You won't get any break on furniture prices in Panama, which are roughly equivalent to the U.S. When you compare costs, it will probably make more sense for you to rent a furnished unit and leave most of your stuff in the U.S. in a self-storage unit until you are ready to make a long-term commitment.

WSJ: Preparing to Retire in Panama--WSJ House Talk

Although the nature of the transformation is still unclear, it will probably include more partnerships and outsourcing to turn fixed costs into variable costs.

FORBES: Banks Can Add Two Points to ROE By Reducing Complexity Says IBM

"'Trillion' does seem to have much more currency than it used to, probably because of the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the budget and deficit, " says John Allen Paulos a professor of mathematics at Temple University in Philadelphia.

BBC: Is trillion the new billion?