Let me start by saying that I have no natural aptitude for languages. I’m a 59-year-old retired police detective who still has vivid memories of trying, and failing miserably, to learn French in high school. But once I retired, my wife and I thought we’d like to travel to warmer climes during the bitterly cold […]

Do you remember when a basic savings account actually generated a bit of coin?  I just checked: The last time we could earn anything north of 5%—the threshold most savers used to consider “solid income”—was the summer of 2007. Crazy to think that was more than 13 years ago. In those intervening years, we’ve become […]

In early adulthood, Lee Nyhus, now 59, was stricken by wanderlust. The Chicago native traveled extensively to less-visited corners of the globe, including spending a year backpacking around Africa. Even when it came time to settle down for a while, she chose what was, at that time, a somewhat unusual destination for American expats: Tokyo.  […]

In the weeks and months following COVID’s emergence in the U.S., I began writing about the toll it was having and would have on older workers—namely the historically high unemployment rate for people, like me, who are over 50. Now comes more sad news. In the third quarter, more than 28 million baby boomers threw […]

As working from home becomes the new norm in the U.S. and around the world, many people are beginning to wonder why they should remain in expensive urban centers when they could just as easily work online from a more affordable, beautiful, and enriching destination overseas. Unsurprisingly, one of the most popular regions among workers […]

In 2010, Annelise Hagan accepted a position as science director for two marine parks in Belize. This job took her to Placencia, a narrow peninsula in the south of the country known for its palm tree-lined Caribbean beaches and spectacular diving.  “Placencia has the perfect mix of locals, expats, and tourists,” says Annelise. “And it’s […]

So, Eric Schmidt wants to be a Cypriot. Maybe you’ve heard of Eric, maybe not. He was a head honcho at Google for nearly two decades before he left this past May. Of course, that’s neither here nor there because what’s important about Eric Schmidt today is that last month he and his family earned […]

I lazily open my eyes, listen to the birds singing, and once again count my blessings. It’s nearly time to go to “the office,” but that simply means rolling out of my hammock, pulling a T-shirt over my bikini, and plugging in my headset for my online lessons. My current desk looks out over the […]

Living well is the best revenge.  Uncle Google tells me that sentiment was first attributed to a 17th century English poet. Maybe that’s true. But it’s not important. I’ve hijacked it because it’s such an apropos intro into a topic that annoys me: ageism…which, in theory, doesn’t factor into the hiring and firing decisions in […]

Jeff: Hi, I’m Jeff Opdyke, and I am the editor of the Savvy Retiree, and I want to introduce you today to Alex Fasulo. She’s a freelancer for Fivrr, which is a freelance site where I do a bit of a bit of work myself. And I sort of regularly reference in my weekends Savvy […]

My husband, Ralph, and I have always been prepared to reinvent our lives whenever we spotted a greener pasture. It’s a policy that’s served us well.  In 1996, we decided to immigrate to Toronto, Canada, where we have family on his side, to start a new business venture. After three years, this business took us […]

During the six years I’ve spent living in Ecuador, one of the key trends I’ve noticed is the rise in the number of digital nomads from North America and Europe.  Some of these remote workers relocated when their careers migrated online. Others arrived here in retirement and built new incomes in blogging, freelance writing, photography, […]