This is a topic thread suggested by our member @FloridayGuyinBR, which I must confess that I have really overlooked until now. As a retiree myself all I can say is, "Shame on me!" Thanks Guy for the very great suggestion!
So let's here from all you expat retirees out there, exactly what is it that attracted you to Brazil. What are you doing in the way of "wealth building"; are you operating your own small business or taking advantage of a skill or pastime to generate some extra income, or have you invested?
Myself, I have simply scaled back my teaching career and continue teaching on a part-time basis to supplement my pension income. Strange as it may seem, since moving from São Paulo to Macaé I find myself teaching less hours and making twice as much money... my dumb luck!!!
What are the different things you do to keep yourselves active and occupied during your retirement? I mean really now, you can only laze on the beach just so often before it becomes as boring as watching paint dry on the wall. So what can you do that's interesting and gets you out of the house for a while?
Fortunately for me, I really don't have to worry much about this since I have remarried and have a much younger wife and a 7 1/2 year old son who keep me active and arrange plenty of activities to keep me interested.
What problems, if any, have you experienced with retirement in Brazil? Have you managed to resolve them, and if so HOW?
I unfortunately allowed my Canadian bank account to go inactive and it was closed, before I applied for my pension. Poor planning and a very big mistake on my part, for sure! Now I'm paying the price since there is no Direct Deposit Agreement between Canada and Brazil, so I get checks issued by the Canadian government. Or should I say - I'm SUPPOSED to get checks issued by the government. Lately they've been "disappearing" in the Brazilian postal system and I've now gone 3 straight months without one reaching me. While they will eventually be replaced the process takes at least 5 months and, you guessed it, the request must be made by MAIL. Thankfully my best friend has been able to open an account in my name in the USA and hopefully it won't take moving mountains to get the Canadian government to deposit to the US account despite the fact that it is not my country of residence. If I succeed at arranging it then I can just withdraw the money at an ATM here in Brazil.
So, now it's over to you - let's here what's going on in your little corner of our tropical paradise!!!
Cheers,
James Expat-blog Experts Team