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Retirement Abroad: Baby Boomers Describe Living Outside America

The Washington Post, 9/30/07

Abstract:

With careful planning and lots of passion, some baby boomers are turning a dream of an overseas retirement into reality. They're lured to distant climes on the promise of a higher quality of life. Often they discover a lower cost of living, stunning natural beauty and a sense of community.

But relocating overseas isn't all fun in the sun, retirees and experts caution. A weakening dollar, the obstacles of a foreign language and culture, and disconnection from family and friends can intrude on paradise. The Internet helps, however. Ubiquitous Web access aids planning and lets expatriates stay in touch with loved ones and up on current events.

It's difficult to know how many U.S. retirees seek new lives overseas. Neither the Census Bureau nor the State Department break out numbers on such people. That makes Social Security figures the closest estimate. According to the Social Security Administration, 441,693 beneficiaries, or about 1 percent of those in the system, received benefits while abroad as of the end of 2005...

...The overseas dream takes many shapes. Here are three experiences in Panama, the Philippines and Britain...

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