Article: Where most Americans retire outside the US

[cyber888]

I'm surprised about Japan's rank.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/t...h-america-2019-07-26?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

 

[Teacher Terry]

Poland is cheap so your money would go a long way.

 

[Red Badger]

Global arbitrage is our "Plan B" if our retirement has a SHTF catastrophe. We've both lived abroad, so we have a punch list of places to relo to ( and places to NOT relo to). But even as a plan b, it's a long, long shot - highly unlikely.

Plan for the worst, prepare (and hope) for the best.

 

[gerntz]

How do they know it's Americans collecting those SS checks? Can't non-Americans work here & retire to their home countries & get the SS they earned?

 

[aja8888]

How do they know it's Americans collecting those SS checks? Can't non-Americans work here & retire to their home countries & get the SS they earned?

My Canadian friends (a married couple) worked here over 10 years and are collecting SS now that they retired (here). Plus, for good measure, both he and his wife just received their U.S. citizenship last month!

 

[Aerides]

I'm surprised about Japan's rank.

Me too. I love Japan, and with unlimited funds would live there part time (oooh fall in Kyoto) but I understand it's trickier to move there than some other places. Maybe less difficult if you don't need to meet employment requirements.

 

[MarieIG]

Already told DH no for Greece, when he had a temporary moment of insanity. I did offer to move there when we first got married, but that ship has sailed. The kiddos, and DGD are here!

Will agree to visit a few months a year.

 

[Focus]

I'm surprised about Japan's rank.

Me too. So expensive. Hopefully someone will be able to explain it.

Also: I would have expected some of the Latin American countries that have been so heavily promoted to retirees to rank much higher.

 

[tulak]

Poland is cheap so your money would go a long way.

I suspect a lot of them are originally from Poland but left because of communism. They return for their retirement for a better quality of life. It’s cheaper, they know the language/culture, and most likely have family/friends still living there.

This isn’t uncommon for a lot of former communist countries.

 

[marko]

I'm surprised about Japan's rank.

Me too. Lived in Japan; very expensive unless you go out to the boonies.

Plus from several personal experiences, despite being a first-world country, health care in Japan is often disappointing and dental care can be frightening.

 

[Red Badger]

I'm surprised about Japan's rank.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/t...h-america-2019-07-26?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

The article does state that US military presence skews the numbers (indeed, I saw many military retirees living in various countries during my army days). Anecdotally, I think the numbers for South Korea seem a little soft. I saw many a retiree there as well. WRT both aforementioned countries, they've both been HCOLA regions for decades. Military/DOD retirees would need to adopt a substantially native (modest) lifestyle unless perhaps they "married up" as an expat.

 

[mexexpat]

Most expats in Mexico have their SS checks deposited into their US bank accounts. SSA has no idea we live here.

 

[cyber888]

Me too. So expensive. Hopefully someone will be able to explain it.

Also: I would have expected some of the Latin American countries that have been so heavily promoted to retirees to rank much higher.

Yes, that’s what I was thinking .. like Equador or Chile ...

 

[cyber888]

Me too. Lived in Japan; very expensive unless you go out to the boonies.



Plus from several personal experiences, despite being a first-world country, health care in Japan is often disappointing and dental care can be frightening.

Maybe it is because we have a big US military base in Japan that ex-military people choose to retire there ?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I would think finances are one decision factor, but not #1. To Us it is HealthCare, Hoops needed to jump through, then finances.

 

[Alan]

How do they know it's Americans collecting those SS checks? Can't non-Americans work here & retire to their home countries & get the SS they earned?

They don’t know that. I personally know 2 Brits here who are collecting SS who never became US citizens. Plenty more on ex-pat sites I frequent who worked for over 10 years in the US before returning to their country of origin and asking if they are eligible to receive SS directly to their foreign accounts.

There also plenty dual citizens like myself and my wife who moved back home and will be receiving SS. Are we classed as “Americans who retired abroad” just because we appear in those statistics?

 

[NYEXPAT]

The numbers for Peru are a little misleading as many of us have young children who collect as well. 40 year age differences between husband an spouse are not at all uncommon although 25 is probably the norm.

 

[lionfire]

I'm surprised about Japan's rank.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/t...h-america-2019-07-26?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

Also surprised India isnt on this list! Perhaps in 5-10 years? With the increase in immigrant population from India -> US, I'd imagine this trend will reverse as they turn into expats?