Category: International Retirement
November 4, 2014 -- Have you ever dreamed about retiring on an island? A relaxing place with warm breezes, the gentle sound of lapping waves, endless sunshine, and friendly locals? You certainly wouldn't be the only person to share that dream. This article will review the pros and cons of island living, plus share 2 list of islands that might be good retirement spots - a domestic list we created and another, the 10 best tropical island retirements from NextAvenue.org.
There are islands - and there are islands
Some people's idea of an island for retirement might be domestic, such as an island on a big lake in Michigan, one of the many off of the Maine coast, Catalina Island near
more...
Published on November 4, 2014
Comments 16
Category: International Retirement
By Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Does living in the States just cost too much?
We realize that not everyone wants to own property even if they have the assets to do so. Some people might not want to tie up their net worth in real estate but they have cash flow upon which to live, perhaps to enjoy vacations and foreign travel. Maintaining a comfortable lifestyle in the States can be costly. You might still have a mortgage, there are home repairs and property taxes, the price for owning and maintaining a car is high, and don’t forget about dining out, groceries and entertainment costs. For a modest-yet-comfortable home life you can pay three to four thousand a month easily.
But what if there was an additional
more...
Published on July 1, 2014
Comments 4
Category: International Retirement
June 11, 2014 -- Our friend Rick recently wrote us with a great question on how ex-pat retirees deal with healthcare and healthcare insurance when living in another country. We thought we had addressed this question in the Blog before, but after careful searching it doesn't look like we did that in any great depth.
Here is the question:
Recently one of our Bayview Park tennis players was traveling to Mexico, where he fell gravely ill and needed an emergency operation... Now it seems, since he first got sick on the plane flying there, Medicare will reimburse him for medical costs in Mexico... I will be traveling to Mexico soon myself, where I used to live, and may be spending more time there again. My question is about medical care and coverage abroad. I understand there are Medigap policies that may cover this, but I was wondering if
more...
Published on June 10, 2014
Comments 6
Category: International Retirement
February 3, 2014 -- You have probably seen the ads with the alluring promises - live in luxury on your Social Security income, kick back while a maid and gardener toil away for just a few dollars a week, enjoy great food and fresh fruit, and experience wonderful medical care complete with inexpensive house calls. While all that might be true in some instances, there is a darker side of international retirement that the ads aren't going to tell you about. This article will show you the other side of the coin, so you can make a more educated decision.
International Retirement Is Great for Some Folks
For some people an international retirement is a terrific
more...
Published on February 3, 2014
Comments 29
Category: International Retirement
November 19, 2013 -- Note: Since this article was written we have added more country guides to the original 10, and will continue to add them here.
There is an intrepid group of people out there whose dream for retirement involves moving far away to an exotic location in a foreign country. For citizens of the US and Canada, that often means retiring to Mexico, Costa Rica, Central America, or a country in South America. Retirees in Europe and the UK tend to favor southern Europe or even Southeast Asia. Such retirements bring with them a number of challenges, along with advantages. Today we are pleased to announce new mini-guides to international retirement in 10 countries. We plan to add more
more...
Published on November 19, 2013
Comments 23
Category: International Retirement
Updated January, 2020 -- (originally published April 23, 2013) -- Note: This is Part 7 of our "Retirement 101" series.
You have probably seen articles on the Internet that promise an international retirement as your ticket to paradise. A place that includes maids and gardeners at your beck and call, cheap but glorious real estate, doctor house calls for
more...
Published on April 23, 2013
Comments 34
Category: International Retirement
Updated August 4, 2014 -- Editor's Note: In 2013 one of our Members, Glenn, shared his thoughts with us about his extensive travels in Puerto Rico. We think they give an interesting perspective about what it might like to retire there. A slightly edited version of his comments is published below. At the end of his comments we've added a few our our own, and then in August 2014 Glenn provided yet another update (see Comments) And Thanks Glenn!
---
I have been visiting Puerto Rico about every three years from 1989 to 2012. I live in the Bronx with a wife of Puerto Rican descent, though she was born here in U.S. I am about as white/Anglo-Saxon as they come, growing up in a Queens, N.Y. neighborhood. When I moved to the Bronx to work for Social Security nearly 40 years ago, it was like moving to another country. I met many beneficiaries from Puerto Rico and learned much about the people of the island from my professional and personal contacts.
We wanted our children to learn much about their
more...
Published on April 1, 2013
Comments 13
Category: International Retirement
March 26, 2013 -- Note: This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on international places to retire. Part 2 is "The Pros, Cons, and Considerations of an International Retirement".
Our friend Dennis asked us recently where we thought the best place to retire was - internationally. The question took us by surprise, partly because it came from a man who has traveled the world extensively, and who also has a home in Costa Rica - wouldn't Dennis have a better grip here than us? The question got us thinking and looking back through our past Blog articles - just what do we think are the best places to retire internationally?
It turns out that, although we have written many articles about international retirements, most of them have to do with the issue of whether or not to retire abroad, rather than where to do it (see end of article for references). You will note that our list is quite different than what you might see from the usual providers of "best international places to retire", especially those aggressively promoted by International Living. We can't figure out what is so great about retirement in Latin America, other than perhaps the cost of living - so our list is much more Euro-centric. Call us conventional, but we like: stable
more...
Published on March 26, 2013
Comments 109
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
By Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
U.S. has the best care in the world?
As an adult, I have been in the hospital overnight on five occasions for various health issues; Four times in the USA in different facilities and states, and once now in Guatemala. In three of those four times in the U.S. I had either poor results or negative outcomes. That’s 75% of my personal experiences with U.S. hospital care which have been unfavorable.
These events have ranged from little or no follow up from attending doctors once a procedure was completed, leaving me confused, concerned and on my own to figure things out, to the incorrect construction of a cast covering a broken wrist following a
more...
Published on February 28, 2012
Comments 3
Category: International Retirement
December 4, 2011 - Note: This profile is one of many in our “Adventurous Baby Boomer Lifestyles” series.
Stephen Anderson and his wife retired to Mexico seven years ago. Speaking to Topretirements recently by phone, Steven told us this was the biggest mistake of their lives. For the last year they have had their home on the market. They intend on returning to the USA as soon as it sells, as many of their friends have already done.
There are currently something like 1,000,000 expatriates that have retired to Mexico and many, many more coming. They are under the sometimes false impressions that it is far cheaper to live here; that it is nothing but beaches, mountains, and margaritas; and they can live better in Mexico than in the US or Canada. The truth is that it is not always less expensive to live here; it is also a country where crime and corruption are rampant. Indeed expatriates are not only the prey of choice, but crimes perpetrated against
more...
Published on December 4, 2011
Comments 163
