I'm Thinking of Retiring ...

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I've about ten more years to retire, but I'm starting to make plans. One of the details to determine is "Where?"

I've heard from older friends that Americans who retire to friendly Asian or South American countries can live very well, even if their pensions would barely allow them to "squeak by" financially from month-to-month if they stayed in the States.

So, which country might you recommend, and why might you recommend it?

Thank you.

Wherever you consider, do your research well in advance as mistakes can be very costly. Laws in different countries can be very different and counter intuitive. Take Spain for example; they have something that is nicknamed the "land-grab law" - a developer can literally steal part of your land or garden and build a house on it using a law related to making low cost housing. You get no compensation for the theft and to add insult to injury you may be required by law at your own cost to install services such as sanitation and drains etc to that other property!

Inheritance laws can be very different too. You may not have a choice of who you leave your belongings or property to. Here in France it is forbidden by law to disinherit your children who have first claim over your house and property over your wife; and if you have remarried you can find your wife kicked out onto the streets by your children from a previous marriage - even if you thought you left everything to your latest wife.

So, the bottom line is, clue yourself up about all aspects of the law in a country before moving there. As I previously mentioned, make no assumptions, some laws can be counter intuitive.

Edit: I'll just add, that you should be prepared to learn the relevant language of where you move to otherwise your life there will be extremely limited and you won't be able to participate fully in the life there. You need to be able to pick up a phone and book a taxi, call a garage, call a doctor and so on and so on. Never rely on people there being able to speak English - this will also alienate you from the locals. A few years ago at a supermarket here I was walking down an aisle and I heard an American voice boom out loud at the deli counter "DOESN'T ANYONE HERE SPEAK ENGLISH?" and she stormed off. What a jerk, she obviously failed to purchase whatever it was she wanted. This is France, they speak French, foreigners can't go around expecting people to speak anything other than French!

If you were considering Latin America, then I would have to say probably Costa Rica.
The place offers most of the things that the rest of the continent does, without as many of the downsides as it's neighbours. It's cheap, safe and secure. Safety and security will be your biggest problems there, but those guys seem to have a good handle on things. You won't need to worry about any civil wars breaking out - it's been stable for a long time. It's one of the safest in person terms too (which is the biggest problem usually in Latin America), probably the safest if you exclude Cuba.

It's also warm most of the year round, with not too much variation in temperature. There's also a large expat community there, if you don't particularly feel like mingling. The locals are warm and friendly, and will go out of their way quite a bit if you bother to make an effort. Educations levels are high with good literacy rate and for those with the money, most things that are accessible in the U.S. will be accessible there for anyway from 25% to 50% of the price (excluding certain items). Anyone from the U.S. would be able to live extremely well there on a pension alone - if you have other holdings, then I imagine you would be able to splurge quite a bit in terms of lifestyle.

Canada

No shoddy health care!

OMG!
I thought you meant retiriring from WP!


wherever you go, insure you have internet access!

I'm mildly surprised that no one has chosen the first option.

I thought about including Canada, but some of the Canadians on this website have given me too much of a negative impression.

WTF!
You'd have to be born there to want to live there!



I am amazed that Australia wasn't even an option

apart from our our obvious and blatant racist attitudes directed at foreigners and refugees from hate crimes
we are an open and welcoming community of the people that arrive on planes

Can I still get a free fare to Australia by stealing a loaf of bread in England?

What's the median price of a trip to Planet X? That would make a difference in my calculation.

Not touching this, So not touching this. Very tempting though.

The good old U. S. of A., of course!

Seriously, if you haven't found a good place to retire in the US then you haven't been looking hard enough.

I can only recommend based upon how I wish to retire---where I live---in the USA. It's all I've known, and I'm happy and satisfied with life here in the USA. I want to retire in an environment that is comfortable for me---and that is a place I am familiar with---the USA.

I would retire someplace with temperate weather. and where the natives speak English. preferably a place where one could visit from time to time beforehand, without spending too much travel money.

Arkansas has cheap land and no zoning.But I don't know if you could understand the language

people I used to know who lived there, told me that it was hot and humid in the summer, bone-chilling [humid] cold in the winter. but i'm sure it has compensating values otherwise.

I'll suggest Demark. It's a small country & they have high taxes & the money gets invested in social programs like universal health care. They give people unable to work like disbleds & retired a high living alowance so there's little poverty.