{"product_id":"how-to-retire-overseas-isbn-9780525538462","title":"How to Retire Overseas","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe definitive guide for anyone dreaming of living in paradise when they retire. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Whether motivated by a desire for adventure, or the need to make the most of a diminished nest egg, more and more Americans are considering an overseas retirement. Drawing on her more than three decades of experience helping people relocate happily and successfully, Kathleen Peddicord shows how living in an unconventional retirement destination can cost less than a traditional home in Florida or Arizona. Peddicord addresses all of the essential issues, including: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Finding a home to own or rent\u003cbr\u003e• Researching and understanding your tax liability\u003cbr\u003e• Obtaining health insurance and medical care\u003cbr\u003e• Avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls\u003cbr\u003e• Opening a bank account\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Whether readers are interested in relatively unknown havens like Nicaragua, well-traveled areas in Italy, or need some help deciding, \u003ci\u003eHow to Retire Overseas\u003c\/i\u003e is the ultimate guide to making retirement dreams come true.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eHow to Retire Overseas\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“For anyone considering retiring overseas, this book is a must.”—\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “[Peddicord] leaves only a few foreign stones unturned, giving readers step-by-step pointers as well as insights to several travel-tested locales that are retiree-friendly… \u003ci\u003eHow to Retire Overseas \u003c\/i\u003ecould lend a refreshingly different look at your future.”—\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“If you’re thinking about living abroad in retirement, this book is essential reading.”—\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Whether you’re in the ‘what if?’ stage, or have graduated to an investigatory visit, or are now seriously intending to live overseas...\u003ci\u003eHow to Retire Overseas\u003c\/i\u003e will be one of your essential resources.”—\u003ci\u003eRapid River Arts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/i\u003e (Asheville, NC)KATHLEEN PEDDICORD is the founder of liveandretireoverseas.com, a subscription site offering its members advice on retiring abroad. A full-time expat herself, Peddicord lived in Ireland with her family for several years before relocating to Paris and, most recently, Panama, where she lives now with her husband and son.Part I\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ten Steps You Can Take Now at Home\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e How do you get from the life you're living now to the new, better,      cheaper life you're dreaming of for your retirement overseas?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You break the adventure down into steps.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Step 1: Know Yourself\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This will be a piece of cake, I told myself as we prepared for our      move from Baltimore to Waterford what now seems like a lifetime      ago. How different can Ireland be from the United States? My      husband, my daughter, and I, we'll slide right into Irish life. I      discovered quickly, though, that I'd been overly optimistic. The      Irish speak English (sort of), but they operate differently from      Americans. In truth, adjusting to life in Ireland was more      difficult than we ever could have predicted. We discovered that      launching a new life on the Emerald Isle was in some ways more      challenging than it would have been in Ajijic, Mexico, say, or      Boquete, Panama. Ajijic and Boquete are established expat      communities, home to thousands of foreign retirees who speak the      same language, share the same interests, and approach life in the      same way. There are no expat communities in Ireland. In Waterford,      we settled in among the locals and embraced Irish country living.      We had no choice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Our Irish neighbors were friendly and welcoming, but sometimes we      longed for American company. For fellow Yanks who'd appreciate our      offhanded cultural references, understand our slang, and laugh at      our jokes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In Paris, we had a different experience. While you won't find      established expatriate communities in the French capital, you will      find lots of expats. Living in Paris, we made new friends who were      Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Argentine, and yes, to our relief,      American. We made many French friends in Paris as well, but we had      no trouble finding American company when we wanted it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In Panama City, where we've called home for nearly a decade,      again, we're living among the locals. We're not the only gringos      on the block, as we were in Waterford (our next-door neighbor      hails from Arizona), but we're not living in a gated community of      fellow foreigners, either.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One of the fundamental choices you must make as you survey the      world map in search of the overseas retirement haven with your      name on it is this: Would you be more comfortable retiring to an      established expatriate community, a place where you'll have no      trouble slipping into the local social scene and finding English      speakers who share your interests? Or do you want to go local,      immersing yourself in a new culture completely?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This important early decision may never have occurred to you. But      I encourage you to consider the question directly and as early as      possible in your \"where and how should I reinvent my life      overseas?\" thinking, for the answer sets you on one track or      another, and they lead to very different places.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It can be easier, frankly, to seek out a place like Ajijic, where      your neighbors would be fellow North Americans, where you'd hear      more English on the street than Spanish, and where you'd have      like-minded compatriots to commiserate with over the trials and      tribulations of daily life in a foreign country. Ajijic, for      example, could as easily sit north of the Rio Grande as south. It      can seem like a transplanted U.S. suburb. This can make it a      terrific first step for some, a chance to dip your toe in the      overseas retirement waters rather than diving in headfirst. In      Ajijic, you'd be living abroad and enjoying many of the benefits      (great weather, affordable cost of living), but the surroundings      and the neighbors would feel familiar in many ways. You could shop      at Walmart, meet up with fellow Americanos for bridge on Thursday      evenings, and never have to travel far to find English-language      conversation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On the other hand, life in Mexico would be a very different      experience if you were residing in a little fishing village or a      small colonial city in the mountains where you were the only      foreigner in town. Settling among the locals means you must learn      to live like a local.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Is that thought appealing, exciting, and invigorating? Or is it      terrifying? Be honest with yourself as you consider your response.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In addition to that fundamental question, in my experience      fourteen other factors are important to take into account when      you're shopping for a new country to call home. The key is to      consider each of these things within the context of your personal      circumstances. I list these considerations according to a general      order of priority. Your personal priorities may be very different.      You must determine for yourself what's most and least important to      you. On which points are you happy to be flexible? I'll walk you      through some exercises to help prompt your thinking, but here's      the list for reference:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Cost of living\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Cost of housing (renting or buying)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Climate\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Health care, both the quality and the cost\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Infrastructure\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Accessibility to the United States\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Language\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Culture, recreation, and entertainment\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Residency (if you want to be able to stay indefinitely in the      country you choose)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Environment (things like pollution levels)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Taxes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Special benefits for foreign retirees\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Education and schools (if you're making the move with children, in      which case this becomes one of your top priorities)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Safety\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I include safety last on the list not because it's the least      important but because you can take for granted that every place I      introduce in these pages is safe. In some, you won't even have to      worry about locking your doors at night. Everything else on the      list of factors to consider is a matter of priorities and      perspective, but unsafe is unacceptable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One of the most important issues for anyone considering a move to      another country is cost of living. In some cases a reduced cost of      living is the primary and driving agenda. It's also the issue most      affected by your answer to the \"go local\/don't go local\" question.      Living among the locals can decrease your cost of living      significantly, certainly compared with the cost of trying to      export your U.S. lifestyle to another country.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Climate is probably the next most common reason (after cost of      living and cost of real estate) for thinking about moving to      another country and could be your main motivation for considering      the idea. Some places around the world boast springlike      temperatures year-round. For many, this is reason enough to      relocate at least part of the year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Issues such as taxation and special benefits for retirees, on the      other hand, are important but probably not key factors. You don't      want to organize your life around tax codes or senior discounts.      These are secondary factors that may help later when you have      narrowed down your choices and are torn between two or three      destinations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If you have an ongoing health concern or if you're moving with      children, your priorities are set for you. If health care is your      key issue, then your Dream Havens list can include only places      with first-class and first-world health facilities. If you're      moving with children, the determining factor is the availability      of international (preferably bilingual) schools. If you're      considering starting a business to help support your adventures      overseas, then tax and other government incentives targeting      entrepreneurs and foreign investors can tip the scales for you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Culture, recreation, and entertainment are not key but important      considerations. How do you like to spend your time? What      diversions would you miss most if they disappeared from your life?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Considering the issues on this list is perhaps the most important      part of planning a new life abroad. Every decision should be made      based on your preferences and circumstances, which I will help you      to think through. I encourage you to get out a pen and pad of      paper now and work through these exercises with me. You can use      these notes for reference as you read through Parts II and III,      where we'll consider current top overseas lifestyle options,      country by country, region by region. I'll help you connect the      dots between your priorities and preferences and the pluses and      minuses of each destination of interest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e First, though, we need to clarify your priorities and preferences.      To that end, consider the questions that follow honestly and      fully.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Cost of Living\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What is your total monthly income, not including your current      paycheck? Tally up all your income beyond any salary that will      disappear with the move. If you're moving in retirement, maybe you      have Social Security, pension, 401(k), or IRA funds. Whatever your      age, maybe you have investment income.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If your total monthly income as you project it beyond the end of      your current working life isn't enough to support the lifestyle      you want in the overseas destination that has your attention, what      are your options for supplementing it? You could:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Invest for income. If you have available investment capital,      consider using it to create an ongoing monthly cash flow. The      easiest option for this is a rental property, perhaps in the      location where you're considering moving, meaning you'd be      generating cash flow in the local currency to supplement your      local living costs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Start a laptop business. In today's world this is easy, common,      and possible anywhere you have a good Internet connection. You      could become a travel writer, a travel photographer, a consultant      in a field of expertise, or an online teacher, to suggest just a      few of the possibilities. As I write, I know expats making good      incomes plying all those online trades and many others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Start a bricks-and-mortar business. This is usually a more      ambitious undertaking than a laptop enterprise, but the options      are nearly unlimited and can allow you to leverage past      professional experience or to pursue a long-set-aside hobby.      Obvious business ideas for an expat most anywhere in the world      include opening a restaurant, a bar, a bed-and-breakfast, or a      hostel. Less typical but very realistic possibilities include auto      repair, pool cleaning, landscaping, and hospitality training      services. (That last item is desperately needed in many      developing-world destinations trying to cater to growing expat      communities but unable to find local help with any sense of      real-world service.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When thinking through the cost of moving to a new country,      remember what I refer to as the \"capital budget\" of the initial      move. This can be as controlled as gas and tolls if you're moving      part-time from Arizona to Mazatl‡n, Mexico, for example, which      would constitute one of the easiest possible international      adventures. If, at the other end of the spectrum, you want to move      full time to Panama and bring your entire household of belongings      and two dogs with you, you'll need to allow for a capital budget      that includes plane tickets (including for the pets), shipping,      and residency visas. If your savings don't stretch to cover the      capital budget you face, the quickest way to raise cash to cover      the deficit can be to sell some of those household belongings      you're otherwise thinking about paying to relocate with you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Cost of Housing (to Buy or to Rent)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e First, decide whether you intend to buy or to rent your new home.      I strongly encourage you to rent, at least at first, for six      months or longer. Renting long-term as an expat or retiree      overseas has serious advantages, too. We'll discuss these in a      minute.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Whether you own or rent your new home abroad makes a big      difference in your budget. If you invest in a home of your own,      you have no rent, but perhaps you have a mortgage. If you have a      mortgage, you have a life insurance expense, as this is required      when financing property almost everywhere in the world. In      addition, as a property owner you have the cost of repairs,      maintenance, property insurance, and (sometimes) taxes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On the other hand, owning your home overseas gives you an asset      that you can rent out for income while you're away. I know many      people who've chosen not to limit their adventures abroad to a      single new country but move between or among two or even three.      Invest in a home in each place, rent it out while you're      elsewhere, and the rental income can offset your carrying costs      and maybe even provide income in the local currency to cover      living expenses when you're in town.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If your intention is to divide your time between the United States      and another country, you may want to keep your home stateside. In      this case, renting while abroad can make even more sense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If you are more interested in owning than renting, this position      has a lot to do with which countries you should consider for your      list of dream havens. Determine your property purchase budget. Is      it contingent on the price you realize from the sale of real      estate back home? Once you know how much you can spend on your new      home overseas, you can focus your list on those countries where      that budget will allow you to afford your dream home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Climate\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you enjoy a change of seasons?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you need regular sunshine?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you mind rain?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Can you handle heat? Humidity?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you prefer a varying length of day?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Are you okay living in a place that is at risk for hurricanes?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Health Care\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you have preexisting conditions? How old are you? These are the      two most important factors when it comes to qualifying for      international health insurance. It is possible to get health      insurance to cover you anywhere in the world at any age . . . if      you're willing to pay for it. Affordable options, however, become      limited after age seventy-four.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If you have an ongoing health concern, this is your primary      consideration, the issue around which you must organize your plan.      Focus on countries where the cost of health care is affordable,      and restrict your search within those countries to places with      top-tier health facilities. That is, choose a place near an      international-standard hospital (this typically means a big city,      probably a capital) where, ideally, at least some of the staff      speak English.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Would you be uncomfortable seeing a physician whose first language      is not English?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Infrastructure\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you lose your cool if you can't send an email the first time      every time you try? Do you plan to start an online business? If      the answer to either of these questions is yes, limit your search      for where to chase adventure overseas to places with first-world      infrastructure, including and especially reliable high-speed      Internet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Would you mind living on a dirt road?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Would you mind your road access being temporarily cut off during      the rainy season?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you need American television? Would you be unhappy without      football on Sunday afternoons?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Are you afraid of the dark? In much of the world, electricity      isn't 100 percent reliable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Would you be comfortable owning a car and driving yourself around      in a new country? If not, think about places where you could      afford a full-time driver or where a car is unnecessary.","brand":"Plume","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301721034981,"sku":"NP9780525538462","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780525538462.jpg?v=1767729454","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/how-to-retire-overseas-isbn-9780525538462","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}