Why are SO MANY Americans Retiring in Europe Right Now?
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- Goodbye, Florida....Hello, Europe? Now, more than ever, more and more Americans are considering retiring abroad. Join me as we delve into the curious reason why Americans retiring in Europe might be the most practical solution. Discover the allure of European destinations, the practicalities of retiring overseas, the benefits of international retirement... and how you can do it too.
In this video, we'll cover:
🌍 Top European retirement destinations for Americans
🏡 Housing options and costs in Europe
🏥 Healthcare and insurance considerations
📜 Visa and legal requirements
💰 Financial planning and retirement funds
🛫 Cultural experiences and lifestyle changes
Whether you're dreaming of sipping wine in the rolling hills of Tuscany or embracing the rich history of a European capital, this video offers valuable insights and tips to make your American retirement in Europe a reality.
Don't miss out on this comprehensive guide to retiring abroad and how to retire in Germany on our website:
tinyurl.com/Retire-in-Germany
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#RetiringAbroad #AmericanRetirement #RetiringInEurope #RetirementDreams #InternationalRetirement #ExpatsInEurope
🎥 More Videos to Check Out:
Best Countries to Retire in Europe (Taxes, Cost of Living, Residence Permits) by @traveleconomics • Best Countries to Reti...
Jump to Your Favorite Topic 🙌 :
00:00 Intro
01:21 How Many Americans Retiring Overseas?
07:00 Why American families are leaving the US for Europe?
12:59 How to Retire in Europe
📝 Sources from this Video:
Why have millions of Americans moved to these countries instead? by @WashingtonPost www.washingtonpost.com/busine...
Marrow, H. B., & Klekowski von Koppenfels, A. (2020). Modeling American Migration Aspirations: How Capital, Race, and National Identity Shape Americans’ Ideas about Living Abroad. International Migration Review, 54(1), 83-119. doi.org/10.1177/0197918318806852
Vision of Humanity World Peace Index (2023) www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-c...
📓 Resources for You:
Need English speaking insurance plans in Germany? Check out Feather!
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Want to Learn German, English, French, or Spanish? We use Lingoda for German, check them out!
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If you are planning for retirement Here are some key pointers. Firstly, kick-start your savings early to benefit from compounding.
The longer your money has to grow, the better. Secondly, make the most of retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, especially if your employer offers a matching contribution
- it's essentially free money. Thirdly, diversify your investments across different assets to mitigate risk. Think stocks, bonds, and real estate.
Great advice for retirement planning! Starting early and taking advantage of employer-sponsored plans can make a huge difference in the long run. And diversifying investments is crucial for managing risk. Thanks for sharing these valuable tips!
Spot on! Planning for retirement is crucial, and these pointers are gold. Diversifying investments is a key strategy plus, having an investment expert by your side can really help navigate the complexities and optimize your financial plan.
Absolutely! Diversifying investments is crucial for long-term success. Having a fiduciary has been transformative. She navigates market fluctuations, identifies opportunities, and keeps me on track for retirement. Her tailored advice boosts confidence and informed decisions. Trusting her skills brings peace of mind, ensuring my future is secure.
That's truly remarkable.I hope you don't mind pointing me towards her direction.
I don't mind, she's Sophia Elaine. One of the finest portfolio managers in the field.
I would add a little tip: if you move over to Europe, wherever it is, don't try to make an US colony... integrate in the local life the most that you can. Everything will be easier this way.
they will try first to get guns....not a residence permit!
Actually try to learn the language.
That's a very negative way to think about it. Just as Europeans enriched America, they too (Americans) can enrich Europe.
@@sm3675 yeah... but like tea, it's more palatable to let it diffuse in the water than to eat the "powder"...as I said, integrate... don't go and make a "HOA"
@@sm3675i dont see Europeans are enriching america. Im embarassed that my family went there and kicked native americans off their land!!! Exactly what the British did to the Irish. Only for the irish to do the same to the native americans. Also im horrified there is not more support to the native americans.
One thing to consider is that if you live in a very car-dependent part of the US (or, of course Europe), the day when you can no longer drive a car safely essentially puts you in house arrest for the rest of your life. If the place where you live is more walkable, and has good public transportation you will still be able to live a reasonably active life.
but elon promised them self driving cars.......
I live just outside Detroit and haven't owned my own car in a couple years, as I WFH and my husband and I share a vehicle. If I wanted to walk somewhere, it can be really dangerous since everything is designed for cars and people speed and text and drive. Even if I use an Uber, it is really unreliable. This, in turn, makes us even more unhealthy. We don't have much green space either. Plus, things are so divided here now that there are certain businesses I will not go to because they are owned by Trump supporters and I actually don't feel safe being there.
@@grumpybear123very well said. Nothing is worse than car dependency
Top suggestions for actual freedom of movement are:
The Netherlands
Switzerland
Most other countries in Europe but only bigger cities.
Being an American living in Germany and in the process of retiring, I oftern get asked by my German friends, if I will return to the States? My quick and short repy is “Why would I want to do that?” I boight a campervan 5 years ago and I still have a lot of exploring to do. Of course my 5 Grandkids here also make the decision easy😃
DONT MOVE HERE my GOD! I was in Canada from 2001-2016. I came back in 2016, and the cost of living in Vancouver is horrible! I came back to a country where people were IGNORANT and where more men were NARCIST! and the gun violence! dam, I did not miss that in Canada! The country is the crap. Hey, I'm over 50, have been screwed over by companies that never gave me a retirement and battled what at the time unknown to me, was severe disability and anxiety from highly processed foods. Do the Doctors in Germany really care about the public? do they try and prevent metabolic obesity and control what is sold in the stores? I wish I left for Germany and not Canada!
@@LK-pc4sqour insurances are frequently lobbying for better regulations on processed for and how it can be advertised.
Doctors have a lot more diversity in Germany than Canada but I didn't get medical care my self when I was in Canada
Ps. I got quite uncomfortable indigestion from the diet change of moving to Canada for only 6 months
I have been living in Spain since 1990. I have no intention of ever moving back to the USA. I am married to a Spaniard so I have access to the spanish health system big plus for me. My husband has just retired and I am now in my early 60s. Traveling is so much cheaper here because of the proximity of other countries. We do travel to the states atleast once a year to visit family. I personally just love the way of life here, more relaxed more family oriented more socializing, and of course safer in my opinion.
Spain is great, smart choice, and language is easy to learn. :)
Retiring in 20 years? Due to inflation, you may need upward of $3.6million to maintain your existing lifestyle, with the ongoing effect of high inflation, lower forecasted stock market returns or value, and stagnant wages. Achieving a secure early retirement could be more challenging than ever before.
An obvious way to invest for a recession is to buy shares in businesses that are likely to experience steady demand even in a downturn. Typically, those are consumers staple, utilities and healthcare companies. But of course, such decisions can’t be made by an average joe, a financial advisor is highly recommended in making this decisions..
You are right! Such considerations can certainly have a role, when I think about whether I ought to buy shares but I never purchase purely on that basis. I always have to seek the advice of my financial advisor who has help me gain over $1m in a well diversified portfolio that has experience exponential growth.
I’ve been down a ton, I’m only holding on so I can recoup, I really need help on my investment portfolio. Please who is the financial advisor that guides you? Mind if I look them up..
Renowned for his proficiency and expertise in the financial market, 'John Desmond Heppolette' my financial advisor, holds a broad understanding of portfolio diversification and is recognized as an authority in this domain. Just research the name online, you’d find necessary details to with a correspondence to set up an appointment..
Thank you for this tip, it was easy to find your advisor. I conducted a google research of his full names on-line before messaging him. Base on his on-line resume, he appears to possess a high level of proficiency. I’m so grateful for this opportunity!
My spouse and I never considered retiring outside of the US, until we moved to Germany two years ago. Now we are expanding our "horizons"!
Language is something important to consider other than finances. I have lived in different countries all my active years. Even if you try to learn the language, which is hard as you get older, it'll take years to become really fluent. This restricts the social circle a lot and you might end up in a bubble with other foreign people unaware of your surroundings, something common in Spain, Portugal, or Turkey. Then, when you have to be in health care, you realize that you aren't able even to explain your condition to the medical personnel. A true tragedy. I had the experience during COVID time and it wasn't easy! Now I have retired as a foreigner in Greece, a country where I lived for 15 years, until the mid-nineties, but I kept coming back, where I have close long time friends, I feel safe in the sense that I know the society, its highs and its lows, and I am fluent in the Greek language.
Language needs immersion. No "expat" mindset. Invite neighbors as soon as possible and keep doing it, go take cooking lessons, volunteer, watch local movies, listen to local music, read the classics of your new country,....put your car GPS in the local language and your phone, computer OS language !
Most take the easy way and keep watching/reading the news in english, speak english at home and meet mostly other english speaking migrants....then yes it takes years...if ever !
Better even: start learning the language before you move.
@@trthib In Germany most people speak English. Not fluent, but enough to understand and give help. And they are also happy if you speak a few words of German. If you want, you can learn the language in everyday life and for people whose native language is English, it is not as difficult to learn German as for people for whom English is also a foreign language.
Because I speak a German dialect fluently (Pennsylvanisch Deutsch) I would seriously consider moving to a German speaking country for the good reason of being able to fit in and not be in a “bubble” as is mentioned here. Also, having been immersed in the language and German culture of the Amish for many years of my life, I tend to think I might have it a bit easier to blend into the German society, albeit there would still be a lot of cultural adaptations for sure! So anyway, I would also agree that in whatever country you move to, that it would be the most satisfying to immerse yourself (force yourself!) to learn the language fluently as suggested. That’s what I had to do when joining the Amish - it was tough, but now it’s like riding a bike, you don’t forget it and it becomes a part of you.
Good points, I've lived abroad as well. some countries have their native language and use English . I've went to the doctor/medical centers in this country so English wasn't a problem. That's one of the benefits of English, other countries have people that use that as a second language. Now places in Europe like Spain, Portugal and others, one might run into those issues.
My husband is American and I'm Italian, we move a lot and we don't know where we want to settle down, but we know that as soon as we are retired we will be somewhere in the EU!
Switzerland or Spain would be my bet.
Portugal, Greece, France, The Netherlands, Sweden & Ireland are quite popular as well. The UK's countryside is the best part about it and it's very nice, very expensive but very nice.
Portugal & Greece offer the best retiree benefits I believe.
(Edit)
You also shouldn't shun away from Eastern Europe, (i.e) Montenegro, Croatia etc.
@Jacobl66 I'm still in my 30s, lots can change in 30 years 😅 And unless the UK gets back into the UE or changes its visas retiring here (we are currently in England, leaving next summer) will be impossible
@@silmuffin86 That's tough, I'm lucky to have left The UK earlier on in my life so I'm entitled to an EU citizenship.
@@Anonymoose66GSwitzerland is very nice but incredibly expensive compared to other countries. I would choose Southern Tyrol especially if one is Italian. Slowenia is also a very nice country if you like to be in the Alps and prices are still quite affordable. However I would invest into an property well in advance before retiring so that you can make the necessary changes before you retire.
How do you manage friendships if you move around so much?
So interesting... many germans retire in spain or Portugal. Because of the low living costs, but are still insured in germany 😅
yea, being an EU citizen gives u a lot of options and perks in other EU countries, there is ofc reciprocity.
don't forget those who ran away from the vaccination to Paraguay.
That's the right thing to do. This video by contrast, is indirectly promoting to live opon the other's public.
I don't consider myself to be a member of the wealthy elite, though I guess that's a relative assessment. My wife and I have just passed the six year mark since we moved from Texas to Spain. Our US SS benefits cover our basic costs of living, though we don't have a mortgage, car payment or anything like that. But there's more to it than that. My wife was pretty sick in the US and but after we moved her health dramatically improved and even the migraines she had since a teenager went away. We suspect that the food here is responsible. As for what you say about people moving for the adventure most of the successful American expats we know here do seem to have a greater sense of adventure than average. We most certainly do. (We're going to Antarctica for my 70th birthday.) Plus Europe is on our doorstep. All in all life is great here. No regrets and frankly I never expect us to return to the US.
Love this story. Yeah it is hard to make the case, scientifically, for how the food, air and water quality is going to change your health... until it does exactly that. Enjoy your birthday voyage. Cheers.
My health has improved tremendously too, since I moved to the Uk coastal area. The allergy has gone, cost of living is unbelievably affordable.
Stated another way, you are a immigrant to Spain.
@@ColeTrainStudio yup - some people get excited over choices of words
@@peterf1Clean air is also so important. I lived and worked for a few years in Norway. The cleanest air you can imagine. When I moved back to my home country, the Netherlands, I noticed it in my eyes, they were more quickly irritated.
And I noticed it on the windows: in Norway, my windows were always clean and clear. But in the Netherlands, my windows get dirty over time, with a grey film. I suspect from all the traffic. Crazy!
Thanks so much for an amazing video! Your videos are BY FAR the best, most throughly researched for any expat living in Germany or for anyone in the US contemplating the move to Germany!
After having lived in the US for almost 30 years, we (hubby and I) relocated back to Europe, and as he is German, the obvious choice for us was Germany. I am Danish, so the proximity to my friends and family in Denmark played into our decision as well. Life here is good. Weird at times, but good. Yes, there is a LOT of bureaucracy and a lot of rules, and loads of Germans view themselves as part of the police force and will be very happy to tell you if/when you're doing something incorrectly/wrong/unacceptable or slightly illegal (like parking 3 minutes early in a spot that allows for parking only at specific times!) We feel safer here, and statistically, we are. We are not uncomfortable when the police are around. Our mentality when it comes to money is far more German: we shop when we need something - not when we're bored and want to go to the mall and buy "stuff." Our cooking is always from scratch - no boxed mixes are involved - so the German lifestyle in the kitchen equals ours. Which is something our German friends here appreciate: a dinner at our place is truly home cooked. We can reach so many countries within a few hours. We both speak the language and integrate in the local life. Hubby took his US job with him but is now on a local contract, and I am a substitute teacher and as Germany desperately needs teachers, I will not hurt for work. Life is good. We do get homesick at times, but we know it's for a country that no longer exists.
I love Europe so much and living in USA for 20+ year I love it too, but mostly I am grateful for the life America gave me. Now, when we retired with moderate, if not modest savings, we still have an option to choose where to live, and that is also because America gave me opportunity to become financially independent .
I wonder- comparing to your friends who stayed in Europe, did you financially benefit from moving to America.? Did working in America give you this freedom to live where you want to live or you would have had the same opportunity if you stayed in Europe?
Thank you in advance
As a french seeing french economic state, and earing what's being said in the video, i have one thing to ask you all, if you're considering leaving in Europe.
If you are living here, at least contribute to our economy by having a bank account in the country you're living in.
Thank the country welcoming you, don't treat it like a fiscal paradise, please.
We consider contributing to the taxes of our country a normal and needed payback for what it gives us. I know USA's tax system is said to look like tax money isn't being given back yo communities, but it's a whole different system here.
As an example, we don't actually have free healthcare, we have healthcare paid together by tax, with an amount depending of your financial status, and used to allow everyone to access a decent amount of care.
In France and other eutopean countries, it is becoming a hastle to find a place to live. In some places, we don't have enough on a day to day basis to find a decent home, or think about the future. A lot of homes on the coast are rbnb's, or tourist secondary homes.
Please consider the economy of the country and it's local status when you make a choice. We'll welcome you with open arms if you open yours to our cultures, and want to share it.
Just don't consider us fiscal paradises ok ?
Have a nice day everyone ♥︎
@TypeAshton , please don't forget to talk about the point of view of the country people go to when you do those videos ! It's also needed to have a clearer view of the situation after all right ? Have a nice day ^^
What a lot of people don't factor in, is that in the US, the large "average" housing cost is skewed by exorbitant coastal cities like New York, San Francisco, etc.. Well over half the United states has the same housing prices that she quoted for Freiberg.
The problem with encouraging American retirees, rather than young working people, to move to the EU is that it is, even if they need to have private insurance, a direct and massive additional load on our universal healthcare. I hope EU members impose fair premiums on these retirees so they are not just raiding the generous health care system having never contributed to it during their working years.
Yes, that's right
A bloody good point, well made !
A legitimate concern, though my wife and I pay into the Spanish system and have paid more than we received.
@@Eric-Marsh So far…but good to hear.
I am a U.S citizen and I am playing with the idea about moving to Europe either before or after I retiree so both this video and your comment made me wonder, wouldn't the taxes that retirees pay help take care of them using the universal healthcare once they get the chance; Therefore, there would be no need to change the premiums around when it comes to them or am I missing something? If so please tell me.
I think its the fact that Americans are, frankly, worn out with the situation at home when it comes to cost of living, healthcare, quality of life, ect. My Mrs. and I have been researching retiring to either France or NL simply because the EU as a whole gets it when it comes to living life and making sure its citizens are treated with equality and respect.
Housing is very hard on the moment in the Netherlands.
Specialy in north and south Holland and Utrecht.
If i was free to chose as a Dutch,i would take a place near Germany and (ore) Belgium.
Shopping over there wil give you some profit to.
Movie tip,,try Dutch movies with translation.
Do you speak Dutch or French?
Ashton, another great video. Let me add my two-cents worth. While working for United Aircraft in 1963 - 1967 at their French Company (SARL), a big problem we had were new colleagues that were sent to our Paris Office, found an apartment, and then got hit in the face by the problems you have living in France. Shopping is different than in the USA (at that time we only had small grocery stores / the baker / three butchers / the confiserie / the weekly farmers market) Then you had the Fermature Annuel (all of August where everyone in Paris heads for the mountains; the Normandy beaches, The Bay of Biscay; or the Med.) where all stores and restaurants are closed for the month. In about a month the newbie wives were climbing the wall and wanted out of here.
Recognizing this, we instituted a flight back to the Land of the Round Doorknobs where everything was a "known". When the wives returned after a month b back home, they now knew how things operated in Paris. They knew their stores where they could shop, and even with husbands traveling on their jobs, Paris was no longer a strange place.
My suggestion is that they should rent an apartment and live there for a month or more, to become acclimatized. You don't live in the Travel Brochure pictures in a different Country, you have to experience daily life / daily shopping /public transportation / ...and know some of the language, before making such a huge decision.
Living in France they discovered what it means to slowdown and enjoy the summer to recharge.
I lived in France from 1993-1997. A lot had changed there since the early 60s and a lot has changed since the time I was there.
My wife and I retired to southern France 2 years ago and it has exceeded expectations. The video was spot on. We wanted to retire somewhere warm and sunny while being able to travel, enjoy European culture, public transport, walkable communities, and a sane healthcare system. While we didn’t specifically move to “get away” from negative aspects of life in the US, life here just feels safer, more stable, and less confrontational. The more we are here, the less we can see ourselves moving back. Incidentally, while the cost of living in France is probably higher than much of Europe, the tax and healthcare situations are very attractive for US retirees. The US-France tax treaty essentially eliminates double (income) taxation and in our situation we’ve paid little to none so far. To be sure, we pay 20% VAT, but other than that it’s a great deal. The French healthcare system is very inexpensive out of pocket, and after 90 days residence you can enroll in the Assurance Maladie, the French single payer insurance system which essentially pays 70% of those already lower costs (and almost all prescriptions). If you’re not employed, or haven’t paid into the system, you’re expected to pay 6.8% of your income as your contribution. However, France excludes pensions from this calculation (social security, IRAs, 401Ks, and annuities count as pensions). As nearly all of our income is from those sources we pay an embarrassingly small pittance for this coverage. A great setup for retirees. But, best of all we have been welcomed warmly and it hasn’t taken long for it to feel like home.
Consider not using that name and a red hat in public. A considerable number of Europeans would take offense and
I´m trying to be kind.
@@Perspectiveon I don't own a red hat. I don't use my youtube handle as a name in public, though in my city (Nîmes, the French Rome) most people would think it was clever. French people adore a clever wit (I just wish I actually had one, lol).
Thanks for taking the time to submit this info. Great input.
U.S. Citizen here but former German citizen. I moved to the U.S. 27 years ago for the job. Now we started the process of moving back to Germany for retirement. All your reasons hold true. Healthcare costs at the forefront along with a lower cost of living in general. But the most important part is just the different culture. More sense of community, cafes, restaurant, public transportation, travel and a host of other things. Another reason is not only the cost of healthcare, it is also the quality and availability. I have a story about eye doctor appointments :D
So you are pretty much on point. I would recommend learning German sooner rather that later if you want to to move there. Luckily that is not an issue for me. My wife will be a different story though.
It's funny. People will complain about refugees, call them leeches etc., but most of those poor souls didn't have a choice. Meanwhile somebody didn't pay into our public healthcare system all their lives, worked in a different country so didn't pay taxes here (don't know if that applies to you but there for sure are people to whom it does apply), then chooses to come back here when they're older and put extra financial burden on the younger people who live here. And that's somehow fine? Germany is a broken country with no fiscal responsibility or care for the future of its younger generations. I should probably get out of here as soon as I can.
And why would that be?@@damonmelendez856
Maybe it is just me, but some of us permanent residents in Germany might see that as cherry picking. Live abroad while the going is better elsewhere, return when the scales tip to a real or perceived disadvantage and the new home turns a bit old. I wonder how your fellow Americans see that.
About all those sweet deals offered by the southern EU members, golden visas and golden passports all over again?
Hi @stefanj1610. Part of the deal of moving back to Germany is to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will not now nor ever use public funds to support ourselves. That is in essence not really any different than these sweet deals you mentioned. You need to have sufficient funds to support yourself. Specially if you want to retire rather than work. Anything can be had for a price. Anywhere.
We will be required to pay taxes in Germany, which will be a bit higher than what I pay here. Out health insurance is private, so it also does not place any burden on anyone else.
Is that cherry picking to want to live where you feel you can have the best life for yourself? Don't we all try to do that within our means and abilities?
What do my fellow Americans think about that? This channel and this thread I think is evidence that this is not an unpopular idea.
The one's I talked to, for one are quite understanding of the desire to return to one's roots in retirement and secondly are somewhat envious that we have the guts to actually do that. Following the news I understand your concerns somewhat, but I would not throw everyone in one bucket so to speak but rather decide in each case by its own merit.
@@stefanj1610 I am a citizen of a member state of EU, so I will not need any effing visa to move to Europe when I retire. I do not plan to spend my retirement years in the US worrying, if I will get shot while going shopping or driving on a road or if the next hospital bill will cause me to file for bankruptcy. I would much rather spend my 401(k) living like a king in my fatherland.
It is so true when you say that only a relatively tiny number of Americans actually pick up and move overseas. Expats see other expats and jump to the conclusion that we are numerous, important, and even essential to our host country economies. Countries get substantial income from the hoards of tourists but the impact of long term expats is pretty modest.
Expats? You're all immigrants!
Interesting video, even after the fact. I moved permanently from Arizona to France 2 years ago. I live in the town center of Arcachon, a small seaside resort 45 minutes west of Bordeaux and 2 hours north of Spain. The population, September to June, is about 20,000 with an average age of 70. During the European summer vacation season of July and August, our population swells to about 100,000. It's crowded, but that income keeps all of the wonderful restaurants and other businesses viable for the entire year. We are at the same latitude as Boston, but the coldest it gets in the winter is around freezing...with the wind chill. Only once did I see a very thin coating of ice on the fountain by city hall. If you are considering France as your retirement destination, here are some things to consider. 1) Only driver's licenses from some states can be directly transferred to a French Permis B license. Which states can be directly transferred is not easy to find (I never did). Arizona is not one of those states, so I had to go through the hassle of getting my Permis B. 2) I had planned to build a house on a piece of property I was going to buy from my niece. That turned into a nightmare for several reasons, and I wound up walking away from almost 100 000 € in fees and deposits and found an apartment to rent. 3) Finding an unfurnished place to rent is basically impossible. The taxes property owners pay on rental income is higher for unfurnished places than for furnished one. I'm fortunate that my landlady has allowed me to replace some of the furniture at my cost and to convert the second bedroom to a music studio. 4) I live in the heart of the city center, 3 blocks from the beach. I have a larger (by French standards) 550 sq. ft, 2 bedroom apartment with a large balcony. I was paying 1 200 € per month. French law restricts how much property owners can increase the rent annually. After one year, my rent increased by 2,3 % to 1 228 €. I also have a private parking space. Many people have to park on the street and pay the city for the privilege. Rental leases automatically renew every year, so that is a relief. 5) Getting the proper visa and getting into the social security system for health insurance is bureaucratic and not at all straightforward. I hired a professional to help me. I am paying 1 200 € per year (including VAT) for visa assistance and a one time payment of 600 € for the social security application process. You can check out the firm I used at: www.parisimmigration.com/. The owner, Guillaume, has been great to work with and speaks excellent English. 6) Finances. I was able to establish a bank account before arrival because my brother's French wife's family vouched for me. I don't know about other banks, but my bank, CIC, supports both euro-denominated and dollar-denominated accounts. I kept my U.S. bank account at Chase, where my Social Security and three pension checks are auto-deposited each month. Every few months, I transfer from Chase to my CIC dollar account. I pay the $40 wire transfer fee to Chase, but when I convert from dollars to euros by doing an online transfer from the dollar account to the euro account, CIC charges a much lower currency conversion fee than Chase does. I moved all of my cash assets to CIC before I moved here. I can easily live on my pensions without having to touch my other money. If you have any questions, ask them in a reply to this comment, and I'll respond. Enjoy your retirement!
I wouldnt have called Arcachon a city...more like a village or town for European standard. Sure Bordeaux is a city but the nearest other cities to it would be like Toulouse, La Rochelle etc. Most inbetween i would consider towns and villages 😂
Also i think its wonderful not to bother with having to buy furniture in France. It meant i could move to Bordeaux with a suitcase and bicycle by plane and move home again with a suitcase and bicycle by plane. There was no waste of furniture as i didnt buy any and the next person used the furniture. So it saves hassle and waste.
You should get Revolut as you dont get charged to have euro/dollars and its european. No charges for it. N26 and other similar cards work. I used my revolut card no problem in bordeaux a few weeks ago.
For health insurance make sure you have the European Health insurance card as it will allow you to travel to other EU countries for healthcare or if on holidays in another EU country you are covered for healthcare if you have an accident (still always have travel insurance to help get back or if skiing etc)
In france you are also entitled to live in another EU country for 3 or 4 months and still claim the french social security payments and return to france.
Awesome recording. Thanks a lot!
Thanks. Another informative blog. Love it. Have a blessed week.❤
It's the walkable city, what you need for your daily life is around the corner. Don't be fooled by ytbers, come visit Europe for 4 weeks first, if you decide to stay longer.
We did our scouting trip - 77 days, found our destination and have been here for almost 17 months. No need for a car, a walkable city, hiking in the hills, an hour to the capital city by train or bus, over 360 restaurants in our little city, beaches, dolphins and very safe. Good fortune with your journey.
Quite simply, it's the health tourism.
Not only do you get free healthcare in parts of Europe, but the food is also much more regulated and higher quality, so it makes sense that someone coming into their Twilight years who needs to really thinking about their health would consider moving to Europe.
I love the US, but couldn't live on their food.
I'm gonna retire in Sweden in 25 years. Affordable real estate. From being born in the US, to working/living in Germany, to retiring in Sweden. As a now EU citizen I can just do that, it's great.
a lot can and will happen in 25 years. i doubt planning this far ahead with todays numbers
makes sense these days.
Buy a cheap property, while you still can and rent it out in the meantime
@@ccat342
Having a long term plan doesn't necessarily mean that the goals are fixed and the plan wouldn't be update as circumstances change. It will give some direction to life and helps preparing in time. Many businesses and people make investments with long term goals in mind. Planning, and updating plans, keeps life more likely going to a more favorable direction.
I hear Russia is cheap... 😂
Why?! I live there and really want to retire somewhere else! I have lived through the cold and dark winters for over 40 years now and it's not something to look forward to 😂 I do however would like to spend the summers in Sweden but winters abroad
Hello Ashton, congratulation for that nice video! It's amazing how many aspects you're covering in such a short time.
Every Sunday I see your blogs Ashton, thank you so much for your work, your great posts and most importantly always fact based. Please carry on, greetings from Switzerland
I work at a retirement home (not assisted living). Just yesterday I heard some residents taking about how corporate needs to get it's shit together and stop raising their rent. Even in retirement you can't escape corporate greed and parasitic landlords.
I am a sommelier and worked as a wine buyer for American and British firms. Since I spent 20 years traveling back and forth, I decided to retire to Europe. Both my wife and I are polyglots and travel throughout the continent is a breeze. We fit into your adventurous catagory. We finally decided on Austria and we love it. 🥂
I love you content and appreciate all your research. Very useful information provided to many who are interested to move to Germany!
when i am only looking the news, i can't say they do it right... late but right... thank you Ashton for another superb video...
Thank you for this thought provoking video essay. Being about ten years out from retirement, the first choice of my wife and I would be to stay here in California where we both were born. That said, the costs are really out of control, so it'll be difficult, regardless of retirement savings. Moreover, every year the streets are becoming less safe, the public transportation remains essentially non-existent, as well as unsafe, and the cost and quality of health care are in continual decline, although the insurance corporations are still making bank. We have friends in England and France, and between the both of us speak adequate French and Spanish (or at least the So Cal Mex version of it, which is admittedly much different than that spoken in Spain), and an inadequate amount of Italian. So, we're looking at options. Visas are hard in France, although I have colleagues at the medical school in Montpellier, and perhaps there are teaching opportunities there which might ease things a bit. Spain and Portugal are both a bit remote, since the trains get more sparse as one travels to the west of the continent. Still, a quiet town square to sit of a morning and drink café, trails to walk, trains to interesting places, market stall holders to make fun of my poor command of the language, and a bit of wine with dinner is likely a better way to grow old than being forever scared of the day we won't be able to drive anymore. Having to master a new language is as good an activity as any, and at the end of the day, life is about learning, and discovering a new land and culture is by no means the worst way to go about it.
Your open attitude and language skills are exactly what's needed for a successful life as an expat! You will love it - and wonder why you didn't do it even sooner...good luck!
Life is an adventure.❤
I've been working very hard to try to get my Italian citizenship because I'm eligible through my grandfather. The problem that I run into is, of course, lawyers are expensive, so I'm trying to take care of as much of the documentation as I can on my own. I'm trying to amass all the documentation that I need, and I only have a few documents left to secure. Once I get my citizenship, my kids are automatically eligible. I want them to have the opportunity to go to school and to live and work in Europe and get out of this hell hole. I know The Italian Job Mark it's not the best, but as EU member nation citizens, they will be able to move freely about Europe and living work anywhere within the EU. Possibly they could get citizenship in another country like Germany or France Etc. It's too late for me to uproot and start over again at this point, so I'm just going to have to retire to Europe. Thankfully, because I I've had a couple of decent union jobs over the years, I will have to separate pensions plus Social Security to draw on and a little extra in an underperforming IRA. I am primarily motivated to try to give my kids a better life and a better opportunity. Also, for my someday grandchildren to have a better life. I know that Europe has its problems too. But I would rather have to deal with the European problems than the American ones.
It,s good we ended free Uni for foreigners.
Guess we must do more here in my nation.
@@andersrefstad8235 We'll be citizens if we come over. So...🤷♂️
@@thatcarguy1UZ
I am not from Italy...
@@andersrefstad8235 That's fine. Enjoy!
@@thatcarguy1UZ
I do 😄
Like to keep my nation like this. Why on earth should Europa let "leaches" in ..?
We have a big problem with the brovnsnails. Put salt on them !
Aston, I think that you found a good topic, lots of interesting comments. Keep up the good work!
Just found your channel tonight! Love it. Love the straight to the point reporting, with facts! Love it!!!! Super!
Retired Ex-Pat here, but I left the US in 1977 and settled in Switzerland. Got my Swiss citizenship in 2004 and renounced my US citizenship in 2013.
And ... am now on a 6 day trip to the area just north of Frankfurt. Lots of old towns here with lovely half-timber houses. No plans to even go to theb US to visit ... I'm good in Switzerland and Germany and ... with my live-in translator: France.
Tina Turner (RIP) chose Switzerland. Just off Germany, Austria, France, Italy... and LIECHTESTEIN of course🤣
Wonderful Tina. I am sure she is in Heaven. @@fan8281xx
The concept of leaving the US for someplace else due to politics is not new, even in my lifetime. In the late 60's I faced the choice of forced military service, prison, or moving abroad. I went with option A but C was very tempting. Now, in retirement, I live in Switzerland and more than 50% of the reason to emigrate has to do with the political environment in the US. Every country has problems, but the multi-party division of influence in most European countries keeps the situation from going too far afield. In contrast, the Electoral College keeps the US a two party system, effectively, and the tension for complete control of all facets of life is creating an ever widening rift.
Great video, Ashton! :) Happy to see your channel thriving after the rebranding :)
Great video. Very informative!
They probably bring some money, but I'm not sure the EU has a lot too gain by an influx of elderly Americans further clogging up our health and housing systems.
Agreed. Gentrification has become an issue in many EU countries. In Portugal where I live there have been protests because local people with their 1K EUR salaries (not exaggerating here) really cannot compete on the housing market with foreigners. It's a systemic issue though, not trying to blame individuals who move here... although it is quite annoying sometimes to see CZcams videos from Americans showing off their "cheap" properties in Portugal that 70% of locals would not be able to afford.
don't worry: European eldery is freeing this space, moving to Asia
@@KingaBierwiaczonek-dp7td Well It is cheap, relatively speaking. Portugal signed up for this by joining The EU & engaging with globalism.
@@Anonymoose66G Portugal surely has not managed this great. But gentrification is a serious social issue and saying that ANY country signed up for it is, frankly, quite offensive.
Already today there's a makor shortage of care workers. Won't work out in future if you need care.
I’m retiring close to my children and grandchildren, here in Norway. Some people here goes to Spain when retired, but some of them regret it when they need care and have to buy expensive care in Spain. Some ends up sick and lonely in a foreign country and finds it difficult to get back to Norway.
Norway is pristine, I wouldn't move away if I was born there 😂. Alot of wealthier Norwegians have summer homes or move to warmer climate like as you said Spain, The Canary Islands, France, etc. I'd personally stay in Norway and visit Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland & Spain whenever I feel like I need a break.
Buy expensive care? I suppose they aren’t integrated in the public system. In Spain you can pay a private insurance (not expensive at all) to have the “little things” to be more of your liking. But for “big things” the public system is way better than anything private.
That is PARTIALLY true. PRICES IN NORWAY ARE EXORBITANT FOR EVERYTHING which affects the NON-workers as salaries are High as well. Private insurance in Spain is NOT expensive since MANY Spaniards have both public&private. Why those Norwegians die lonely in Spain; might they die lonely in Norway anyway?
I was born/lived in the UK the first 24yrs of my life. Have been in Germany 27yrs to date.. the older I get, the more "homesick" I get, but at the same time I don't feel 100% at home in the UK..I feel rootless.
My ideal senario would be something small in the UK and in Germany..and travel. I love "tiny homes on wheels" but as these are still not really legally accepted in either country, they are not yet an option. .. but maybe by the time I retire in 15+ years they will be.
I’m a US Citizen whose been living in the U.K. for the past 17 years and my wife and I just bought a house in Southern Italy where we plan to eventually retire for nearly all the reasons you mentioned in your video.
@@treterter4892 also hope they like warm weather. Like >40C hot. Summers will only get hotter. Some parts of southern Europe will be nearly uninhabitable within a decade. It's already happening every year: Greece, Sicily, Spain. Huge fires, dangerous air quality, over 40C temperatures for weeks at a time.
@@treterter4892 can you elaborate, please.
@@pawelzielinski1398 NOT, TRUE AT ALL; IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN CALLED ...... SUMMER until the ECONAZIS NEO-MARXISTS got this to impose TOTALITARISM. Do not move to Poland because there in SUMMERS the temperatures are SCORCHING INLAND and flying will worsen the "climate change"
If people have the opportunity to choose where to live after retirement then it's perfect, i guess it should compare to the way of life. I like to live in countries where i don't need car to go from one place to another, where i can hike and pass a field without being afraid that someone could shoot me in the back or elsewhere.
That's all places in Europe.
Clearly you haven’t wandered onto a southern Germans farm. Haha. They can be very unforgiving. 😂
I am one of the Americans that has retired and moved to Europe. I currently live in Spain and find that, on balance, it is less expensive here. Not every country will be the same and there are some things to consider. My path to becoming a resident was simpler than most because my wife is a Spanish citizen and it took less than 18 months. It is still somewhat bureaucratic, but pretty straightforward. The general cost of living is lower except for energy (gasoline and electricity). Health care is much cheaper here. I am not eligible for the national healthcare system, but my private insurance is much less. I pay 221 euros a month for complete private medical and dental coverage with no deductible through Sanitas, which is owned by the same parent company as Blue Cross in the US. Some dental procedures cost extra, like an implant, but it was only 856 euros compared to $4000 in the US. The big item that you did not cover is taxes. This varies from country to country, but has to be considered. The US is the only country that taxes its citizens worldwide, no matter where you live. So, even though you may not reside in the US, you still have to file US tax forms every year. You do not get double taxed, because what you pay in another country is deductible, but be prepared for a much higher income tax bill in Europe than the US. For instance, Social Security income is fully taxed and ALL income is taxable regardless of country of origin and source. Also the sales tax or value added tax (name varies by country) is much higher here and varies by the "category" of the item and can be as high as 21%, as opposed to the average 6.5% in a US state. It can be a little tricky to figure out because the tax is included in the price as marked, not separate like in the US. Property taxes are another matter. By comparison in Spain they are very low. This is for two reasons. One is that schools are not funded trough property taxes, and that was 60% of my US property tax bill. Secondly is how values are determined. Values are fixed at what was paid for the house when built (in my case in 1989) not what I paid for it in 2019, regardless of improvements/additions made. Remember, I am talking about one country, Spain, not all of Europe. Another item to consider is currency exchange rates. This can vary widely over time. You can suddenly take a "pay cut" by the value of currencies changing. When the Euro first came to be it was pegged at 1 euro = $0.88. Today it is reversed with 1 euro = $1.06 and 15 years ago it went crazy at almost $1.50 to buy 1 euro. It is something to consider because all your bills will be in euros and your income/savings will probably be in dollars.
I'm an American who recently retired in Spain, and I agree with your observations. The only thing that I would add is the need for your bank to know that you are an American, and make sure that all of the paperwork is kept up to date on that. I had a bad experience once where my bank froze all my accounts because of a missing signature on a FATCA form! Grrrrr!
@@capistev blame the US for waging war on the foreign banks with US citizens accounts... and more exactly, blame the US citizens who used the foreign bank accounts to dodge the IRS, lol
Thanks for another great video. Your research and background are so complete.
Maybe it's my Rus' heritage, but we're hoping to retire to a small catamaran and sample the world. From Iceland to French Polynesia to Las Malvinas (or Falklands) to Hokkaido to the Danube to Vietnam to the Black Sea, No place is too far. Tag Antartica, shoot Cape Horn, cross the Northwest Passage, watch the sun rise over Aetna, reach Point Nemo, land at Svalbard, have a mojto in Tenerif, wine in Titisee, Obolon in Kyiv (when it is free), ...
As the Norse saying goes: Bound is the boatless man. (Bundinn er bátlaus maðu)
Another excellent video, Ashton, keep up the good work
Thank you so much!
@@TypeAshton Gerne!
Most people like to have friends and a social network around them, when they retire, and when you make the decision to move to another country too late, i.e. just after you retire, then that often becomes a short term decision for a few years of exploration, but eventually people do decide to come back, no matter what financially is feasible, because they miss their own social circles and family. But if people move away young, like you did, and integrate into a society early, then that is a very different situation. Family contact does remain a problem though. Travel is far, and it is expensive, once you multiply costs by 4 or 5 (family size). Also, kids like growing up with pets, and while there are a few ways to work this out, in general, this can become an important point to consider.
I do think that the concept of golden visas in Europe will need to get altered, as more and more people flock into especially Southern Europe. It is a bit like tourism, if a few people do it, it is welcome, but if people overrun your small town by the thousands, opinions start changing. And Europe does begin to notice the effect of thousands of additional people putting pressure on housing markets, social services, and on traffic, etc. Right now, it is still a regional problem, and so it has not reached the level where things like golden visas get a work-over in Brussels yet, but I don't think this is far away, and for good reason. Also, the care taker crisis in Europe is even more extreme than in the US, if you can believe it. There are many components to why this is such a problem, but I think that baby-boomers reaching the late care stage of life - which they are still quite a few years away from - things will become non-sustainable. And then what? It will become a problem in the US too, but Europe seems less flexible and able to find solutions, tbh.
Finally, I want to mention one aspect from a personal experience level. What does become a challenge over the years, is the long distance away from family. As parents become elderly and are unable to travel to visit you, and as they require more of your help, you might be stretched between two far away countries, and potentially for a very long time to come. Meaning at times, for years. Everybody's individual situation is different, but when I made my decisions, I did not realize that pandemics could disrupt the best of travel plans for years to come, I also did not think about the fact that certain administrative or personal medical processes can take years instead of months. And that is before dealing with political or social upheavals, energy restrictions, wars, changing laws, and changing political attitudes, which you can never anticipate.
When we are young, be get to make our choices, when we are older, we all of a sudden find ourselves in a web of considerations, that limit those choices. It is the way of life in general, but adding a long distance family situation into the mix, does make things much much harder. If your whole family immigrates, this becomes a bit less of a concern, but if your family is stretched across the Atlantic, this family system around you looks very different while you are in your forties, versus when you happen to be in your sixties or eighties. And your own children, once adults, will make their own choices, and that will increase the size of the web you and they are weaving. We have so far always managed, but I cannot say that it is easy, and financial considerations take a backseat behind a lot of other factors that are completely outside of your control.
A thorough post
@@tyxeri48 The alleged "problem" in the "COSTAS" comes NOT from Americans but from EU senior citizens. Would you BAN Newyorkers/jersians/illinoians moving to Arizona, New Mexico and Florida?. Well. that's the same "situation" with Spain when you hear, for instance, that the Costa Blanca has the HEALTHIEST WEATHER IN EUROPE
All those foreigners relocating to Southern Europe are destroying the life prospects of locals (extreme gentrification, clogged public services, bottom-tier salaries, loss of character in towns, endangered cultures and languages…).
No wonder “expats” are so universally loathed in Southern Europe.
After my folks died I was free to to do what I please. Retired, single, no kids, I choose a small village in Mexico, rented, love the culture the food, the people even most of the other people I met from other countries. And I noted that we had a lot in common. A need to experience new things and place, but after 6 years there and arm chair traveling during lock down in my little village, I started think of slow traveling from another country with better benefits for seniors. This year I moved to Panama which was never on my radar until I watch TY videos about it and Portugal, Uruguay my top picks at the time. Would love to slow travel Europe. If I could get a visa that wouldn’t require me to spend time in the USA again to get document. So I think I will just stay the allowable time I can on my US passport in the countries I like to live in. Maybe treat those trips like long vacations….renting off season? Or just a 3 months in that country. Here in Panama City there are resident hotels I can rent by the month. Pack my carry and back pack check out and have all my income to live where ever I like during my vacation time. I have 5 more months on my current rental in a hotel studio with and ocean view, my own kitchen and washer dryer, all utilities included when I offered to prepaid my rent for a 6 month lease. Free hourly shuttle to the mall and grocery stores. Access to the metro and bus system. There is Uber here at a 3rd the cost of the US. The culture even tho they speak Spanish is very different than Mexico. At lease here in the city. Not as much English spoken as I was use to in Mexico but that fine everyone as a smart phone and a translator app. I get by.
After 6 years in Mexico you don't speak Spanish?
Americans tend to have it easier since English is the world's lingua franca.
Still I really put the effort into learning languages, which seems advisable when living abroad.
@@azerko I am making an effort here in Panama, but my dyslexia is giving me the same problems in Spanish that it did an English my worst subject in school never took a second language in school because of it, but didn’t know I had it when I was in school didn’t learn it until my late 40s, but I’ve never let anything stop me from what I wanna do.
@gaylarice3716
there is no need for school.
Learn like a baby; repeat every word & phrase you hear
We are thinking about retiring in Panama too. I'm German, my husband is American. The US has gotten too expensive and dangerous. I'm looking forward to it!
@margritjones7934 Panama is also a dangerous country (depending on what crime more/less than the US). And frankly, if you both like to retire stereotypically in a more Southern/warm country then European countries like Greece are in every way better: significant safer. cheaper. culturally billion times more interesting/relevant/worthy, better climate zone, more relaxed people, better food, better food quality, more interesting travel opportunities/destinations etc. ...
LOL Thank you! Me as a German living in Bulgaria, with my Russian now Bulgarian wife, are talking the same topics, like where to live when we retire / get old, which countries would have better amenities for our special family situation. And don´t get me wrong here, we already life 2 minutes away from the sea, have all of this nice weather, a nice housing situation, and so on...but we also have special needs to consider and a bit of a adventurous feeling to life out when we get older....That´s such a great video again! Looking forward to your next video!!!
Another excellent video! Thanks for sharing :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ashton. thank you for another great video We thought about retiring to Italy when we retired 7 years ago Rented an apartment in Genoa for a month to experience being overseas in a non-working situation. We decided not to retire in Italy because it was too socially isolated. When you work overseas you have work colleagues, you lose that in retirement. We now live in an active adult community in Florida and spend 2-3 months a year in Europe. Of the people we know who retired overseas, virtually all came back to the US within 3 years. Of course we are very fortunate to have good retirement income and health insurance. Keep up the informative videos.
How good are your Italian language skills?
My Italian is fairly good. Italians are very family oriented and that makes it fairly difficult to make friends for an outsider. They are very friendly and casual conversations are easy to have but recurring encounters are a lot more difficult. When I worked in Germany it was much easier and less isolating because of work colleagues. Not sure if it would have been as easy without my colleagues
I think that even for Italians in general it's not easy to make friends in Italy. As an adult, you have to actively work on it, such as joining a club, taking a course where you can regularly meet the same people, etc. Finding a common interest with others is fundamental
Or anywhere-even in us. That’s why I like expat communities!!
We did consider staying in Germany when we finished a five year stay in 1992. It was attractive for all the reasons you said. Ultimately it was family being in one town, in Canada, that was the deciding factor. Looking back we made the right choice. However, we would love to have an extended stay back in our adopted home village now that we are approaching retirement.
Did I miss the part about retiring in France? Keep up the good work.
Welcome back
Hi Ashton, love your new channel . I retired last year. So far I have travelled to Germany and will be heading to Japan next spring . I have a son with family that lives close by and a daughter that lives in Germany with her family. I am pretty torn, because I really miss us all being together. Thank goodness for the internet. I have friends in similar situations, where at least one child has chosen to move overseas. From what Ive noticed on CZcams and instagram, your generation are far more courageous and adventurous about travelling and trying new experiences overseas. Maybe the American and international boomers are taking a leaf out of the book of generation X and or the Millennials who don’t wait until retirement before chasing their dreams . Are we witnessing a global movement of people both young and old? I don’t know the answer to that, but I seem to be bon-voyaging my friends regularly for overseas holidays. What an incredible opportunity to live in another country for a period of time. Hat off to those people who have the courage, whether temporary or permanent.
I certainly could split my time between my 2 children . I loved living like a local in Germany for a couple of months. Not for health benefits and definitely not for financial gain coming from Australia to Europe, but for family - 100 percent 🥰
HI there! Japan is on Jonathans bucketlist of places to visit! I hope you have the best time. And I can very much relate to your push-and-pull with your kids being spread out across the globe. I am sure that wherever our two boys end up will also playing a big role in wherever we settle down as well. We would love to travel in our golden years and mostly just want to downsize so we don't have much to care for.
@@TypeAshton I think now Japan has opened up again, a lot of people are putting that on their list of places to visit. It’s 10 hour flight from Melbourne. 22 to Europe. Thanks for your reply and understanding. 🥰
on time on time Germanized😂 Good morning Ashton. Greetings to your family 🙋♂️
Hi Arno! 🙋🏻♀️ Happy Sunday!
My wife and I are big fans of your channel! Love the new logo and name. We have lived in Germany for almost 40 years and really love it. Unfortunately, all our old friends and family live in America and are reluctant to visit here (I think because they dont want to admit that everything we have been saying about it is true and that is better than the USA). Anyway, we want to go back to America because we are inheriting a house in AZ and it is lovely there in the Winter, BUT, Medicare is not what it is cracked up to be and we are not used to spending all our free month on medical bills, even 20% of a retirement budget is a lot of money. If we stay here, we won't be able to stay in our flat because our income will be so reduced. We have been thinking about what you suggested in your video. Thanks for making this and keeping us up to date on the Duel Passport stuff. BTW, can you make a video about Recycling USA vs. Germany? I've been waiting a long time for someone to let the USA know that it can be done why it NEEDS to be handled and soon. Tchuss!
Don't move to AZ! We are here. Prices are now some of the highest in the States. Gas more than anywhere else except CA, groceries, water and property taxes. Sell your house you inherited and move somewhere affordable. I know we can't stay after retiring for sure. Have been looking at Spain, Portugal and Panama.
Good sunday morning :)
This is so serendipitous! My husband and I, practically spent an entire afternoon yesterday, looking at houses in Germany. My hometown is still pretty affordable. We also looked at other states here in the U.S. but there are not too many, that are appealing to us, as retirees. We live in Florida and have been since 1980 and it is no longer a state that is affordable for a lot of people. People are up for a rude awakening, if they want to move to Florida, once THE state to retire to. Cost of living here, has sharply risen, including taxes, home owners insurance, car insurance or housing in general. Groceries aren't cheap either. Germany is looking better and better to us, every day.
You are very welcome in Germany. But please consider that you are used to a different climate from Florida. It's generally cooler here in Germany, in the north of Germany we have storms in autumn and spring, but they don't come close to the hurricanes in Florida. And we are in the middle of Europe; at no point in Germany are you more than 350 km away from a neighboring country with a different culture. If you really want Germany to be the destination of your dreams, then definitely watch videos of various Americans who don't just live in the south of Germany. Germany has many different landscapes and combines a variety of different cultures in a small area (compared to the USA). It's certainly different than the stereotypes you hear about in the US suggest. But if a climate like the one you are used to in Florida is the most important thing for you, then you should find out about life in Portugal, southern Spain, Malta or Cyprus. All the best to you - wherever you move to.
Germany is beautiful, but it does have high taxes depending on your income and also if you’re a US citizen, even if you live in Germany, your round, you’re still required to pay US taxes in addition to German taxes
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957there is a tax law between US and Germany called Doppelbesteuerung
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957 HI there! Yes as another pointed out - with the "Foreign Earned Income Tax Exclusion", as long as you make roughly less than 240,000 dollars a year (as a couple) you are not double taxed.
@@51pinn, thank you for the kind reply. I am German and my husband is American. I do know about the climate in Germany, since I grew up there. We are sick and tired of the endless heat in Florida and this year in particular, was extremely brutal and we won't get any relief from it, until November. We want a break from 9 months of this. It's torture at this point.
I have considered the idea of retiring abroad, even becoming an expatriot, but the truth is that I'm pretty comfortable here, I have a good life with family and I own my own home. Instead I am just funneling as much money into retirement as I can. There are things I don't care for in this country but I think they're slowly improving and when I look at the pluses and minuses for me I can't really find another country that's more appealing. Whether it's the climate, I really hate the cold, or being far away from family and friends or just having to deal with a different lifestyle like being in a tiny home, it just comes down to that I'm better off staying here in the US.
FYI if you would plan to move to another country permanently you become an immigrant not an expat. An expat limbed somewhere for a fixed amount of time for work
Thanks and you are very nice and informed my plan is to do 6 months in US and the rest just travel around Brazil, Europe, Central America renting around short term places, I’m Brazilian and language helps a lot my plans, thanks again
While not the video I was expecting (Jonathans bikes) it was definitely interesting and one that made me think about our own plans.
Granted I still need to work at least 20 years before getting a pension (if at all) I'd like to do two things, travel a bit and start/join a makerspace (need to do something between travelling).
I just moved to Mexico from the USA. The weather where I am is low 45-50 and high 70-80 year round. I feel much safer (coming from a teacher...and my former school had to do e-learning the first week of school because there were so many fights). I'm naturally able to get exercise because lots of things are so walkable.
Just curious-where did you land in Mexico? I traveled in southern Mexico in the 70s and found it so beautiful. And the people, so kind. But of course nowadays one just hears a lot of noise about the cartels.
I honestly think that they are a lot more US retirees in Mexico than in any other country, so I think the numbers shown are incorrect. I'm not saying that she is reporting wrong but her sources are stating inaccurate numbers. As for your points Jenny, you're correct. Mexico has and will always have a better weather than Europe, Mexican people are friendlier than Europeans and due to the strong commerce and family ties with the US , Mexicans haven't got this hidden anti-American sentiment which exits in most countries in the world.
Also, Mexico doesn't face the demographic challenge that Germany is facing which is in its first stages of manifesting with higher cost of living. In 20 years everything will be more expensive due to the shortage of labour and if you add the possibility of another world conflict with Russia to live in Europe might now seem possible but in the long term Europe won't be an appealing place to retire.
I go there a lot too, usually 4 months per year in Winter..I like dry and high places like Puebla, Morelia or Cuevernaca..Acapulco or Vallerta are ok for a month but so humid..
@@andreewert1925 Acapulco is DEAD. In Europe it does not even appear on travel brochures; why? CRIME
yes trust the Media..they want you Going to Disneyworld or Hawai..hows that working out for You..Have you been there..I have..Its Propaganda..There is more Crime in Chicago then Acapulco..VIVA MEXICO@@fan8281xx
That is a great idea for retirement! I've always planned either a duplex or a teeny apartment or one bedroom house and travel constantly but choosing a home base that makes travel cheap is a great plan. Thanks for sharing this was a lovely video
We also love the idea of some kind of duplex/triplex Apartment Situation on the water. Something low maintenance (we don't want to have to mow a yard if we are traveling) but some where we can still call home.
Thanks!
Thank YOU!!❤️
Lived in Germany for 6 years and loved it.
I have been seriously considering how to move since the early months of 2017 and at the top of my list is safety but as you said too I want to explore. For many years the US has not aligned with my priorities for happiness and I was born in the US. I have considered the UK, because I speak only english (I have studied German and French), France but not Germany. I'm not sure why because I have visited Germany a few times and liked much about it. I am a retiree who is self sufficient financially but access to health care does concern me, getting a doctor, navigating a health system in another country, etc... This was a very informative video so TY very much.
Come to the Philippines. The retirement visa is easy to get, English is the language spoken in everyday life and everywhere, the people are super friendly, weather rocks, one only needs $800/month income for a retirement visa (SRRV), no Philippine income or wealth taxes on any income from outside the country. Many countries in Europe will tax your wealth and expect you to pay taxes on your worldwide income (in addition to US income taxes which are unavoidable) including France Spain, Greece and others. There is also no requirement to purchase heath insurance here (I’m self-insured against most medical costs, which are cheap anyway; for something more serious, I can access medicare after a 4 h flight to Guam), and the proximity to the rest of Asia is terrific. Add to that over 7,000 islands comprise the archipelago.
@@dr.michaellittle5611yeah, just ignore the crime and the poverty.
@@GRE3NT Like anyplace in the world, including the US, you have to be selective regarding where you live.
This place is paradise.
Again great research-work done, congrats Ashton. I'm just one and half year away from retiring. Living in Germany, this will be the day I buy myself a campervan and start my nomadic lifestyle, by traveling all around Europe to explore our beautiful continent.
Good luck with the german fuel prices
@@theracer6882
Travelling by campervan doesn't mean you are on the road every day.
Maybe 1000 km each month.
I think you made a good choice with the Black Forrest. I live not far from it. I used to live in the Alps for a while, but for me too much snow. As of Europe I would prefer Spain, Portugal or Italy. Better weather. But this has changed here as well in the last decade. 19 Deg. C I considered a warm night years ago. Today I think it is cool and take a jumper. Maybe in a few years we have palm trees instead of pine 😂.
Great video. I've just stumbled on to this video & found it informative.
We are pondering retirement locations with Florida being one. But we are also considering Spain. One of our concerns has to do with elder care which I'm told (& my wife has confirmed) is far below what we find in the USA. Another concern has to do with financing a home purchase. We think that would be easier in the US (easier to get a mortgage through a US bank) but we still need to look further into this regarding purchasing in Europe/ Spain.
All countries in Europe are different. So never compare the USA with Europe. Compare by country.
@@markhellemans3440 Good point. Thanks!👍
The family wants to go to the Netherlands so thats the plan, already contacted a recruiter and getting ready to move in the next three years
Glad to hear this important point. U.S. official stats count the foreign bank accounts into which Social Sec payments go, and says this is the number of retirees abroad. As noted, this is a crazy underestimate of the number. You would be crazy if you deposited your SS into a foreign account; instead obviously deposit it into your U.S. account and then draw on that abroad via one of many safe and cost-effective means.
I'm retired in Spain and I collect my US Social Security via direct deposit to my Spanish bank account. I did an analysis a few years ago, and it was most efficient and economical for me to collect the Social Security that way, and that was also what the US Embassy in Madrid advised me to do. Maybe it is 'crazy' to do that in some countries, but it is worth analyzing on a case by case basis. 😀
@@capistev Watch your 'FBAR' compliance. Take a screen-shot of your filing every year. Better still, pay $500 for a U.S. accountant to file it. In theory, that will stop the justice dept from stealing every penny you have, altho there is never a guarantee, of course. I believe that a well-known brokerage house (no names, but I am a customer) does a special - expensive - "expat account" in most European countries where they will help file and that is a protection against crooks/freaks in the U.S. justice dept. What a pleasure it is to be a citizen of the only developed world country that systematically breaks international law, all their trade agreements, etc. etc., and systematically terrorizes and steals from harmless old people who want a little fun before they croak. FUN FACT: I understand there is one foreign government that admires Uncle Sam's capacity for criminal activity against his own subjects: The Chinese Communist Party. They're thinking about introducing a "Chinese FBAR" to terrorize Chinese ethnic people in the U.S.!
I have seen videos of 6 American ‘families’ that moved to the Netherlands, and have several friends and colleagues that did the same. Also one couple that is retired and now lives in Rotterdam. Healthcare (costs) and quality of life is generally the reason for the move.
So haven't contributed with tax, but using the system?
@@annicaesplund6613 No, not really. First of all they don’t have any right to the AOW (Algemene OuderdomsWet) if they haven’t worked/stayed in the Netherlands for a certain period of time. And healthcare isn’t free in the Netherlands, you still have to pay around 150-200 euros per person per month.
You also have to pay tax on the pension received from the USA, so the 401k or IRA. And you still have to pay all the obvious sales and other taxes. So they are contributing, usually also by paying rent or buying a house. (To be fair, this is a problem considering the extreme shortage of housing)
And they are not eligible for many of the welfare options because they have to proof they can life on their own means. They don’t have rights similar to native dutchies. However even if they have to pay for their healthcare they are still better of than the USA. On average in the Netherlands around 6000 dollars is spend a year on healthcare per inhabitant. Versus 13000 dollars a year in the USA, while covering EVERYONE and having a better outcome with a higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality, lower teenage pregnancies and an overall better level of health.
Americans could save around 2 TRILLION dollars a year in total if they would implement a Dutch healthcare system. Something the Clintons actually looked into doing. Taking the Dutch system as an example for the USA. In other European countries like the UK there is a national healthcare system where you don’t have to pay any insurance directly.
So perhaps in these systems your argument is more valid.
Safer life, better life. Less crime and a better living standard. Easy, anwser.
I might settle down in Namibia....strong ties with Germany, Windhook is a nice quiet city and has good infrastructure..docs and etc. It is a beautiful country, english and german as language....i like it.
Reasons to move to Europe: better quality and lower cost healthcare, more walkable neighborhoods, not car dependent, cities are safe to walk, people are friendly, culture and food is better quality.
Well, that sounds very familiar to me: downsizing, moving south and travelling a lot in the golden years. That has been my plan all along. But reality looks different now: kids and grandkids live here all around and it's just too hard to move away or to stay away for a longer period of time. So it's just traveling from here and in smaller doses. But we're happy anyway.
I’m happy living where I am and the cost of housing and living costs are a barrier to moving in current circumstances and all my needs are covered so I’m fortunate enough not to have to leave the country. My rent is at a European median and my retirement is well within my means.
All this 'buying your way into Europe' is generally frowned upon by the common man here and especially Malta is considered to be freeriding the whole system: pay a relatively modest sum, get a passport, and suddenly a Russian oligarch has complete freedom of movement in the EU.
Cyprus equally
I feel like an other potential benefit is greater freedom of movement once you can‘t drive anymore (or just really shouldn‘t). In the US not being able to drive basically means you can‘t really move freely anymore. In many European places you have enough public transport to still enable significant freedoms in that regard.
The US is a good place to make money - IF you're in the correct field that is. It's a very good place to do business and make more than average if you press the right buttons. But it's not always a good place to live and to be "average" in a hustling America means you're left behind (perhaps we're rethinking this but a societal level change like that will take ages). When you're in retirement age and your business days are behind you, perhaps you think about making a different choice on how to live from now on? Social safety net is weaker in America and if you're into adventurous travel, Europe has more to offer than America. I could go to the south of Spain, I could go see the northern lights, etc. I don't want to go to the Wal-Mart but in a different state.
America is all fun and games when you are young and healthy but when it comes to retirement it is pretty lousy. A lot of Boomers are still in the workforce because they can't afford to retire even though they are in their 70s. A lot of Americans simply keep working until the day they die. This is not because they "love money" as some Europeans put it. The alternative to not working in retirement though is to end up homeless. This happened to my mother where she worked all the way up until the day she died. On the day of her funeral she was literally called into work. I had to tell the employer she won't be working today or ever again. The same fate likely awaits me at the end of the road.
Dear Dr Ashton
I have less but 900 days until I am able to retire. So I made a plan to get a very tiny little camper made of wood and travel wherever I want.Maybe Portugal, Spain Italy orNetherlands. I would love to see and learn.
Scratch the Netherlands from your list, it is a pain to get a place to live. And it is prohibitly expensive to boot.
Visit many countries first.
I lived in the past Germany as a teenager, a dependant of a DOD parent. I even graduated from an Armed Forces High School in Southern Germany, while living a small village 25 kms away school. I have also visited Germany many times since and still have German friends there I keep in contact with on regular basis.
Although I have looked at retirement in Germany in the past. At present I am looking at Portugal or Costa Rica for retirement, for warmer weather and cost of living.
Portugal is a wonderful country but way to hot in the summertime.
Go to Portugal, it's way better
@@MW_Asura did you understand my simple sentence?
@@nordwestpassage Did you understand his simple sentence? AHH, silly me; your SUPREME OPINION IS ALWAYS BEST. I'm so sorry BWANA!
I am already in Spain, Barcelona for 5 months as we speak and another 7 months to go, but after that I might go back to US to see the family but only to move to the next destination- South America some place. But that’s shaky too because I just like to live in a simpler lifestyle where people are more connected. Next week I am going to this little city that I used to live in Germany then Palermo Italy then back to my love city Paris then back to my apartment in Barcelona. I am seriously considering to get a long term visa by purchasing a property in Europe. So for now all options are open. There is a trade off between Europe and South America.
Btw inflation in Europe is worse than america but I don’t care about that; to me it’s your lifestyle and the society mindset and how you would feel about being at home. 🙏
Retired to Finland 4 years ago. Never going back.
That’s me! Now retired in Sicily. 😀
Maybe this is something you're not used to thinking about as an American because you're used to buildings in warmer regions usually being equipped with air conditioning, but in light of climate change, it seems to me that the classic "places of retirement" in Europe are increasingly becoming a health hazard.
This summer has shown how drought will affect the quality of life in many places and how heavy rains can become a threat to retirement homes. Being prepared for the challenges of the climate crisis in retirement won't be easy when essentials like food supply or energy need unfamiliar solutions in addition to the issue of health care.
I don't believe that when I get older I will have the luxury of exploring the world the way boomers do today. Either travel will become prohibitively expensive by then, or the overlapping global crises will make such travel dramatically more difficult. Or both.
I no longer believe in the glorified notion of retirement as a golden period of life. Anyone who has a home and secure living conditions can consider themselves lucky.
I suspect it to be both.
@patrickhanft: "it seems to me that the classic "places of retirement" in Europe are increasingly becoming a health hazard"
It might be somewhat churlish of me to point out that widespread flooding in Florida, wildfires in Oregon, Utah and Washington, typhoons across many Southern US States and perennial droughts affecting much of the Mid-West present a "health hazard"?
At least European public sentiment now generally acknowledges the reality of climate breakdown, its root causes (human activity) and potential public policy initiatives to mitigate its worst impacts. In the USA, for large swathes of the population, that particular Rubicon still remains to be crossed?
@@peterdavidson3268 I don't know enough about the discussion in the US (therefore I would not dare to compare) and while I hope that in Europe we have a general idea about what needs to be done, here in Germany the very strange discussion about the Buildings Energy Act left me very pessimistic about future political actions. However, I think while there might be a better acknowledgement of climate crisis in Europe, I think we don't invest nearly enough in the necessary transformation. This is something where Biden at least seems to be more active.
@@patrickhanft Absolutely concur with your response. In general, elected governments worldwide are not taking the very real threats posed by climate breakdown seriously enough in terms of their policy output - I was merely making an observation about what appears to be the comparative levels of public acknowledgement in the USA vs Europe - one can only generalise but I think European administrations are pushing at an open door whereas in the USA, the Federal administration has an uphill battle to wage in its attempts to overcome public resistance to certain policy ideas - compare and contrast the roll out of High Speed Rail infrastructure across the two continents for example?
@@patrickhanft You can always travel in the current reign and Biden is not saving it. If it is smaller, then you have less options, yes. Retirement doesn't come from nothing, it comes from savings and that is always possible, also against the interfering state or not good outlooks from outside of Europe. It's your own responsibility. Europe's, similar to US weather, hasn't changed much. Only the politics and public orientation of the people and officials. Retired people can choose these areas, were it is guaranteed. Young people aren't that rich to do so, that's why they have to work against having their property destroyed by unfounded believe in government and weather.
There's also potential eligibility for citizenship through birthright. Some European countries wouldn't allow double citizenship in the past but do allow it now and usually include a path to regaining citizenship. Some countries go further and allow you to gain citizenship if a parent or grandparent was born in the country you want to become a citizen of. So these are options to explore if you want full rights.
Yep, like Italy, for example.
If you want to maintain a bank account in Europe not being a US citizen is preferable
Good to relaxing lifestyle .
Your the luckiest person that I have seen in a long while. I would give anything to be able to get to go back to Germany and stay. Its the only place I have ever been that I felt like I belong there. It felt like home even though I was born is the USA.
My hubby and I love many parts of Germany. I’m saving this video! We want to move for safety and health care reasons and for political reasons. Too crazy in US anymore and not sure it’ll ever get better. I know these issues exist everywhere. I do want to live (our adults kids do too) where there are fewer guns than people
I am one of those that didn't plan for retirement. When my husband passed away, I was more concerned with taking care of my two daughters and maintaining a home for them. By the time I could afford to put any aside, I didn't. I am now putting as much away as I can but I am almost 65. I plan to retire in 3-4 years. Between my Social Security, the sale of my home here, and the money that I have been able to put aside by then... I could easily live in a small one bedroom cottage (that I bought in cash) in Scotland, near my daughter's family. I couldn't do that here!
I would imagine there are a lot of people in the same sitution. Life happens quickly and retirement isn't always a priority when you have more immediate needs. But that is exciting about the cottage in Scotland. Is that your final plan for retirement then?
Yeah, I don't have s set place where I want to retire, I want to keep moving every few years. I might change strategy later, don't know.
One idea would be to have over place for the summer but then another one for the winter (somewhere where it's summer then) so keep it summer all year round... 🤔 Don't say go to a place where it's summer all year - for some reason I still want the constant change 😊
Hello Ashton,
in all your videos I see that you put a lot of effort into making dry facts clear.
You also always use stock photos, which usually enrich the video.
But today I find the many video snippets with scenes with pensioners too many and too random. Most video snippets don't really fit the text. For example, many scenes are shown that should show pensioners in Germany, but the footage is clearly from another country.
I would like to see more videos of you reciting the text and possibly a few related videos - but not just any videos for their own sake.
Keep up your good work, thank you.
I have been planning to move to rural France for decades but work and responsibilities kept it in my dreams. I finally retired and the things that held me in the US are gone. I am a widow, 66 years old, active and athletic who loves swimming, cycling and just walking in town or in the country. After fits and starts and covid delays I am putting my down payment on a lovely village house in a tiny village near Limoux. Food is fully 30% cheaper and of higher quality. Once I dump my US health insurance an international policy is only a few dollars more and the coverage is very good. It's bad where I live in the US with violent crime and the ever present environmental threats which the state government refuses to accept as real. I find the many French programs and policies to clean up and fix the environment refreshing and positive. I love the language and speak it well enough to do day to day life with no problem. French people I have met over the years have all been happy to help me learn and love that I accept their culture as it is. I'm sad to leave friends but I can visit them and as a gregarious person I will meet new people and do new things in my new home that are simply too dangerous or expensive to do in the US where I am effectively a prisoner in my own home. This is no way to live so radical change is coming.
We were planing to move to Spain but because it’s getting hotter and hotter now we are now thinking France. We have dual citizenship US/EU so no need for a visa. Our son is going to college in Germany next year and we will travel around to find our spot 😊
Be sure to check out Freiburg where we live. Foothills of the Black Forest, short drive to Switzerland and French wine country! 😉
@@TypeAshton Yes, we need to visit that area too … our first option was actually Mosel Valley - between Trier and Cochem - so we’ll see … you never know where life takes you 🤪
@@TypeAshtonSpending 5 weeks with our children in Northern Italy, we all travelled for a week in Austria and the Allgäu region of Germany and fell in love. We are in our 70s, active, and my husband still is working. We are socking away our retirement. Our kids are now moving to the UK for my son in law’s job. Thy are not in any hurry to return to the US. It has always been my dream to live in England. But I’ve heard one must be very wealthy to live in Europe! I am enjoying this video very much though and find it encouraging. I am more committed to my family than to the States.
EU is not a country so you can't be an EU citizen, and you are planning to migrate to Europe
@@anda013 Lol, I was born and raised in a country from Europe that is part of the European Community. I just shorten that up 😊
Oh, by the way, nice thumbnail. The Spanish Eiffel tower ;o).
Living in the Netherlands but considering going to Germany. Still gotta check out some other countries. Love the fresh real bread.