Where to retire?

[VersGuyAnon]

On 12/1/2023 at 2:07 PM, Spunkinmyarse said:

I’m not sure Lisbon has the same kind of gay scene that some of the Spanish cities do- it’s not that great for cruise bars and that kind of thing. However, it’s very much ‘on trend’ right now, and it’s certainly a beautiful and very interesting city, which all sorts of other stuff going on!

If only people in the UK still had options to live in the EU without restriction.

If within the UK, favourite options? 

[RawUK]

10 minutes ago, VersGuyAnon said:

If only people in the UK still had options to live in the EU without restriction.

If within the UK, favourite options? 

If only @VersGuyAnon. My retirement plans were shot to blazes when the UK voted to leave the UK.

Now I fear I won't get to retire how I wanted to as my right to live anywhere in the EU has gone. Yes I could apply for a visa, but there is a minimum annual income attached to that option, which I fear my pensions won't get to.

But hey, haven't all our lives immeasurably improved since we left, not. I'm still waiting to find one British person who can tell me how their individual life has inproved since Brexit.

Edited December 2, 2023 by RawUK
.

[Spunkinmyarse]

Yes, if we want to retire to Spain or anywhere else in the EU we’re now bound by the same restrictions that apply to US citizens or any other non-EU citizens: no less, no more- a certain minimum retirement income and a sufficient level private health insurance cover. In this regard, Brexit has certainly been a huge inconvenience, but not one that should necessarily dictate a nation’s destiny, and I think it will be many years before we can truly say whether we were right of wrong to take the decision that we did in 2016.

Personally, I favour @NLbear’s approach, and aim to take extended breaks in Gran Canaria over the winter months, while continuing to reside in the UK. Having spent many years living abroad, I have come to appreciate the benefits of roots: the UK is my home and remains the place I want to be in my old age- appealing though Gran Canaria is, I quickly tire of what it has to offer and could not see myself living there full time.

As far as moving somewhere within the UK specifically for retitement, I don't see the point: it's small enough that you're never that far from where you want to be.

[RawUK]

9 minutes ago, Spunkinmyarse said:

Yes, if we want to retire to Spain or anywhere else in the EU we’re now bound by the same restrictions that apply to US citizens or any other non-EU citizens: no less, no more- a certain minimum retirement income and a sufficient level private health insurance cover. In this regard, Brexit has certainly been a huge inconvenience, but not one that should necessarily dictate a nation’s destiny, and I think it will be many years before we can truly say whether we were right of wrong to take the decision that we did in 2016.

Personally, I favour @NLbear’s approach, and aim to take extended breaks in Gran Canaria over the winter months, while continuing to reside in the UK. Having spent many years living abroad, I have come to appreciate the benefits of roots: the UK is my home and remains the place I want to be in my old age- appealing though Gran Canaria is, I quickly tire of what it has to offer and could not see myself living there full time.

As far as moving somewhere within the UK specifically for retitement, I don't see the point: it's small enough that you're never that far from where you want to be.

Great points made here, and yes 90 days over winter in GC would be a great option. Question now is which 90 days? November-January, December - February, January-March?

[Spunkinmyarse]

I quite like Christmas at home, and I love daffodils- so in an ideal world, I’d probably spend early Nov to early Dec in GC (taking in winter pride), and then all of Jan/Feb.

[TallAussieBtm]

Sydney Australia! Retired mid-22. Moved to Syd Nov-2022. Well, I guess coming from Canberra it was a no-brainer. Entertainment options. Vast social options. Sex options. Large gay community. No freezing winter weather! Hospitals and doctors readily accessible (including gay doctor options).

[BootmanLA]

23 hours ago, TallAussieBtm said:

Sydney Australia! Retired mid-22. Moved to Syd Nov-2022. Well, I guess coming from Canberra it was a no-brainer. Entertainment options. Vast social options. Sex options. Large gay community. No freezing winter weather! Hospitals and doctors readily accessible (including gay doctor options).

I can't speak to Sydney's attractions (which may be wonderful), but as I understand it, Sydney is on the expensive end of places to live. For a retiree on a fixed income, or with resources that may not last decades, that may not be quite so appealing.

[BootmanLA]

All retirement choices, of course, are a balancing act - there's nowhere (as far as I know) that is gay-friendly, is culturally alive, has lots of opportunities for older men to be very sexually active, has good weather most or all of the year, and is both affordable and unlikely to rise in cost dramatically over the course of retirement. Everyone has to balance his own budget, interests, and so forth.

That said, I think it's worth remembering that some aspects and issues you'll be considering are longer-term than others. For instance, if you're 65 and about to retire, you may well have 10 years (give or take) of being really sexually active. Some men may be fortunate to remain active even longer. Some, though, will find themselves with a flagging libido or performance issues long before that; and if you live well into your 80's, you may have as much time (or more) when sex is unimportant or almost impossible as you had for a final sowing of oats.

On the flip side, access to good medical care is never going to be unimportant. In fact, that's one thing that you can almost guarantee is going to grow in importance over time.

Another thing: costs tend to rise, especially if you're going to be renting rather than owning a home. Moving to X city may well be an affordable option today, when you can rent for X. If X increases by 10% or 15% a year, as it does in some places, you may well find yourself priced out of the market long before the end, or you may be reduced to living on (meager) public assistance in order to stay housed.

Given that very few people who are not yet retired have any sort of traditional defined benefit pension plan, careful attention to where things may be in five or ten or fifteen years is really important. If there's a significant market downturn (like we had in 2008 and following), while you're drawing funds from a defined contribution retirement plan that may therefore be declining in value, having chosen a more expensive place to live may mean a dramatic reduction in circumstances along the way.

[onlyraw]

On 12/1/2023 at 10:16 PM, BergenGuy said:

If those women had been as motivated in 2016 as they are now, we wouldn't in this mess.  When a party says that they're going to screw you if elected, believe them.

I think that the 2024 election will have a great impact on where LGBT people decide to live and retire.  Living in a blue state offers more protection than living in a blue oasis in a red state desert.

I agree

The 2024 election will have a huge impact on all of us.

Living in a blue state (Massachusetts - where we now have a lesbian governor looking out for us) is great 

but …. For those of you living in a Purple state (or a purple district in a red state) - very selfishly I ask …. Can you stay there until after the election… and then move to your retirement dream town?

if I could afford to I would move back home to Wisconsin to vote… and then of course I would move back to Boston … I would- states

like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania… they will be crucial to what happens to us in 2025 and beyond 

[bouncybttm]

It looks like France and Spain are hoping to change the 90 day rule for brits who own homes in their countries… how likely they are to succeed I don’t know but would be nice…

[think before following links] https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/good-news-brits-could-soon-be-granted-longer-visas-for-spain-and-france-112723