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Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Not Just for Boomers ---But for Everyone

The title of this blog is, of course, "Not Just for Boomers."  And that is exactly, what it is intended to be. I am a baby boomer myself, but the material in this blog is not limited to baby boomers. It is really intended for everyone who has an interest in an eclectic mix of travel suggestions, help with your finances and health and exercise issues. Over the last almost two years, I have written almost 200 posts, all original, and covering material from a Mediterranean cruise to the many benefits of meditation and mindfulness.I hope what I have written has been helpful to you.  And no, I am not shutting down the blog. On the contrary, I expect to keep on going.  I appreciate your support, but I would ask you to remind your friends and not just boomers, that this blog is "Not Just for Boomers--But for Everyone."

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Where is the Best Place to Retire?

Many boomers are asking themselves "Where is the best place to retire?"  No, I'm not talking about the best city or state in the United States.  What I'm referring to is the best place in the world. And no, it is not the United States as most people probably think.  According to the Natixis Global Retirement Index, the best place to retire in the world is Norway!  The United States is not even in the top ten, according to that study. It ranks 19th in the world, behind countries including the Czech Republic and Slovenia. For those who are interested, of the 150 nations surveyed by Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A., the sponsor of the study, Zimbabwe ranked last.

Now, like most studies, this one is largely subjective, but the study did attempt to categorize the most important things most people are concerned about in retirement: health, material well-being, finances and quality of life. Here is what the study said about the U.S.:

HEALTH:  The U.S. ranks 23d in this category.  Although we have the highest per capita spending on health care, many other countries have greater access to care and the U.S. lags many of the developed countries in life expectancy.

MATERIAL WELL-BEING: This is a measurement of per capita income. Although per capita income is one of the highest, we also have a higher degree of income inequality than many nations, including Poland, Slovakia and Singapore.  The U.S. ranks 38th in this category.

FINANCES: The U.S. ranks 28th in this category, largely because of questions about the sustainability of Social Security.  Canada, Brazil and Mexico all are ahead of the U.S. in this category.

QUALITY OF LIFE: While Americans generally have expressed a high degree of satisfaction with life,, because of its lower scores on environmental measures, it ranks 26th in this category, behind Costa Rica and Belize, among others.

This survey raises some disturbing questions. Obviously, the United States is a great place to live and retire. This survey raises the issue of whether we can do better.  Let me know what you think.