Best overseas destination for the U.S. dollar right now

Q: Where is the best overseas destination for the U.S. dollar right now? Is the exchange rate in our favor for Asia?

— Jennifer, Seattle

A: The one piece of good news in the whole financial crisis is that the dollar is gaining in value against almost all the world's currencies. Asia, always a value, just less of one when the dollar was dropping, is an even better deal for Americans with dollars than it was two months ago. The dollar has also gained against the euro, the British pound and the Canadian dollar, making those destinations more affordable than in the recent past.

To find out what countries offer the very best value, consult the Economist Magazine's Big Mac Index at www.economist.com. It uses the cost of a Big Mac as a yardstick for measuring where you get the most bang for the buck. According to the index (last updated in July), Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand offered some of the best values. I'd add to that Laos and Vietnam; Africa; the Middle East; many countries in Eastern Europe, especially Bulgaria and Romania; and most Latin American countries, including Bolivia, Peru and Argentina.

— Carol Pucci, The Seattle Times

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