would have less money in your account than the

year prior.”

Mark Nestmann, for over 30 years, has helped 15,000-plus customers and clients successfully use geograph-ical diversification to protect their assets and financial privacy.

Your “War on Savers” Counteroffensive

Wouldn’t you love to be able to just flip off the Fed and Social Security in one fell swoop? Well, our crack research team found a

way to help you do exactly that.

It’s an obscure — yet totally above-board — website that lets you invest in special, high-yield certificates that pay interest rates of up to 28.99%... And you can start with just $25.

Buy enough of these weird little $25 notes and the money you make could not only trounce your Social Security benefits, it could actually render them meaningless to your total monthly income. Incredibly, you can collect this income on top of what you’re collecting or plan-ning to collect from Social Security.

To find out how to access this strange website so you can stop worrying about the Federal Re-serve’s War on Savers, click here.

Doug Hill

You Can't UNSEE This: Watch What a Woman Does In This Bowling Alley

Consider yourself warned. Because, once you CLICK HERE… You can never “UNSEE” what we caught a woman doing LIVE ON CAMERA… In this bowling alley just 6.7 miles from our Baltimore headquarters. We caught two other people doing it too.

CLICK HERE to see the uncensored foot-age — it’s TRULY ASTOUNDING.

laissez faire letterwww.lfb.org6

by Jay AbrahamBusiness Mentor and Strategist

Can we talk candidly for a few minutes? If you’re a business owner, what I’m about

to say could alter or redefine your business future — but it may be painful to hear. If you’re not a busi-ness owner — but are considering starting a business — well, better to learn this important lesson now.

Here goes. A business owner is ei-ther a proprietor or an entrepreneur. Tragically, but truthfully, 95% of all small-business owners function as proprietors, not entrepreneurs.

Why is this so bad? Because your

days as a proprietor — operat-ing a “me too,” commodity-type enterprise — are numbered. Unless you dramatically change who and what you are, your business could become “the walking dead” sooner rather than later.

I'm not trying to scare you.

I'm writing this “red alert” to save you. To reset your belief system. I’m not doing this to sell you a thing, other than, hope-fully, the idea of shifting yourself out of the doomed world of business propri-etor and into the dynamic, vibrant, possibility-based world of the entrepreneur.

Proprietors vs. EntrepreneursSo what’s the difference between the two?

A proprietor, as described by manage-ment whiz Peter Drucker, is a busi-ness owner who adds almost nothing meaningful to the business category they address. A Mexican restaurant or deli that does the same thing, in the same way, as every other estab-lishment adds little, if any, real value to the marketplace — other than (maybe) convenience of location.

The owner of such a business doesn’t make the experience any better. Yes, of course, they want to please their customers, but they don’t innovate the business model or the product or service offering. It’s just another deli or Mexican restaurant.

On the other hand, a true entrepre-neur is a business owner committed to continuously innovating: how they conduct business, what they offer, the way the product or service gets delivered or presented and the product or service itself.

Drucker didn't say it, but I see a proprietor as someone who sets up a generic business that's nondis-

tinctive. It takes oxygen out of the air and cash out of commerce, but frankly, it contributes very little exceptional value to the market beyond the “mere” self-

serving commodity aspect of their product or service offer.

The proprietor, says Drucker, does what thousands before them have done. They don't create a new satisfaction, experience or consumer demand. The proprietor simply taps into existing demand.

An entrepreneur, in contrast, creates something new: new experiences, new satisfaction, a new definition of what they do. They create something dif-ferent: something that’s more exciting, more satisfying, more desirable or valuable to the market. Entrepreneurs find ways to improve and redefine products or services and the way business processes get conducted.

Perhaps most importantly, entrepre-neurs make truly positive impacts on their market. They’re commit-ted to being “game changers.” They multiply the benefits, magnify the experience and maximize the advan-tage for the consumer. Remember, it's all about benefitting the consumer!

The Biggest Mistake Made by Small-Business OwnersWhy Operating a “Me Too” Business Is Sabotaging Your Success (and How to Fix It)

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

“THEY SAID… WHAT?!”“The craziest thing in the world.”

— Bill Clinton on Obamacare at a rally in Michigan this

month. No wonder Hillary’s mentioned Obamacare just once in the 16 speeches she’s given over the last month. Perhaps she’ll repeal it? Don’t count on it. “Not on my watch,” she said last year

“Is this the way we want our taxpayer money spent, to hassle an 81-year-old and law-abiding patients?”

— Michael Cutler, attorney for a Mass. woman who suffers from arthritis and glaucoma, whose property was raided by way of a military-style helicopter and several police vehicles… for one mari-juana plant.

“Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now, there are 3 mil-lion drug addicts in the Phil-ippines. I would be happy to slaughter them.”

— Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

“A true entrepre-neur is a business owner committed to continuously in-

novating”

Where Do You Stand?Ask yourself a few sobering ques-tions: Am I merely siphoning cash out of my market — or am I truly adding innovative value? Am I a multiplier — or a diminisher? Am I making a huge positive impact — or no worthwhile or significant effect whatsoever? Can’t answer? If that’s the case, you are probably not innovating or adding anything meaningful to your marketplace.

True entrepreneurs require no certainty. Instead, they feed on op-portunity. Problems are their fuel of achievement. Challenges are their competitive advantages.

Probably the best way to differenti-ate between being a value creator or a “commerce siphon” is whether or not your business is based on purposeful and impactful innova-tion versus a pure profit motiva-tion. Profit today, more than any time in the past, is a byproduct of contribution and the amount of value that your business adds to the consumer.

Entrepreneurs view obstacles in

their industries as motivators, chal-lenges to be surmounted inventively and advantageously. Why? Because businesses are not static. Yours ei-ther grows or it dies. But growth can be illusory. A business can increase sales and even improve short-term profits while actu-ally losing meaning in the market. The entrepreneur that does not innovate inevitably ages, stagnates, suffocates or dies.

But don’t think that entrepreneur-ship is natural, automatic, or just naturally flows to some lucky peo-ple. It doesn’t! It’s hard, continuous work. But really — what isn’t?

So if you’re a proprietor, you need to convert and become a “born again” entrepreneur.

How to See the World Like an Entrepreneur• Rather than viewing change in

marketing, change in consumer buying habits, change in compet-itive offerings as threats, become supremely receptive to viewing

them as opportunities

• Continuously evaluate your business and its performance as an innovator/value creator in as

many critical catego-ries as possible, e.g., product development, value added, buyer experience

• Become (almost) obsessed with the discovery, development, and perfecting of new things: new ways of marketing, new ways of delivering your products or services, new ways of improving the transactional experience. See your world differently than your competition

• Learn to overcome resistance to innovate by seeking continuous breakthroughs in marketing, strategy, innovation, your busi-ness model, and your competi-tive positioning.

Any business owner who tries to hold on to the “status quo” will lose ground rapidly. Recognize the importance of innovation and the fact that it takes time and real investment to bloom. You can't merely wish for your business to become a true value creator to the marketplace — you need to plan, execute, nurture (and nourish) specific, progressive steps.

Nothing good or great comes with-out effort and hard work. But if you crave new ways to reach your mar-ket, new product or service offerings, new markets to serve, new methods for doing business, new technologies to produce better outcomes, new ways to successfully compete, your business will thrive.

Jay Abraham is known as the “Billion-Dollar Man” and has helped over 10,000 businesses and practicing professionals in 400 industries to dramatically boost their revenue and profits.

“Businesses are not static. Yours either grows or it dies.”

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Central bankingOverseas Wars

MedicareSocial Security

A Dying Empire's Gravy Train

Copyright 2016 Doug Hill. All rights reserved.

laissez faire letterwww.lfb.org8

by Terry ColesInternational Living

As my husband, Clyde, ap-proached the taxi, the

driver looked surprised to hear a gringo speak-ing Spanish. After all, this was the tourist town of Baños, Ecuador, which attracts visitors from all over the world. The streets are lined with little shops that display signs in English offering tours of the quaint little village.

But we like to see things from a more authentic, and local, point of view. Forget those one-size-fits-all, commercialized big bus tours. Not only do they tie you down to a rigid schedule, but very often, you’ll miss out on hidden gems simply because you’re traveling on a large vehicle. That’s why there’s one travel tip we use everywhere we go that not only gives us a more unique experi-ence… but also saves us money.

My husband asked the taxi driver what were his favorite things to see around the town. Confused by the question at first, the driver took a few seconds to gather his thoughts before he started talking. As the town’s name, Baños, meaning bath or bathroom in Spanish, suggests, the local thermal baths were a must-see, but we had already gone on a previous visit. Instead, the driver told us about a route that goes by several beautiful waterfalls.

Next Clyde inquired, “So how much to take us there?” The driver said, “$20.” The next four hours

were magical as our driver proudly showed us snow-capped volcanoes, majestic waterfalls with cable cars that soared overhead and a natu-ral rock formation in the side of a mountain that resembled Jesus.

Along the way, the driver men-tioned a few more sights he could show us for an additional $20. He dropped us off on the edge of the road that led up to a treehouse overlooking the mountains. He napped in the taxi while we went to explore the mountain views. As our tour continued, and the more we smiled and seemed to enjoy what he was telling us, the more willing he became to go the extra mile. He acted not only as our personal tour guide, but also as our photographer, adviser of where and what to eat and new local friend.

And while our Spanish is far from perfect, this forced us to step out of our comfort zone and be willing to practice… and our driver was hap-py to slow down or explain things differently so we could understand.

We love to try the local foods when we travel, and taxi drivers are the best for suggesting cheap, local

and tasty eats. While in Ecuador, we just had to try cuy, or guinea pig. For $6, we were served a piece of guinea pig alongside three large boiled potatoes and were each given a tablespoon to eat it with.

The sights and tastes of travel create treasured memories that always leave you wanting for more. Finding a lo-cal taxi driver to take you on a tour of his town is an easy and inexpen-sive way to really gain an insight into the place you’re visiting. It gives you a chance to mingle with the locals and see things you might never have found on our own. For my husband and me, that’s a valuable part of the whole travel experience.

[Director’s note: International Liv-ing magazine has a special offer on a 120-page hardcover book that's filled with great travel tips and advice. Get it delivered straight to your door, just pay $4.95 for the shipping and handling. Reserve your copy today by clicking here.]

Hiring the Best “Tour Guide” Requires Thinking a Little Differently A Top Tip to Give You a More Unique and Authentic Travel Experience

LIFESTYLE

Terry Coles and her husband, Clyde, retired early and moved to Panama in 2011. They now travel the world and write a blog reporting on their adventures. Read it here.

“The next four hours were magi-cal as our driver proudly showed us snow-capped

volcanoes, majes-tic waterfalls with

cable cars that soared overhead.”