Best Places In The World To Retire

The medical service here in Puerto Vallarta is incredible.

 

We have all sorts of wonderful options when it comes to medical. Medical tourism is getting very popular here in Puerto Vallarta, as people fly in for procedures such as plastic surgeries and dental work, because the quality of care here is extremely high and the cost is so much lower than elsewhere.

 

You get super bedside service in the hospital, very personalized. We...

The medical service here in Puerto Vallarta is incredible.

 

We have all sorts of wonderful options when it comes to medical. Medical tourism is getting very popular here in Puerto Vallarta, as people fly in for procedures such as plastic surgeries and dental work, because the quality of care here is extremely high and the cost is so much lower than elsewhere.

 

You get super bedside service in the hospital, very personalized. We still have doctors here in Puerto Vallarta who make house calls and who were trained both in the US and the medical schools here in Mexico, which are very good. Everybody is very happy about the medical services that are available here in Puerto Vallarta.

 

The healthcare that I have received in Puerto Vallarta is as good as the healthcare that I received in Los Angeles, but the healthcare here is more personal and much less expensive.

 

 

 

The health insurance here in Mexico is also very inexpensive and so. if you feel the need, it’s not very expensive to buy a health plan here locally that would include a jet that would fly you back to the States in case of an emergency. The cost for such a plan may be around 30,000 pesos (US $1,733) annually.

 

(English spoken at CMQ downtown hospital, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico , pictured.)

Making a list of the worst places to retire is a different process than listing the best places because the best are all about you. We can think about this by looking at people's jobs, for example.  One guy is an artist, and the other is a lawyer. Each could say that their job is the best job for them. They're not going to be able to interchange jobs very easily, for the most part. That's why picking a country is so intertwined with your personality, your goals, and your...

Making a list of the worst places to retire is a different process than listing the best places because the best are all about you. We can think about this by looking at people's jobs, for example.  One guy is an artist, and the other is a lawyer. Each could say that their job is the best job for them. They're not going to be able to interchange jobs very easily, for the most part. That's why picking a country is so intertwined with your personality, your goals, and your budget.

 

The country I put on my list as one of the worst places to retire is Russia because it's expensive to live there, it's cold, and they a lot of laws and rules. Legislation could change and everybody would have to leave. Lately, there are a lot of Russians who want to leave their country and go somewhere else for a better cost of living and a better climate. 

 

Other worst places to retire would include be anywhere that is prohibitively expensive, really cold or otherwise have a bad climate, a drought like some places in Africa, somewhere where it's going to be uncomfortable and also places that are not safe. There are a few places that are probably obvious that you wouldn't want to go, which would include anywhere where there's a war, or there's terrorist or militants or is politically unstable. Those would not be ideal places to settle down. These would include a lot countries in Africa or the Middle East. For example, I've never been to the UAE but I'm always reading articles about foreigners getting arrested for doing things like posting a photo on Facebook or doing something that we normally classify as nothing to be concerned about. I would personally not want to go to a place where I would be afraid that by living my daily life I would somehow break one of their laws. I wouldn't want to go to a place where there is a lot of oppression of women, for example.

 

I would think like you're pretty good choosing almost anywhere in the Americas, but you're going to want to stay away from the places with the highest crime rate, such as Honduras and Guatemala. I know people love Guatemala. There are so many beautiful things about it but it's not the safest place to go compared to the other options that you have. In Mexico, for example, there's a clear division of cities that are safer to go to than others.

 

You want to consider the cost of living, the climate, and safety. You should probably be more cautious in choosing most of the countries in the Middle East, many of the countries in Africa and probably not countries like Honduras that have a high murder rate.  Try to avoid places like that. For the most part, anywhere else is going to be okay as long as it's set within your criteria for your ideal life and your budget.  

 

(With the Poker Stars on the Isle of Man, Kristen Wilson travels the world, pictured.)

The Nicaragua economic system is a free market.  Most sectors are not regulated. Commerce, tourism and manufacturing industries and businesses are all open sectors for business. There are some sectors that are regulated, but that is not particular to Nicaragua. These are the energy, telecommunications and health sectors. However, these are the sectors that are regulated in most countries because they are the more sensitive sectors for the economy of the country. Outside those...

The Nicaragua economic system is a free market.  Most sectors are not regulated. Commerce, tourism and manufacturing industries and businesses are all open sectors for business. There are some sectors that are regulated, but that is not particular to Nicaragua. These are the energy, telecommunications and health sectors. However, these are the sectors that are regulated in most countries because they are the more sensitive sectors for the economy of the country. Outside those sectors, it’s a totally free market and economy.

Sectors that are not regulated include anything that has to do with the tourism industry such as hotels, restaurants, and bars. In commerce, if you’re going to open up a store, there’s a couple of licenses and permits that are required, but that’s kind of a standard procedure for any type of business in the country. Any type of retail business is totally open. Manufacturing operations are not regulated sectors. Those are the main sectors that have been growing the most recently and make up the largest portion of the economy.

Having a socialist government, like the one in Nicaragua, means the government’s main priority is the welfare of its people. It does not mean, in any sense, that there is any type of restriction to businesses, business procedures and investors. It just means that every action that is taken by the government has as its consideration and top priority the well-being of the Nicaraguan citizens.

 

For example, when there’s a new business, the government wants to make sure that the business will not affect in a negative way the communities, will not contaminate and pollute the environment, and will not disrespect the labor laws. It basically wants to guarantee that the citizen’s rights and well-being is maintained as its first priority, which is why the government of Nicaragua has been implementing a series of social programs aimed at satisfying the most basic needs of the population. Nicaragua is a poor country.  Therefore there are a lot of necessities and the government is focused on trying to satisfy those needs, but it also understands very clearly that business and investment is a much-needed resource for the country. New investment means more economic activity, more employment, more technology transfer, and more knowledge transfer. Being a socialist government means that the government is focused on the social well-being of its people, but it does not mean that it restricts or prohibits any type of economic activity as long as it complies with the national legislation. In the end, economic activity really contributes to the country’s progress.

There were cases 30 years ago when there was a very difficult internal situation and the government came in and took the properties of individuals, but this has not happened since. Some of the actions had to be taken to ensure the national security and sovereignty of the country. No one is looking for that to happen again.  It was a very circumstantial situation which is not today’s reality, so the government does not expropriate companies or properties.  This is not happening and it is not the government’s intention or activity.  The government knows that doing this is not a conducive action towards economic buildup and investment. The government of Nicaragua has a vision that business and investment is a crucial part of the mix that ensures the country to continue developing in a sustainable and really good rhythm of growth. Like I said, there is a vision that business and investment is a crucial part of the mix to be able to ensure that the country continues developing in a sustainable and really good rhythm of growth.

What we have seen in the last eight or nine years is the understanding of private businesses and the importance of respecting the economic community and fostering the growth of the business economy in Nicaragua. 

 

(Downtown Matagalpa, Nicaragua, pictured.)

When you sign contracts (for instance a promissory agreement of purchase and sale) in both versions, e.g. in Portuguese and in English, you can introduce a clause specifying which version shall prevail in case of any question arising from the interpretation of the contract. The version that prevails can either be Portuguese or English.

 

The Public Deed of Purchase and Sale (commonly referred to as “Escritura Pública de Compra e Venda”),...

When you sign contracts (for instance a promissory agreement of purchase and sale) in both versions, e.g. in Portuguese and in English, you can introduce a clause specifying which version shall prevail in case of any question arising from the interpretation of the contract. The version that prevails can either be Portuguese or English.

 

The Public Deed of Purchase and Sale (commonly referred to as “Escritura Pública de Compra e Venda”), which is usually prepared and verified by a Notary (who will certify that the purchase and sale agreement of the property was drawn up correctly, that the purchase price is paid to the vendor, that the necessary documents regarding the property are duly gathered, the identity of the parties and file for the registration of the sale) the contract will necessarily be done in Portuguese. However, In case one of the grantors is a foreigner and does not understand Portuguese the notary will translate the document and explain it using a language that is understood by the foreigner.

 

(Villa for sale in  Lagoa, Algarve, Portugal, pictured.)