Move Over, Baby Boomers! Make Room For The New Generation Of Overseas Retirees
May 27, 2010, Ambergris Caye, Belize: An increasing number of adventurous 30- and 40-year-olds are making their mark on Ambergris Caye, Belize. They're making their way to La Isla Bonita with small savings and pockets full of dreams, and they're starting small businesses so they can stick around.Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,
At what age should you think about retiring overseas?
It's almost never too late...or too early.
Laurie Norton and Paul Jewitt, two easygoing Canadians, low-key and modest, started their new lives in Belize four years ago, as young 30-somethings.
As Belize Correspondent Ann Kuffner explains, "Laurie and Paul are part of an emerging trend. Move over, Baby Boomers! An increasing number of adventurous 30- and 40-year-olds are making their mark on the local San Pedro Town scene here on Ambergris Caye. They're making their way down here to La Isla Bonita with small savings and pockets full of dreams, and they're starting small businesses so they can stick around.
"Laurie and Paul, for example, had vacationed in the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Florida. Each time they returned to Toronto, they were more determined to escape the winters. Laurie kept pushing Paul to make their move sooner rather than later.
"A series of 'going nowhere' retail jobs made it easy for Laurie to leave Canada. Paul had worked for high-powered companies like Edward Jones and Mosaic, in advertising and business development. Along the way, he picked up web design. Then he became an independent contractor. He felt he'd be able to make a living anywhere.
"Laurie and Paul finally made their move in January 2006. Destination: Belize. First stop: San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. It was love at first sight, with the island and with the people. Why? 'Of all the places we've visited,' Laurie explains, 'this is the quirkiest, funniest, and friendliest.'
"The first year in Belize they tightened their belts and became volunteers. 'We recommend that everyone spend time volunteering when they make a move to a new country,' Laurie explains. 'It's a great way to meet people and to quickly fit into the community.'
"Thanks to their volunteering, they easily made new friends. Doors began to open.
"In 2007, Paul helped Laurie start a blog about living on Ambergris Caye. Initially, Laurie used it to keep in touch with friends and family. She tried to show them a slice of her new life on this quirky Caribbean island.
"Laurie has always focused on giving her readers a fun, colorful depiction of everyday life on Ambergris Caye.
"'Little did I imagine,' Laurie says, 'that, due to the Belize message boards and people's love for Ambergris Caye, my blog would take off the way it did and turn into a full-time job.'
"Laurie's blog, tacogirl.com, is geared toward expats and travelers. Over the past three years, it's gained a worldwide following. Readers tune in to get their daily fix of life on Ambergris Caye. It features a mix of island life, travel tips, local news, and restaurant and resort reviews.
"In 2009, Laurie traveled to San Francisco to accept a Lonely Planet Travel Blogger Award. After only two years, the tacogirl.com blog won their popular vote for the Best Image Blog. It will be featured in 'Great Destinations Guidebook.'
"What about Paul? He started two more web-related businesses. AmbergrisDaily.com is a local news blog and AmbergrisVacations.com is focused on travel.
"Is the Taco Twosome happy living on Ambergris Caye?
"'We celebrated our four-year anniversary this year, and we've loved every minute of being here,' Laurie says. 'While it has not always been easy, we have no regrets. Making this move was the best thing we ever did.'"
Kathleen Peddicord
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This Is Your Final Call
Uncle Sam is working quietly, behind the scenes, to put obstacles in place that will make it more difficult for you to broaden your horizons overseas. And much more difficult for you to be in the driver's seat of your own future.
It's not just the banking arena that's under threat.
In 2008, changes to the Veterans Act allowed for an "exit tax" on U.S. citizens who choose to leave the country and end their citizenship.
What other countries have done this in the past? Nazi Germany. Communist Russia. Apartheid South Africa...
This is your civil liberty at stake. How long before you just won't be able to get your assets out of the States?
I'm not an alarmist. I'm a pragmatist. And, as a pragmatic investor, I've seen the writing on the wall for some time. I've worked all these years and with an added sense of urgency more recently to take control of my own life, my own financial future, and, most important to me now, the future of my family.
Now I'd like to offer you a chance to do the same.
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Kathleen Peddicord
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. With more than 25 years experience covering this beat, Kathleen reports daily on current opportunities for living, retiring, and investing overseas in her free e-letter.
Her book, How To Retire Overseas—Everything You Need To Know To Live Well Abroad For Less, was recently released by Penguin Books.
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