For aspiring expats, here is how to test retirement abroad

Do you dream about living overseas when you retire? My husband and I often discuss our ideal retirement spot. We both like the idea of a beach with mountains nearby. 

Oh, and he needs good sushi. 

I want culture and community.

My friend Jill’s latest retirement obsession, meanwhile, is a small town in Spain. (I can’t tell you the name because she doesn’t want her secret to get out.)

It’s easy to dream. But moving to another country is no small step. Yet it is one that many have already taken: At least 5.4 million Americans lived abroad in 2023, according to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas.

The magazine International Living recently released its 2024 Global Retirement Index, ranking locales around the world according to a variety of criteria. Costa Rica is first on the list while Portugal, Mexico, Panama and Spain round out the top five.

One big reason for such a move: The strength of the U.S. dollar in foreign countries. Most Americans are far behind on retirement savings, so if they can find a location with a much lower cost of living, the math changes immediately.

Here are tips for anyone considering locales abroad for their retirement years. Also, it’s fun to fill out this Expatsi survey which suggests places to retire.

Where do you fantasize about living in retirement and why? If it’s in another zip code or even on another continent, have you taken a test-drive yet?

Write to me about the experience at onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com.

Every day I log onto Facebook and it feels like someone I know has lost a person dear to them: A parent, a grandparent, a sibling, a friend, a colleague. I look at those posts carefully because I am interested in other peoples’ lives. (I guess that’s why I’m a journalist.) 

While I never met former Google executive Susan Wojcicki, I’ve read enough about her since her death at age 56 to know she was a force of good.

Many people I respect have shared the kindest words about her legacy as a leader, mentor and innovator. She was a working parent (with five kids!) who made family a priority. 

My favorite tribute post is from a former Reuters reporter, Aaron Pressman. The human side of technology is often lost in the rush for fame and fortune, Pressman writes in this magnificent reflection, which I implore you to read. 

The memory of Susan Wojcicki reminds us to be our authentic selves.

AI Weekly: Google’s Pixel power up. From Google’s AI power-up to Elon Musk’s EU data dispute, this is AI Weekly. Watch here.

Are these folks discussing their retirement portfolios? REUTERS/Mike Blake

When you are saving for retirement in a 401(k) account, the standard advice is to put aside enough to capture your employer’s matching contribution. That makes sense, since the contribution represents a risk-free 100% return on every dollar you save.

The match is intended to be an incentive that encourages saving – but recent research shows there are better ways to get people to sock away their money. In many cases, the current structure of matching programs actually contributes to pay inequity – and they are not the most powerful incentives available to employers.

“When we first created an employer match, we thought that was the carrot — the incentive that would get people to participate,” said Fiona Greig, global head of investor research and policy at Vanguard and co-author of a recent research brief on matching contributions. “But now we have a much heavier hammer.”

That hammer, she said, includes the rise of plan features like automatic enrollment, auto escalation of contribution rates and higher initial default contribution rates. 

The problem is that employer contributions tend to benefit higher-income earners. 

Here are some ideas to level the playing field for retirement savers. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts at onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com.

What’s the best thing to do when the markets are volatile? Nada! REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Things have calmed down, but some of you may still be worried about your portfolio amid recent market volatility. If you are still queasy, the best advice I can offer is: Keep calm and do nothing…with a few caveats. 

Yes, the markets have seen wild swings in the past month on recession fears, an AI correction, the Japanese yen, the U.S. election and basically anything else investors can find to blame. 

Research shows that reacting to short-term market moves never works out well for investors. And that’s why I simply do not look at my accounts whenever the market takes a dive. During the pandemic, I swear I did not peek at my retirement money for more than a year!

Here are four worthwhile links to calm your nerves and provide insight:

As always, personal finance expert Ron Lieber offers up words of wisdom about market mayhem and bad investment decisions. (The comments are quite, er, interesting!) 

And while the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates amid stock swoons in the past, my colleagues Ann Saphir and Dan Burns look into the chance of a rate cut happening now. (Spoiler alert: Unlikely, they say.)

Suzanne McGee writes about the ETFs that offer investors the chance to swap some stock market upside for downside protection.

Obviously, some folks might see a downturn as a buying opportunity or a time to take advantage of tax-loss harvesting. There are always exceptions to staying put.

The bottom line? Think carefully before you make any big financial moves.

Do you need to refinance your mortgage? Are you in the market for a new car?

Send your money questions to onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com, and I’ll tap my extensive source network and braintrust for expert advice.

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