01 Sep 2011 6:35 PM:
Well I do have lots of friends and a son in England, so Europe would be the choice. Interesting though, I've never heard of anyone retiring there.
If someone wanted to retire to Canada, they would not be able to unless they were sponsored by a daughter or son (as we were). Does Panama just take retirees? Is there a waiting list? It took us two years back then to gain Permanent Residency in BC, but now the Canadian government have really put the blocks up and it takes around four years...and that is after going through a myriad of hoops! The elderly population is growing so much everywhere and they see it as a future cost....don't know why because they give us nothing here. Prescriptions, public transport and the highest taxes in Canada cost us a bundle.
Also, we do not get annual increases on our pensions. The same rule applies for any commonweath country. I know it isn't a deciding factor when emigrating but it does add up over the years and it really burns me that you DO get the increases if you retire to the USA or Israel!
Go figure!
Forum thread:
Buy or rent?
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