Retirement Without Borders: How to Retire Abroad--in Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, and Other Sunny, Foreign Places (And the Secret to Making It Happen Without Stress)

This book is very helpful when comparing possible retirement locations on both the 'hard' aspects such as healthcare or the practicalities of visa renewal, and the 'soft' aspects, such as (e.g. for Costa Rica,) the people are outdoorsy'. What I really like is his list of common fears so you can put a name to your own fears and know you are not alone. He also shows you how to find a solution to what you're worried about. He's encouraging and helps you get 'over the hump' from 'thinking about it' to 'beginning to prepare'.Golson helps you narrow down your options so you can find your ideal location and lifestyle with, hopefully, like minded fellow -expats. He has lived in several of the countries he profiles and has invited people currently living there for up-to-date info and advice. Know before you go is always a good plan. A very useful addition to my 'retiring abroad' library.

This is an interesting, useful book that provides readers with an overview of various international retirement locations, and adds depth with essays contributed by ex-pats living in those locations. Some of the essays are helpful. Some are helpful, yet maddening because of the odd viewpoints of the writers. A few of the essays can be best described as borderline-psychotic rants. Example: One ex-pat provided little information of value about her new country, but certainly had plenty to say about her opinions about U.S. politics, particularly the Patriot Act - with strong paranoid-schizophrenic emphasis. I think this book would be made much better by eliminating the essays that don't add to the information value while editing all of the essays for content. Even with the crazy essays, if you are considering retiring to one of the countries the book discusses (and check which ones they cover because there are some havens excluded, such as the Dominican Republic) I recommend this book.

An average book for the average american. If this is your first book about the subject, it will be useful. However, if you are already researching about other countries and have already read a lot, you will find the information contained in this book shallow. For example, they only mention that The Bahamas is an expensive place for the average american but they don't give ANY additional information. C'mon. What is expensive for me may not be expensive for you.The countries covered are: Mexico, Belize (the books from Lan Sluder about this country are much better), Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, France, Italy, Croatia, Spain, and Portugal. Please notice how the only English-spoken country portrayed by this book is Belize, which, in my opinion, is a big flaw. There are dozens of countries in the Caribbean that speak Enlish and that would fit the "sunny foreign place" description on the cover.The authors briefly mention Argentina, Australia, The Caribbean (the put all countries in the same bag), Ecuador, Greece, Honduras, New Zealand, The Phillipines, and Thailand. They don't provide in-depth coverage on them.

This book is well-worth its modest purchase price for Americans considering retiring to a warm climate in a low-cost area of the world, before the U.S. out-of-control $12+ trillion National Debt creates an economic disaster where hyperinflation allows your monthly pension check to purchase no more than half a Kit Kat candy bar.Most of the countries listed in this book do NOT tax income from the U.S.A., including pensions, investment income or other passive income and some, like Panama, have better banking secrecy laws than Switzerland. The guy who said that "Death & taxes are the only way to escape the IRS" never read Golson's "Retirement Without Borders." :)Even if you don't plan to move anywhere, the book gives you all the information you need to phantasize, in Walter Mitty fashion, about native gals in bikinis swinging palm leaves over your head as you relax on a warm, pristine beach in Pavones, Costa Rica, watching surfers looking for the perfect wave.

I have not read the book in its entirety however, the countries I am interested in and have read about are very realistic and honest which is what my family and I are looking for. It is great to have actual expats giving their personal experiences because it is a partial eye-opening review of what to expect and be prepared for.This continues to be a great reference in our research for retirement areas. My husband and I have been working for over 35 years and do not have the energy or desire to continue to work into our 60's and 70's just to buy food and water!

When I read Retirement without Borders, I was debating where to retire full-time. Florida just didn't seem all that exciting. The book went into great detail about what would be involved in moving to a number of places, both the pleasures and the hassles. I checked out Portugal, Spain, France and Mexico, but found I could have twice the lifestyle for half the money in Thailand. Inspired by Barry's book, I wrote my own:  How I Moved to Thailand, Retired Early, Found Love, Built a Mansion, and Live Like a King on a Dime  Thank you Barry! You changed my life!

This is a perfect book to help you sort through places to retire in, what to think about as you begin making your choices and decisions on future retirement plans. It is shock full of information on places, reasons why it is a good place and what to watch for. If you are considering retiring in another country read this book. I couldnt ask for much better information than I received reading it and I continue to use it, to refer back as I try and make those choices it speaks of before deciding to retire somewhere else than America. If you are on a journey deciding where and when, and how to retire in another country, read this book.

A good overview of the characteristics of some of the most popular retirement destinations for North American expats. A must read for anyone wanting to retire from North America but not sure where to go. It gives you enough information with respect to the most important considerations to enable you to make your "short-list" of those countries that you may wish to make your new home.

not very useful for Britain