Retire Earlier Than You’ve Planned

I retired when I was 49… 13 years before I’d planned.

And it wasn’t because I’d struck it rich; quite the opposite. I had an average income and moderate savings… less than most of my coworkers who stayed behind to continue working.

I was able to retire at that age for two reasons…

I retired abroad… and I chose my country wisely.

Financially, there’s no other way I could have pulled it off.

If you think the retirement that you’ve always dreamed of is slipping away, I can guarantee you there’s a solution.

In the end, I was shocked at how financially easy it was. Let me explain.

For most of my adult life, I thought that retiring overseas was for the very wealthy… not for an average person like me.

I first got the idea to retire abroad while browsing in a bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. I found a book written by a guy who had retired early and was living comfortably abroad—splitting his time between Costa Rica and Mexico—on a very modest income. He was an honest writer… and a regular middle-class guy like me.

His book changed my thinking entirely.

Instead of working until I’d earned a pension large enough to live well in the States, I realized that I could retire years earlier… and still have plenty of money to live well abroad.

Instead of working until 62 as planned, I found that I’d have enough to live overseas comfortably prior to age 50.

Instead of hoping for good health in my old age, I could retire when I was relatively young, fit, and able to enjoy a life of fun and adventure.

But it was critical that I choose the right country.

Few countries offered a cost of living low enough to meet my needs. And of those that did, most were places I didn’t want to live… places that were cheap enough, but didn’t offer the comfortable, convenient, and exciting lifestyle that I was hoping for.

But one country fit the bill perfectly… with benefits to spare.

It was Ecuador.

In Ecuador, I Found Enriching Lifestyles For Every Income Level

A couple settling in small towns can live on around US$750 per month. In a rural setting, two of my close friends are living on less than US$650 per month.

If you’d be happier in a beautiful, 16th-century colonial city—with its theater, orchestra, art shows, restaurants, and cafés—you can do that starting at US$1,200 per month (under US$1,000 if you own your own house).

To put this in perspective, of the more than 61 million retirees now collecting Social Security in 2022, the average payment is US$1,657 per month.

So who can live in Ecuador on a Social Security check? Almost everyone. The average Social Security recipient can do it with room to spare.

And what’s amazing is that you’ll do more than just live. You’ll live well… a wealthy and enriching lifestyle that just wouldn’t be possible back home.

Best of all, you’ll have the experience and adventure of a lifetime.

You can do it… and we can show you how to do it the easy way.

When I retired to Ecuador, things were different. Making that move was a lot of work for me.

I covered the country from top to bottom in a rental car—with limited Spanish at the time—exploring unknown regions via poorly marked roads.

Working with the Ecuadorian officials, I had to figure out how to get a residency visa from scratch.

I wanted to learn Spanish but had no idea which language schools were any good… among hundreds that were marketing their programs.

After picking my city, I had to find an honest real estate agent and navigate a disorganized market with no multiple listing service. It was every real estate agent for himself, with me at their mercy.

After selecting a home, I didn’t know an English-speaking attorney. I had to go to the U.S. Embassy to try to find one.

Hardest of all, I didn’t know anyone who lived in Ecuador… that is, no one who had already moved here, who I could ask for help.

In other words, I didn’t just drop into a paradise, like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.”

But you can.

That is, you can land in Ecuador and hit the ground running with your new life laid out in front of you.

Over the past few years, it may have seemed like the retirement you’ve always dreamed of was slipping away. And for many Americans, it is.

But here’s your chance to grab it back.

Whether you’re 39 or 79, it’s a chance to not only meet but exceed the expectations you’ve always had for a happy, healthy, and secure retirement… for the price of a Social Security check.

For many retirees worried about their retirement—including, perhaps, you—Ecuador is the answer.

Lee Harrison
Senior Correspondent