It's no secret that national economies across the globe have had a particularly trying decade, as the recession that rocked the United States and continued uncertainty in the Eurozone have left millions of people in worse financial situations than they had been, even before the most recent administration. However, some nations were able to thrive while we were still crawling out of the rubble, with a few countries that were once considered second- or third-world now are on the fast track to gaining developed status.
This is especially true in South America, where the bridge between lower- and upper-class citizenship, in terms of fiscal wealth, has shrunk markedly over the past decade. However, in Brazil – the continent's largest country and economy – thousands of protesters have taken to the streets over the past week against the national government, despite the fact that the country has added more than 40 million individuals into its burgeoning middle class over the past 10 years.
A report from Time Magazine discussing these events points to Chile, one of South America's great success stories, as an explanation of the phenomena currently taking place. Although the country is looking to gain developed status faster than almost any other in the region, frequent protests have been increasingly common throughout the past few years. Despite increased shared wealth, even those who have entered the middle class are recognizing the fact that their governments, in many cases, remain as corrupt today as they were before adopting more broadly beneficial financial policies.
All of this, along with the recent economic turmoil stateside, is further proof that investors and those approaching retirement need to do what they can to protect their sources of income. GreatWealthStrategies.com offers a number of important investment resources for independently minded people, so contact us today to get started.