A Guide to the Best Countries to Retire In
Many middle-aged people are looking forward to retirement. Most individuals work all their lives, staying on a boring job because they have worked there for years and have accumulated retirement benefits that they’d hate to lose. They hang on patiently, until they can finally cash in.
Not everyone will be fortunate to retire abroad, but most of the retirees will be coming from the G8 or “Group of Eight” which are the eight large world economic powers, namely: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States. In 2009, the group has been amended to be the 20 major economies or the G-20 countries, comprised of: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States. These countries are well developed economies and have higher standards of living than the developing and underdeveloped economies.
The rest of the United Nations countries are categorized as developing countries and least developed countries as classified under the World Trade Organization membership roster, the UN and various International Aid agencies.
There are certain parameters in choosing the best countries to retire in.
– Money or the purchasing power of the currency you are bringing in. You would want to live in relative comfort, so the more material comfort you can buy with your retirement money the better it will be for you. You should look for a country where food is relatively cheap, and household help is available. You should also make sure that there are banks and financial institutions in the area where you can receive and send funds. You may be an ordinary retiree where you are, but you might just find that you can live in comfort and style in another country when you change your money into local currency.
– Language and your ability to communicate with the people around you. They do not have to speak flawlessly and in perfect grammar, but a basic understanding of what you require and what they need to accomplish your wishes will be essential. The people’s understanding of both oral and written communication in your language should be verified before you make your move.
– Religion and culture. The religious beliefs and fanaticisms of local people may not agree with the way you want to live your life in retirement. Some fanatics forbid interaction with their women and you may lose life and limb if the gentleman that you are will hastily rush to the aid of a damsel-in-distress.
– Material comfort. The availability of food and supplies you need or the lack thereof may seriously hamper your health and your well-being. You do not have to eat rice all the time in Southeast Asia, for example just because you chose to retire there. You have to make sure that Franchising concepts have reached the area and International Food is available in the local supermarkets, or if there are even supermarkets and convenience stores or delis in your chosen place.
– Wants, hobbies and recreational preferences. Whether you want to stay on an island, near the beach, beside a lake, on top of a mountain, on a farm, or in a bustling city of arts and culture will determine your retirement destination. People from very cold climates, for example dream of sunny beaches only to find out that they are melting at 37°C, or that they cannot stand a howling storm. Living on top of a hill or mountain may be exhilarating, except that it is a chore to buy a carton of milk and butter when you run out.
Some of the English-speaking countries in the Caribbean you may want to study for your retirement options are former American and British colonies which include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Montserrat, St. Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. In the Pacific Region, the countries and territories where English remains the lingua franca are: Belau, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Johnston Island and Northern Marianas Islands.
There are also countries using English as an official language or a second language unifying force in spite of their many major local dialects. In Africa the English speaking countries are: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In Asia and the Pacific there are Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Tonga.
Many developing and underdeveloped countries have Tourism Promotion Bureaus and Retirement Authorities where you can ask for further information. Finally, you have to find out what kind of paperwork, rules and regulations you have to go through to be able to stay in another country indefinitely.