5 reasons not to retire abroad

[Senator]

Here’s an interesting story in MarketWatch about retiring abroad. My mother retired to Chapala, Jalisco Mexico, and then later moved to Matzalan.

There is quite a bit of difference between here and a foreign country, especially a third world one. I visited her often, and things you take for granted here, and not available there.

Clean water, banking system integrity, safe streets in terms of no holes to fall into when you are walking, no dead horses lying on the paved road for over a week, no dead dogs on the sidewalk, etc.

Simple things that you take for granted here, are not the law in other countries. My mother lost about $10K due to a Mexico bank employee stealing her blank checks before they were delivered to her. They were cashed before she ever took control of them.

Not to mention safe electricity. You will not get electrocuted as easily here.

And when she needed aneurism surgery, she came to the USA and went to the Mayo clinic. If something goes wrong in the hospital, you have people here that can help you.

There is lots of corruption. My Mother’s Visa (green card) card had someone else’s fingerprints on them, as she did not want to take the long drive to the Mexican immigration office. She never did know whose prints they were.


5 reasons not to retire abroad - MarketWatch

 

[haha]

Here’s an interesting story in MarketWatch about retiring abroad. My mother retired to Chapala, Jalisco Mexico, and then later moved to Matzalan.

There is quite a bit of difference between here and a foreign country, especially a third world one. I visited her often, and things you take for granted here, and not available there.

Clean water, banking system integrity, safe streets in terms of no holes to fall into when you are walking, no dead horses lying on the paved road for over a week, no dead dogs on the sidewalk, etc.

Simple things that you take for granted here, are not the law in other countries. My mother lost about $10K due to a Mexico bank employee stealing her blank checks before they were delivered to her. They were cashed before she ever took control of them.

Not to mention safe electricity. You will not get electrocuted as easily here.

And when she needed aneurism surgery, she came to the USA and went to the Mayo clinic. If something goes wrong in the hospital, you have people here that can help you.

There is lots of corruption. My Mother’s Visa (green card) card had someone else’s fingerprints on them, as she did not want to take the long drive to the Mexican immigration office. She never did know whose prints they were.


5 reasons not to retire abroad - MarketWatch

Start the clock.

 

[EastWest Gal]

As I'm currently traveling in Canada, I'm visiting British Columbia for ther 4th time I'm my life. I could so live here. Canada is relatively safe. However, I would need to either: w**k, or invest $1.6M interest free in Canada for 5 years. So, no way.

And no other country appeals to me at all.

I agree with the article.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Rob]

I lived overseas from 1970 until last October. I've viewed my own country from afar, and see it from a perspective that many Americans do not. I get so annoyed when people make flip comments like the US is the best country in the world, or that Americans are an exceptional people. It's spoken by those that just haven't traveled or objectively looked at the decay in their own country.

I love America, and proud to be an American, but I have a list of so many issues that just don't exist in the other 12 countries I've lived and worked in. If you like me to list them, I certainly can.

I'm 67 and retired in the US very recently, but perhaps will spend part of the year overseas so I do not need to complain like this.

Rob

 

[razztazz]

I lived overseas from 1970 until last October. I've viewed my own country from afar, and see it from a perspective that many Americans do not. I get so annoyed when people make flip comments like the US is the best country in the world, or that Americans are an exceptional people. It's spoken by those that just haven't traveled or objectively looked at the decay in their own country.

I lived in Europe for a mere two years almost 25 years ago and came to the same conclusion. In my case though it more or less just confirmed what I had highly suspected for years

 

[haha]

I love America, and proud to be an American, but I have a list of so many issues that just don't exist in the other 12 countries I've lived and worked in. If you like me to list them, I certainly can.

Please do list! I lived only short time in Latin America, with an American company job. I loved it- but even with their relatively accessible language, I figured it would take at least a lifetime to really know what the H was going on.

How well do most of us understand US street talk? If you are like me, you get surprises every day. So just ask yourself how well will you ever understand Thai street talk?

Took me a very long time to figure out the circumlocutions of the typical
Scandinavian -American male. One thing I figured out and appreciated - I was unlikely to get sucker- punched. Not true everywhere, whether US or foreign!

I think there have only been a very few environments other than my birthplace where I just automatically understand and also more or less feel OK with the subtexts floating around.

Ha

 

[REWahoo]

Sigh...

 

[theOAP]

Sigh...

Sorry, but I live in a foreign country. Is the above video available anywhere with subtitles?

 

[haha]

Why is this topic off limits?

 

[REWahoo]

The mods probably don't consider the topic itself off limits - the thread is still here, right?

What's off limits is where this conversation is almost certainly headed - a pissing match about what's wrong/right with the US/Mexico/Canada/etc.

 

[kcowan]

Retiring overseas requires an adventurous spirit and an open mind. Without either of those you will be in trouble. There is nothing worse than a whining expat, especially if they are taxed without representation!

 

[haha]

The mods probably don't consider the topic itself off limits - the thread is still here, right?

What's off limits is where this conversation is almost certainly headed - a pissing match about what's wrong/right with the US/Mexico/Canada/etc.

Well, this thread may still be here but your hog calling video sets a tone.

There are important things about retirement that go beyond SWR and pet threads. So, what is to be feared if some people have strong feelings?

I think my post was good. I believe that if there are cultural problems with retirement, this is where they likely are to be found.

What is the role of this site?

 

[Unpaintedhuffhines]

It's a good topic. I've (briefly) thought about it, but the one thing that keeps me from doing any serious consideration is family. I have an extended family here in Texas, and we do get together relatively often - birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving to name a few. I really can't imagine not being available, even if it's just the quick Sunday evening dinner together.

On the whole language thing - reminds me of the old Steve Martin bit: when traveling to France, he says "Ouf means egg. Chapo means hat. It's like these guys have a different word for EVERYTHING. I went over there thinking, no problem, English is a universal language, but I wasn't aware that I was going to a country that didn't have the COURTESY to speak English!" Lol. Of course they speak a different language! I'd embrace that in a second.

 

[travelover]

You aren't allowed to discuss moderation. That's how I got kicked off a sister site.

Sent from my BNTV600 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[daylatedollarshort]

On the flip side a record number of Americans are giving up their citizenship -
Record number of Americans give up citizenship

I have read long term care costs in the U.S can be $80K a year per person and in the UK it is closer to $40K, so right there is a single huge reason. $80K a year less for a couple both needing LTC is for an extended period is a significant savings, even with living in a developed country. Politics and social programs aside, it just seems like there is simply less chance of going bankrupt due to uncovered medical / out of network or LTC costs in most other developed countries.

There are 196 countries in the world. I think it would be hard to say the U.S is the best overall in everything if you have not traveled to at least a sampling of them or have a lot of contact with friends / relatives / coworkers / employees from other cultures.

 

[target2019]

The mods probably don't consider the topic itself off limits - the thread is still here, right?

What's off limits is where this conversation is almost certainly headed - a pissing match about what's wrong/right with the US/Mexico/Canada/etc.

I guess it's possible that the conversation could go there. Now that the idea is out of the bag, maybe it is more likely to go there? Just speculating.


As for the marketwatch article, I find the points made are genuine, and worth evaluating before moving to another country.

From the threads which have discussed this expat idea on E-R, I've gleaned that there is no right answer that fits everyone. Most of us are relatively happy with our status quo, but dreaming about how things could be better is something to enjoy from time to time.

 

[anethum]

I visited her often, and things you take for granted here, and not available there.
.....
Simple things that you take for granted here, are not the law in other countries.
.....
Not to mention safe electricity. You will not get electrocuted as easily here.
....
...you have people here that can help you.

Emphasis on "here" mine.

Please try to remember that what is "here" for you is not the same "here" for many others on this board. I imagine that it must get annoying for non-Americans to have some folks on this and other forums assume that everyone else on the forum is American.

 

[Meadbh]

Emphasis on "here" mine.

Please try to remember that what is "here" for you is not the same "here" for many others on this board. I imagine that it must get annoying for non-Americans to have some folks on this and other forums assume that everyone else on the forum is American.

+100

 

[daylatedollarshort]

You aren't allowed to discuss moderation. That's how I got kicked off a sister site.

Sent from my BNTV600 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

It's not you, its them. This forum has great moderation in comparison.

 

[REWahoo]

Well, this thread may still be here but your hog calling video sets a tone.

Yes, that was my intent. This is an interesting subject worthy of discussion but a potential patriotic/ideological minefield. Hopefully posters will be a bit more circumspect in their responses knowing the thread subject probably has it on the mod watch list.

What is the role of this site?

You've been here 10+ years and have more than 20,000 posts. I would have thought you'd have it figured out by now.

 

[razztazz]

Please try to remember that what is "here" for you is not the same "here" for many others on this board. I imagine that it must get annoying for non-Americans to have some folks on this and other forums assume that everyone else on the forum is American.

I find nationals on boards from other countries do the same thing knowing that some members/readers are from the USA. I'd like them to wring their hands more about offending people, even tho the few non-natives (mostly Americans) on the board know full-well what they are referring to and have, and ought to have, no problem with it. Just an observation about Americans and Non-Americans. It's a small world after all. Quando a Roma fate come i Romani. Communication is 2-way street.

 

[2B]

I've wondered what the appeal was of moving to a foreign country for retirement. Inevitably, physical and mental skills deminish and we can certainly be at a significant disadvantage not being a local even if nobody is trying to scam you. Even in the US, I had a grandmother scammed by some home health care workers and DW and I deflected what started to smell very quickly like a scam with my FIL.

The prior comments about understanding street talk where it isn't in your native language is so true. The only way to minimize this is to go to English speaking retirement areas. This isn't just true for the US. Brits retire in large numbers to Spain and have overwhelmed certain areas.

Cost is always the big issue I hear about to retire in a foreign location. That may be true but if money is the driving factor I suspect parts of the US can have living costs approaching some of the more popular foreign locations. This would be especially true when travel cost are included.

I've always liked the concept of being a migrant between interesting locations. Pick an area of interest and spend several months exploring in depth. You can move between locations as so inclined and have a "nest" back in the old home country. As we age, we will lose mobility and the ability to care for ourselves. I can't imagine wanting to end my days amongst strangers when I have friends and family here. This is similar to Billy and Akesha (spelling?) who have posted here in the past.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

As we age, we will lose mobility and the ability to care for ourselves. I can't imagine wanting to end my days amongst strangers when I have friends and family here. This is similar to Billy and Akesha (spelling?) who have posted here in the past.

If you have lived in some place like Rockford IL your whole life and your kids and parents are there, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to retire to Portugal at age 50 or 60.

But I think at least some here already left home years ago, perhaps married someone from another state or country, and are hundreds or thousands of miles away from family, and the kids may be attending school or have jobs in other cities / states / countries, so there is no reason to necessarily retire in the location they are now.

 

[kcowan]

If this site represents the community of English-speaking retirees worldwide, then it should start acting like it. Otherwise change the name to US early retirees and be done with it.

But then stop claiming eyeballs that you are not properly serving. The OP on this thread was the one who derailed the other thread.

 

[MichaelB]

Discussions about places to live should rightly focus on their advantages and shortcomings. The most useful threads stick to the actual experiences of our members around the world and avoid stereotypical discussions or contrasting social and economic policy.

Our ER Forum does not represent any specific geography, we are an international community. Reminding everyone of our community rules, we are also courteous and welcoming, and we must keep those values in the forefront when we discuss and contrast culture and lifestyles across different societies.