Despite the U.S. stock market’s high profile, its long-term performance has seriously lagged behind some really surprising foreign stock markets. This fact is an important reminder that the most obvious investment choices are not necessarily the best ones. Every year, Swiss investment bank Credit Suisse produces the Global Investment Returns Yearbook in association with the London Business School.
If the lure of a better life overseas is strong, but you’re worried about the logistics of managing your money in a foreign locale, take heart. It’s not as complicated as you may fear. Bank accounts…Social Security…credit cards…exchange rates…our team of expat experts weighs in here with lessons learned and real-world guidance to help you manage your money abroad with confidence and ease.
In many great-value places overseas, a couple can live comfortably on less than $2,000 a month. It means that instead of pinching pennies, you can relax, travel, eat out, and lower your stress level. Your quality of life increases, even though you’re spending less.
Before the automobile came along, people lived life on a more intimate scale. You shopped at the local butcher, baker, and grocer (whom you knew by name). The café downstairs, or down the street, was your second home, and its patrons your second family. You scheduled your day by how long it took to walk from place to place...and nobody was in a rush, anyway.
Did you know you can download and read your entire October issue as a PDF? Simply click on the link below and discover the secrets to retiring and investing overseas.
The best deals and the biggest opportunities in real estate today are not to be found within U.S. borders. Take U.S. coastlines... Sure, America has some gorgeous beaches... and stunning seaside properties. But there’s a severely limited supply, especially of Grade A, beachfront real estate... and a burgeoning demand, especially among Baby Boomers. Even if your budget isn’t small, you’ll have trouble finding a seaside getaway on either U.S. coast that could be called a bargain.
It’s so easy to find yourself stuck on the treadmill of life…trapped in an endless cycle of work, eat, sleep; work, eat, sleep. Long commutes in heavy traffic, soul-killing work and the constant fear of lay-offs and downsizing. If you’ve ever asked yourself, is this all there is, we’re here to tell you no, it’s not. There is a better life waiting for you—and the weather is a lot better there too. Best of all, you don’t have to wait until retirement age to live the life you love…thousands of Americans with an entrepreneurial spirit have traded in their daily drudgery in the U.S. and headed for sunnier climes and a brighter future abroad. In the process they have found not only new livelihoods, but new lives.
In 2014, International Living ranked Panama the number one place in the world to retire…for so many reasons. This country has the most advanced and modern infrastructure in Central America, it’s affordable (you can still take a taxi across town for a couple of dollars or have dinner for two with a bottle of wine at one of the city’s trendy restaurants for just $30) and safe and the health care service here are world class. Panama also has one what we think is the world’s best incentive programs for pensioners. What about the cost of real estate? Let’s just say that you’ll be surprised at how much Panama still has to offer.
Tropical beaches, First-World infrastructure, high-quality health care, welcoming people...there are many things to love about Panama. Retirees are drawn here by the Pensionado Program, one of the best retiree benefits programs in the entire world and for everyone the low cost of living is a major factor in choosing Panama. In this report, we’ll share our three top tips getting your new life in Panama started…as well as the best places to look for your dream home, how to start your real estate hunt, and very importantly the visa options available to you.
The Azuero region is known as the cradle of Panama's tradition and folklore… the country's heartland, both geographically and emotionally. The expat community here is very small, but thriving. To live here, you'll need a bit of Spanish and an adventurous spirit. If that sounds appealing, you too can live like a local here on less than $1,500 a month, including rent.