The interbank electronic payment system in Costa Rica makes it easy to electronically transfer money within the country; it can be used to pay bills and employees and ultimately avoid carrying checks and cash. The catch: it makes your finances much more transparent.

Costa Rica real estate is potentially a very lucrative investment - but it can also be dangerously risky. Buyers need to know what to expect and be prepared to take preventative measures to protect their investment.

Adding a recently approved clause onto the list of powers held by company managers is a clever way to avoid the transfer of company ownership and assets upon death.

There are certain crucial steps that a buyer must immediately go through following a real estate transaction, in order to avoid potential complications or fraud on the part of the seller.

Due to the common issue of non-owners taking possession of or selling property, property owners in Costa Rica need to be aware of all of their options for protecting what is rightfully theirs. One legal and efficient strategy is the application of mortgage certificates to the property: mortgages that are owned by the owner (not by a bank).

Unbeknownst to most, the attorney general's office of Costa Rica has a website (which functions); and it provides helpful downloadable legal advice to those unfortunate enough to get involved in a legal battle in Costa Rica.

In many ways Costa Rica is like the Wild West. Owners should practice self-defense when it comes to dealing with property speculators, because in a land where the law is often an unlikely source of assistance, the outlaws stand to gain.

Tributación Directa, the nation's tax collector, seems relentless in its pursuit to collect taxes due - even taxes that are NOT due.