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Retirement Destinations?

Portugal is one of the few places where they seem to like Brits.
At the Euro 2004 I remember sitting at my local Café before the start on TV of the semifinal England vs Portugal (the one when Beckham sent the ball to the moon). A few minutes after kick-off I decided to leave, the air was filled with electricity, and being non-portuguese was not a good thing to be. Had a brahms'n-liszt cockney-speaking skinhead accidentally dropped in, he would have been torn to pieces.
 
I’d love to go and live in Cape Town, I adore it for the scenery, people, wine and food. But.
Land grabbing is mentioned too frequently. Water and electricity supplies aren’t guaranteed, and I can’t imagine it’ll be easy to leave with the full amount of a house sale making its way back here. If I could have a mud hut in the West Coast National Park Marine Protected Area, I’d be happy to just die there.

Lots of my fathers old schools mates in Zim moved to SA after things got, shall we say, lively. Most of them have now either moved to the UK or Australia as it’s going the same way…
 
I’d love to go and live in Cape Town, I adore it for the scenery, people, wine and food. But.
Land grabbing is mentioned too frequently. Water and electricity supplies aren’t guaranteed, and I can’t imagine it’ll be easy to leave with the full amount of a house sale making its way back here. If I could have a mud hut in the West Coast National Park Marine Protected Area, I’d be happy to just die there.
The electricity is definitely a concern, load shedding becoming more prevalent. Don't know the West Coast that well. A rondel with a boma in Limpopo for me!
 
We arrived at that decision point 10 years ago. Ireland was too wet and gloomy for Mrs. Tones (Melbourne girl), Oz was too hot and horrible for me, so we stayed in Baselland where we were. Besides, we have essentially raised two Swiss girls - this is their home and they're happy here, one bossing a film studio, the other flying very large aeroplanes. Swiss healthcare isn't cheap (CHF250 each a month), but the pension covers that, and we live fairly simply.
 
Swiss healthcare isn't cheap (CHF250 each a month)

Just for comparison my US health insurance (me + wife + daughter) is over $2000 per month, and we must still pay $1500 each out of pocket each year of any major health expense (Dr office visits are $40 per visit out of pocket). Heaven forbid we need an ambulance ride because most ambulance companies do not contract with health insurance companies so a ride to the hospital can be an extra $2k+. But, freeeedum !!!
 
Just for comparison my US health insurance (me + wife + daughter) is over $2000 per month, and we must still pay $1500 each out of pocket each year of any major health expense (Dr office visits are $40 per visit out of pocket). Heaven forbid we need an ambulance ride because most ambulance companies do not contract with health insurance companies so a ride to the hospital can be an extra $2k+. But, freeeedum !!!
OMG.

What does an average 50+ year old American earn per month, say a teacher or a bank clerc at the counter ?

Or do you pay an amount based on what you earn ? Although such a social system would sound very unamerican to me.
 
OMG.

What does an average 50+ year old American earn per month, say a teacher or a bank clerc at the counter ?

Or do you pay an amount based on what you earn ? Although such a social system would sound very unamerican to me.

If you are employed your employer will typically pay 75%+ of your premiums. If you are unemployed or earning < $60k a year you can qualify for Obamacare where the government subsidizes the premiums. The people who really take it on the chin are those who are self employed and earning over $60k a year - for which there are no subsidies.

The really crazy thing is that although insurance makes huge medical bills much less likely it doesn't eliminate them. There are many, many loopholes that insurers can use to wiggle out of paying if you should incur some very large bills. It's insane. Like the gun laws.
 
There are many, many loopholes that insurers can use to wiggle out of paying if you should incur some very large bills.
And the pharma industry is happy to play its part in this filthy game, or shall I say scam. If they haven't downright invented it.
 
What does an average 50+ year old American earn per month, say a teacher or a bank clerc at the counter ?
The lowest average a teacher salary is in Mississippi at $45,500, the flyover / southern states pay around the low $50k’s, NY pays £86k. I guess the cost of living and lower taxes of the former goes some way to make up the lower salaries.
Having said that, salary erosion since the 1970’s has bitten deeply into middle and lower standards of living, no wonder Trumps simple solutions appealed to a disillusioned group of workers.
 
We have a small hovel on a Greek island which we bought years ago before Brexit. Since retiring we spend a few month's there each year, off and on - or did pre covid - which suits us fine. I wouldn't want to live there permanently, it's bloody miserable in the winter.

what island if i may ask?

i have a cottage on lemnos...
 
Currently at home - internal battle with lovely wife. She wishes to go back to west coast Scotland ie wet and cold.
We are used to cold being in Toronto and have lived in Banff - Rockies.

My choice post Brexit is west coast of Canada on one of the islands.
Still wet but warm and full of polite Canadians.

My wife's godmother has a second home on the weird Point Roberts - look it up. In the USA but you have to go through Canada to get to it. Its a splendid home but I am not keen to move the USA.
 


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