Best Places In The World To Retire

You can find a good housekeeper in Chapala and Ajijic and pay a normal rate from 200 up to 350 pesos (US $11 to $19) a week which would give you a day or two of help. Getting referrals from a person living locally is often considered the best way to do this.  

 

There are many well-experienced housekeepers in the lake area who are very capable of taking great care of you house and also your pets when you are on vacation or out of town. There are also a few...

You can find a good housekeeper in Chapala and Ajijic and pay a normal rate from 200 up to 350 pesos (US $11 to $19) a week which would give you a day or two of help. Getting referrals from a person living locally is often considered the best way to do this.  

 

There are many well-experienced housekeepers in the lake area who are very capable of taking great care of you house and also your pets when you are on vacation or out of town. There are also a few home management companies.  If you are going to be gone for 6 months it is possible that your housekeeper can pay accounts, arrange minor repairs to be done, live in or visit daily to take care of pets or put lights on and off. 

 

Our family housekeeper has worked with us for years.  She sometimes enjoys a beer at the end of the day if I am home having lunch we sometimes sit together and have some time to chat.  She is a great lady and her help makes a big difference to me.  You should have a legal contract for your housekeeper so she can make use of the government benefits. A local lawyer can easily and inexpensively make a contract for you. Many people at the lake do however have house staff and do not have contracts. They pay every week in cash. Social Security is normally 30% on top of the salary you pay, which includes IMSS (health), Infonavit, etc.

Food costs in the Algarve are cheap compared to most other countries in Europe. Here there is an abundance of locally grown fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and good quality meat. Many of the products are produced or farmed locally and sold in the towns’ markets, which are friendly and delightful to shop in. This means that the fresh food is not only cheaper, it lasts longer and is more environmentally friendly. It is noticeable that all my guests who come from outside Portugal...

Food costs in the Algarve are cheap compared to most other countries in Europe. Here there is an abundance of locally grown fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and good quality meat. Many of the products are produced or farmed locally and sold in the towns’ markets, which are friendly and delightful to shop in. This means that the fresh food is not only cheaper, it lasts longer and is more environmentally friendly. It is noticeable that all my guests who come from outside Portugal comment on the amazing taste and flavor of the food, something that as a foodie I enjoy immensely but have come to take for granted.
 
A loaf of Portuguese white bread costs around €0.80c (about 90 US cents or .6 British pounds), a liter of milk (a quart) cost €0.90c (about one US dollar or .7 British pounds), sliced cheese is around €3.00 per pound (about US $3.40 or 2.3 British pounds), smoked ham is €4.00 per pound (about US $4.50 or 3 British pounds) and free range chicken is around €1.50 a pound (about US $1.70 or 1.2 British pounds). Beer and wine are also produced locally so it is possible to buy a good quality bottle of wine (red or white) in the supermarket for under €5.00 (about US $6.80 or under 4 British pounds).

 

(Portuguese seafood dish, pictured.)

FATCA (or the HIRE Act) requires US citizens to file a new form on their tax returns called the 8938.   It is a disclosure form of all foreign financial assets, and includes everything but property held in your own name and gold held in your own name.   All other financial assets, trusts, companies, LLC's, stocks, partnerships, etc., must be disclosed on this form. 

FATCA (or the HIRE Act) requires US citizens to file a new form on their tax returns called the 8938.   It is a disclosure form of all foreign financial assets, and includes everything but property held in your own name and gold held in your own name.   All other financial assets, trusts, companies, LLC's, stocks, partnerships, etc., must be disclosed on this form. 

Getting a residency in Belize means that you are committed to staying in Belize. Essentially, as a resident, you are in the system and you are paying taxes. As a Canadian, I have an advantage living in Belize, because Belize is a British Commonwealth nation. As a Canadian, I just have to register, because, as a Canadian, I am already part of the Commonwealth and I am a resident of Belize. I can vote in Belize.
 
Residency is not the same as citizenship. Residency is where you...

Getting a residency in Belize means that you are committed to staying in Belize. Essentially, as a resident, you are in the system and you are paying taxes. As a Canadian, I have an advantage living in Belize, because Belize is a British Commonwealth nation. As a Canadian, I just have to register, because, as a Canadian, I am already part of the Commonwealth and I am a resident of Belize. I can vote in Belize.
 
Residency is not the same as citizenship. Residency is where you reside and pay taxes based on services you use. Citizenship, from my understanding, is a secondary process whereby in Belize, you have to become a resident before you become a citizen. 

The current political constitution of the of Republic of Panamá establishes in its first article that Panamá, as a nation, is organized into a sovereign and independent state, called “República de Panamá” (Republic of Panamá).

The government of Panamá has only one house, which is republican, democratic and representative.

The second article states that the power only comes from the people.

...

The current political constitution of the of Republic of Panamá establishes in its first article that Panamá, as a nation, is organized into a sovereign and independent state, called “República de Panamá” (Republic of Panamá).

The government of Panamá has only one house, which is republican, democratic and representative.

The second article states that the power only comes from the people.

It also says in his 5th article that the territory of Panamá is politically divided into provinces, which divide into districts, and the districts divide into “corregimientos (smaller towns or neighborhoods)".

The statements in its constitution clearly indicate that Panamá is a free country, in which locals and foreigners are treated with equally rights under the Law (Article 20th).

And based on the experiences of the people living in this small country, from administration to administration, except during the terrible “Military Era” from 1968-1989, that by God´s grace, Panamá was once more free of dictators and political disasters.

After 15 years since the end of the Military Era, in 2014 Panamá faces a brilliant economic future, which is the envy of many other countries that are going through a worldwide economic crisis.    As a matter of fact, many international organizations, as well as important newspapers and magazines have appointed Panamá as their #1 destination.
Citizens and corporations from all over see Panamá as a very stable and democratic country, and are establishing here as a way of a better way of life.

Panamá is making its very best effort to offer all those who want to establish and enjoy quality and simple life, with beautiful weather all year round and eating fresh vegetables and fruits right from their back yard..and having yard eggs from their very own chickens… a pleasant and quiet life.