RJ and Makay

Though in the offing for some time, it's still a shock to see a credit agency move toward downgrading U.S. debt. Today, Standard & Poor's (S&P) Ratings Services reduced its outlook on the U.S. to "negative," potentially setting the stage for a downgrade from triple-A status in the near future.

"More than two years after the beginning of the recent crisis, U.S. policymakers have still not agreed on how to reverse recent fiscal deterioration or address longer-term fiscal pressures," explains S&P credit analyst Nikola G. Swann. The chance of a U.S. downgrade within two years is at least one in three, Swann estimates.

The jobs market is continuing its gradual recovery in spite of Middle East turmoil, the disaster in Japan, and layoffs by local governments. Indeed, the economy added a net of 216,000 jobs in March and unemployment fell to a two-year low of 8.8%, the Labor Department reports.

Private employers, the backbone of the economy, drove nearly all the gains by adding 230,000 jobs after a gain of 240,000 in February. This marks the first time since 2006 — more than a year before the recession — that private-sector hiring topped 200,000 in two straight months.

Because the cost of living is so high in the U.S. compared with many other parts of the world, older Americans are increasingly likely to look for someplace else to retire. Currently, an estimated half million retired Americans reside abroad, and that number is expected to rise significantly over the next ten years as Baby Boomers retire en masse.

Once they've done the upfront research, picked where they want to live, and made the move, retirees often don't look back. Many say the lifestyle in their adopted countries is as good if not better than what they were used to in the U.S., depending on the country. Currently, the most popular retirement destinations abroad are Central American countries such as Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica. Belize in the Caribbean is also a top choice.