Retiring Abroad
You may wish to consider a series of factors driving a new generation of retirees to emigrate, move abroad and settle overseas in retirement. Many surveys have been conducted recently on this growing phenomenon with one of the latest conducted in the UK finding that out of 3,000 people surveyed who were all approaching retirement, 67% had definite plans to retire abroad. If you too are considering your options and wondering whether you could have a better, more affordable cost of living in a lower cost country with a better climate when you retire, this 'ten top tip' guide to 'How to Retire Abroad' should make your planning and decision making that much simpler.
1) Be realistic about the amount of money you will have to live on in retirement and whether this can and will afford you a decent quality of life in your own home country. If the answer is a resounding 'no' then you either need to think about working for longer or moving to a lower cost country when you retire.
2) If you are certain already that you want to move abroad you need to think about the countries where you would be happy living. In a recent survey conducted in the UK, out of 67% of respondents who were definitely going to live abroad in retirement, 24% had their sights set on a country they'd never been to! This is not a good way to start planning your new life abroad - you need to be at least basically familiar with the country you are moving to.
3) If at all possible visit your preferred country repeatedly in the years leading up to your retirement. Go at different times of the year to determine how hot the summer is, how cold or wet the winter is. This will help you when it comes to finding accommodation - even in Mediterranean countries where it is blisteringly hot in the summer, wintertime temperatures drop sufficiently for retirees to need accommodation with central heating.
4) Consider your health today and how it could fare in the future. While you may be glad to escape crippling health care costs in your own home country, will you be able to afford medical care in your new country. What if you need specialist care, is it even available in your preferred country? You may find you need some form of expatriate health care policy - look into what's available and the associated costs and budget this in on top of your day to day living costs.
5) Think about your family and friends. How will they cope if you move to live abroad. Often hardest hit are grandparents who move abroad leaving grandchildren behind....you will want to see your family and friends you know! So if you are certain you can be happy only seeing them few times of the year at least factor in two things - one) the money needed to fly back every now and then and two) have enough space in your new home to accommodate one or two visitors.
6) Get a support network in place as soon as you can. This will mean you have to get out and about and meet people when you've moved abroad. You will need people you can call on for advice if something goes wrong, you will need to learn about who's a reliable tradesperson and who should be avoided! The sooner you make a few good friends the easier and more enjoyable your new life will be.
7) Do not be seduced by the dream of living abroad without spending some time researching and thinking about the actual, practical reality of leaving behind familiarity and setting out on an adventure at a time in life when most people will be expecting you to settle down! Moving abroad is a great adventure but it is not easy and anyone who thinks it is all plain sailing will be in for a nasty reality check.
8) Before you go consider going on the internet and finding out whether there are any virtual communities or forums where expatriates meet up and whereyou can communicate with others who have made the same move you're about to make before you. Talk to other expats if you can and learn from them about what the whole experience is really like. It's all very well you reading in an article that there will be days when you think 'oh goodness, what have I done' - you need to hear others say it and also hear about how they work through negative feelings and learn to embrace their new status as an expatriate.
9) Remember that by moving abroad you cannot and will not escape yourself! If you're thinking of retiring abroad because you're bored with your current life, depressed or just dissatisfied with things remember that moving abroad won't necessarily positively affect your emotions. Think really hard about the real, driving reasons behind your dreams of a new life abroad...if they are practical reasons then fine, but if they are more emotional based feelings then maybe you need to look inside yourself and sort out whatever it is that's making you feel like running away without actually running away!
10) And finally - no matter how tempting it may be, don't burn your bridges or sever ties. Especially in the stress and excitement of planning a move overseas it can be all too easy to let off steam in the wrong direction and tell people what you really think....but just bear in mind that one day you might actually want to return home and if you've just informed your entire community what you've secretly been thinking about them all these years you may find life a little uncomfortable and embarrassing if ever you do decide to return to the arms of your family! Furthermore, don't cut ties with family and friends back home...it's hard to make really good friends and you should never forsake a friendship, what's more, you only have one family and no matter how annoying or demanding they can sometimes be, one day you may just need their help or support.
Guides
Being an expatriate, and now economic migrant, to a foreign country can be a very stressful. In order to cope with new environments, new people, new situations, and a new culture can all take their toll on a person's mental well-being. Having access components that will help make life easier is essential. Clubwww1 will do just that. Enjoy the program, International Schools Guide.
International Review
Schools-Worldwide
English Schools
British International School
International Law School
Internationa Cooking Schools
Art Schools
By taking into consideration the overall well-being of the individual they promote, global organizations can ensure that they fully leverage the capabilities of the executive they are sending abroad. Careful planning and coaching will generate far greater results than a haphazard approach. This website can help pave the way.
Training for Expats
Employees are now more than ever being transferred to foreign locations due to work. The globalization of business means companies have interests in other countries and it is necessary to have their people on the ground. It is well documented why understanding the values, attitudes and behaviours of people in various countries are key to knowing how to do business with them. Businesses take for granted that everyone's culture is somehow an international culture of business. This is false. Each country and culture have different approaches to doing business.
Cross-cultural training has become a vital part of the expatriate relocation process. Businesses are realising the need to equip their employees with the cultural know-how to ensure a smooth transition process as well as maximising their effectiveness when in the new host country. With cross-cultural training, work is not negatively impacted and companies avoid costly mistakes.
Contact: ceo@clubwww1.com
Relocation
Each expatriate international relocation guide contains indispensable destination specific information that covers all practical aspects of moving overseas.
Topics should include the following:
Expat Accommodation
Full and comprehensive details of popular residential areas together with tips about local property laws, purchasing versus renting, contact details for estate agents, lawyers and removal companies, tips on negotiating a contract for expat accommodation and insider information on common pitfalls and how you can avoid them.Legal Requirements
Essential know-how about moving overseas, from visa regulations, resident permits and ID cards, through to tax and banking requirements. We provide guidance on tackling the red tape and arm you with all the facts and information you need to make your international relocation stress free.Education and Child Care
Complete information about schools, nurseries and kindergartens, learning facilities and colleges and universities, together with advice about educational and child care standards and requirements. The Expat Info Desk international relocation guide provides all the practical information any expat could need to make informed decisions about the care and education of their children.Transportation
The Expat Info Desk expat relocation guide contains full information about public transport offerings, ticket purchase processes, timetable access and reliability information, as well as practical advice about using taxis, driving license requirements and purchasing a car.Keeping in touch when moving overseas.
Everything you need to know about finding and selecting service providers when moving overseas. We provide contact details for mobile phone, fixed telephone lines and Internet providers, together with details of the prices you can expect to pay and how you can secure the best deals. We also share information about television, radio and newspapers and tell you how you access them and the type of service you can expect.
Shopping
Detailed shopping directories that contain contact details and addresses for all types of purchases. From supermarkets, clothes and beauty products through to furniture, stationary supplies and antiques, everything you need to know to enjoy your life as an expat overseas is in this single international relocation guide.Entertainment and leisure.
Comprehensive insights into how to make the most of your time in your chosen city. The Expat Info Desk international relocation guide points you in the right direction to find restaurants, bars, clubs, nightlife and popular destinations where you can meet like-minded people and form strong social networks. For those who prefer the quieter life, we also provide full details of popular trails, parks, beaches and sporting venues, together with information about how to get there and when to go. Each relocation guide also contains insider advice on expat networking opportunities in the city, together with contact information for expat groups, business organizations and private clubs.
Health and Beauty
Each relocation guide contains full listings of health and beauty providers including fitness centers, sports clubs, beauty salons and hairdressers.
Starting Life
Because of their new kid on the block status, expatriates must work hard and work well to enjoy the best that their new place has to offer including the good things in life. Keep in mind that expat life is an adventure in itself so much so that every day brings new challenges, new experiences, and new lessons regardless of the length of stay. Fortunately, getting the most out of life abroad can be easy, too, with the following tips.
Befriend Your Neighbors
It's a cliché but it's true - you will only learn about the locale from the locals. Guidebooks are obviously good resources but these are largely impersonal with basic information on the restaurants, hospitals and hotels, among others, of the place but for more detailed, more personal, and more accurate descriptions, the locals are your best bets.Of course, the most accessible locals are your new neighbors so it makes sense to befriend them as soon as possible. Invite them over for a barbecue, a housewarming party, or even for coffee - or whatever is the local custom in this regard, for that matter - and get to know them.
Just be sure to let your personal relationships mature over time. You will find that the best expat life means meeting the people and making friends with them while enjoying the place.
Establish a Routine
Routines are important during the adjustment period usually in the first few weeks after arrival. Why? You will feel in control of certain aspects of your life in a strange place and, hence, you will feel more comfortable so much so that adjustments on your part become easier to make.But don't get stuck in a rut of daily routines either. You are in a new place, after all, so you must explore it, experience it, and enjoy it instead of being too afraid to venture out of your front door for new experiences! Your expat life will be richer for it, too.
You can combine routine and adventure by mixing it up, so to speak. For example, you can buy your usual food items at the neighborhood grocery store dedicated for expats but you should also try shopping at the local markets for the more exotic food products.
Tip: Continue with your routines at home including household chores, exercise times, and relaxation periods to establish a sense of continuity.
Embrace Local Customs
When in Rome, do as the Romans do - yet another cliché but also just as true in regard to making the best out of your expat life. You will find that being an adopted Roman in Rome, in a manner of speaking, has its perks including being part of a vibrant community of individuals and families passionate about their culture.For example, if the local custom dictates a 3-hour lunch break - such is the case in Rome when the lunch break last anywhere from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, which means many businesses are closed - then enjoy a nice meal with your friends. It's no use going against centuries-old local customs that you can adapt to your benefit in the first place.
Avoid Negatives
It's an unfortunate fact that many expats soon become very negative about their adopted country, they fail to integrate and spend their lives picking fault with their hosts. Some of them are also very arrogant and constantly refer to things in their home country as so much better.These people never learn a word of the local language and have a 'know all' attitude to expats fresh off the boat.
Avoid these people like the plague because their negativity is like the plaque highly contagious, they really should go home but many have burnt all their bridges.
Stick with positive people, mix with the locals, take part in local customs and learn the language, you will have a great time.
Suffice it to say that expat life is what you make of it - it's your choice.
A sustainable online income is key to giving you the life you want and have true free freedom. Your dream might be to live in a beautiful cottage in the country or a tropical beach resort in Thailand. When your income comes from your laptop the expat life becomes a real possibility.
Health
One of the most crucial issues facing people today is importance of health insurance for the all citizens. Yet there are currently 47 million Americans who are under-insured or who do not have any health insurance coverage at all, 7 million Britons. The public is aging, the baby boomers are reaching their senior years and according to actuarial insurance statistics most individuals begin to contract major illnesses or disabilities from the age of 50 onward. These individuals cannot afford to be without health insurance. As a matter of fact, people of any age, social status, or walk of life cannot afford to jeopardize their health care because they are without insurance. This is a must if you are considering moving overseas.
Networking
You do not have to be a one of the Beatles to believe that you get by with a little help from your friends. I help you, you help me -- that is how society works.
Whether you are migrating to Madrid, expatriating to Jakarta or leaving for a short-term assignment to Buenos Aires, the process of settling-in and getting connected is one of the most important first steps that you will make. Do it well and your whole experience could be positive. Leave it off the priority list and you might find that your work life and personal life both start to suffer.
Expats need networks -- and they need them fast. They need someone to call to impress their new boss with VIP event invitations. They need someone to count on at 2am when they are rushed to the local emergency room and need a friend to both translate for them and lend critical moral support.
If you are an expat and you do not already have a strong support network abroad, here are seven (7) top expat networking tips to help get you started:
1. See the Value
If you understand that your ability to network could either make or break your assignment success, you will network, because you personally see it as important. This applies equally to both working and non-working expats. Expat executives need to network primarily to facilitate business and to gain local credibility. Non-working expats, such as trailing spouses and free-spirited solo expats, need to network because they do not enjoy the luxury of walking into a ready-made office support network. They need to create their own networks from scratch.2. Do your research
Get online to research as many local clubs, associations, sports activities, interest groups and support systems as you can. Then when you arrive, physically visit these groups and ask about where to find more groups.3. Be Proactive
Take responsibility for your own success. Before you arrive, make calls to others in your company who are already based in your destination. Introduce yourself. Ask for advice -- most expats have plenty. Upon arrival, visit the groups that you are interested in and remember to write down all of the names and contact numbers of the people that you meet and would like to keep in touch with.4. Do not judge a book by its cover
Every expat that you meet can offer you more than their current position title suggests. Dig deep. Find out what other international assignments they have been on and ask them about their experiences. There is bound to be at least one thing that you can learn from every person that you meet. This applies also when you meet non-working expats, who you should only dismiss at your own detriment. Not only do these expats typically have a great skill set and a valuable list of connections back home, but the long-termers have usually built up fabulous local networks that would turn expat executives green with envy. Never underestimate what a non-working expat might bring to the table.5. Find Mentors
In addition to friends, seek mentors. These are people that can offer priceless experience, wisdom and guidance. For the expat executive, mentors might be the heads of local business associations, colleagues, local or locally-based business owners, expat executive coaches and so on. For the non-worker, mentors might consist of the presidents of local expat clubs, Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) in your organization, independent entrepreneurs -- who might provide the necessary inspiration for you to start a business abroad, and expat life coaches -- who are typically longer-term, very well-connected expats who have also become experts on the local culture, expectations and challenges.6. Mould your identity
Everybody needs to be somebody. If you arrive in a country and you do not have a job to go to and a box of business cards waiting for you, then go straight to the print shop and design some. At first, you just need cards showing your name and basic contact details. Then down the track, go back and order cards that also describe what you do or would like to do, to help spark meaningful conversation with the people that you meet and to give them some reason to remember you. If you were, or would like to be, an editor, then your card confidently displays Editorial Advisor. If you would like to get into photography, pronounce yourself a Photographic Consultant. If you are proud to be a stay-at-home mother, write Maternal Empress, Chief Arbitrator, 24/7 Educator -- or anything else that gives you your own sense of identity, boosts your self-esteem plus conveys a message to new acquaintances.7. Give, give, give
The number one rule in networking is to give without expecting anything in return. Whenever someone asks you for something, give with a smile on your face and go out of your way to help them. This will not only make both of you feel good, but it will build up your piggy bank of potential reciprocal favors. Even better, become a go-to person in your local community and people will start introducing themselves to you. At that point, your network will grow by itself and when you need to call someone for help at 2am, rather than be scrambling for names, your Blackberry will be literally full of numbers to call.Testimonials
You want to be an expat
So you want to be an expat for various reasons. You want to live abroad to get away from the your own country; you want to try something unique and enjoy a life that most people have never enjoyed; you want to experience ways of life that are different than your own; you want to eat new foods, see new sites...etc. etc.
Only you know why you want to move abroad...but the big question on your mind is about expat jobs. What do expats do to stay afloat and make enough money to live on?
Many expats leave to work within an industry similar to the one they work in at home. There are a number of corporate jobs available to expats and those are the ones that get snatched up rather quickly. They make a pretty good living doing so of course since very often the money that they make goes quite a distance in some countries.
The problem with this however often lies in the fact that they aren't getting to actually enjoy the reasons that they went over to live abroad in the first place. Most expats coming from the U.S. don't realize that to be in the corporate life abroad means that you'll be working twelve to fourteen hour days. This puts you in a trap because you're now in a new culture, you're making okay money, but your life is as grueling if not more grueling than it was back home. This is certainly an admiral way to go, but if you're looking to truly take advantage of the expat life, then it's probably not the road that you want to go down.
Teaching English as a second language is the other of the common expat jobs that fills up rather quickly. This I suppose is a little better than the hustle bustle corporate life. You're actually getting to meet people and still making pretty decent money. But the downside is that you're still pretty much stuck, having to be somewhere each and everyday. You're almost in the same position as the corporate worker...only you have a little freedom at your fingertips that you can't really touch.
It's really actually quite tough, just like anywhere to actually lead the life that you want to lead as an expat...
But there is a way that thousands of expats are beginning to see as the ultimate solution to this problems...and they're often doing much better money wise than there fellow expats who are working in the expat jobs above.
The solution is a home based business that will allow you to work from wherever you want. Now the truth is that there are tons of businesses that you can run from home...we all know that. But of all the businesses out there the top rated business for expats is network marketing. And to dig a little deeper, a network marketing business that is health & wellness centered. The reason that this seems to work so well is actually quite simple to figure out really...everyone wants more money...and everyone wants and needs to be healthier. Now, you absolutely must get involved with a company that is solid and is growing at the same time. You also want to find a team that has a solid foolproof system that can get you profiting extremely fast. After all, you do have to make a living don't you?
But I mentioned that you need a team that has a system to get you seeing success quickly....the system my wife and I developed by handpicking every single technique that worked and tossing the rest of our 20+ years of network marketing success...has helped thousands of people see success and created many 5 figure per month earners in record time.
Now we- know your situation because we were once expats ourselves. We know what it's like to create a business organization in another country because we've actually done it numerous times. We know the best methods to get in there and build your business at record speeds.
Our System will show you exactly step by step how to do this...and the best part is that you can even run your business online globally so that as you're building your business in the country that you're an expat in...you can also be building your organization online from across the globe.
