The 10 Best Retirement Havens

Posted by Ahmed Al-Salem
Forbes has compiled its own list of the 10 best retirement havens, based on a wide variety of criteria ranging from safety to retiree-friendly visa requirements to decent medical care. The countries on the list: Austria, Thailand, Italy, Panama, Ireland, Australia, France, Malaysia, Spain and Canada. No place is perfect. Some countries rank high in one area but lower in others. Australia is by one well-regarded rating, the Country Brand Index, the most livable place in the world. But if you plan to return to the U.S. frequently, Australia makes for a long slog. Canada is No. 2 in the Country Brand ratings and certainly convenient for Americans, but its harsh winters are well-known. Italy scores high on quality of life, medical care, and even cost of living and climate for retirees residing in the Southern parts of the country. But its complicated taxes and bureaucracy require patience. So, the key to any decision: Know yourself and do your homework. If you're a sun-worshiper determined to protect your assets from overreaching Western governments, consider countries like Panama or Malaysia. If you are solidly middle-class with a taste for high culture, then there are pleasant surprises to be found in Europe. Are you eager to live abroad but totally tone-deaf to foreign languages? That's a fine argument for Australia, Ireland or Canada.

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