Considering BA as an early retirement option

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

Yes, there is at least hole in the idea. It assumes that air travel, and easy entry to the states mentioned will both continue to be possible in the future. Hopefully they will be. But they may not. The lifestyle described is based on the world we knew before coronavirus. Nothing is coming back exactly the way it was before. Many things will come back at all.

I am going with the assumption that a vaccine will be available in the next 12 to 18 months. Followed by the world settling down ... much like it did after The Spanish Flu of a hundred years earlier. THINGS WILL SETTLE DOWN. We are not going to be in this situation for ever. I truly believe that.

Is it going to take some time? YES - Is the world going to remain closed forever? NO!

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

More power to you - splitting the year like that is not easy. I had to do the same for a while, but keeping house in three countries and living out of suitcases was more than I could handle.

When a person is a minimalist, the task gets a lot easier.

It a matter of what a person prizes in life? Oodles of crap or freedom?

For me, I have my couple of treasured possessions that I enjoy and constantly come back to, then I have my basics / necessities ... after that ... money is freedom. So money is a possession of sorts.

 

[Alby]

I am going with the assumption that a vaccine will be available in the next 12 to 18 months. Followed by the world settling down ... much like it did after The Spanish Flu of a hundred years earlier. THINGS WILL SETTLE DOWN. We are not going to be in this situation for ever. I truly believe that.

Is it going to take some time? YES - Is the world going to remain closed forever? NO!

I couldn't agree more with the minimalist philosphy expressed in these posts (and in the poster's similar posts in the same vein on other threads recently). Precisely. It is the secret to a happy life able to be lived between two (or more) countries. However, I do not assume that the easy travel between continents and countries will be possible in the future, even for us minimalists. Hopefully it will. But the threat to that future comes not just from how long it takes for herd immunity to rid us of the virus (it is abundantly clear by now, from any serious reporting of the matter, that even if a vaccine ever comes, we certainly won't all be lining up to take it within 12-18 months), but also from the economic, social, and political chaos that comes from the virus. We should find a balance between optimism and preparedness for what lies ahead.

 

[mmoon]

I think the key factor in the original post is that there is a school-aged child involved. As complicated as Argentina is, the bilingual school options in BA are far superior to most other cities in Latin America, certainly in comparison to Uruguay. If he is set on South America, Argentina is worth considering. However, I would think twice considering the increasing levels of instability in the country, even before coronavirus. Much will change in five years, but Argentina has pretty clear cycles of economic implosion. Sad but true. It’s a better choice now for young expats looking for adventure rather than retirees looking for stability.

 

[Alpinista]

Considering argentina...... here's my advice, NO! anywhere but here, unless......... no no no the answer still a big fat NO

It depends what you are looking for. If you want to live in Latin America and if you want to live in a big city, in my view Buenos Aires is still without peers (and will remain like that for the foreseeable future). It is still relatively safe (in comparison to most other Latin American cities), it has a rich cultural heritage, has a great cultural and gastronomic scene (even considering that a lot will not survive the crisis).

The condition is simply that you are financially independent from the local market, i.e. that you can live on your savings, that you have a nice expat contract, or that you are working remotely for US / Europe that pays USD or Euro.

 

[Alpinista]

One thing that I am thinking about more and more: settling down in Uruguay, possibly near Colonia. It might be a bit boring, but the older I get the more I can see myself in a rural environment. And being in Uruguay, you could do it 100% legally (residency, taxes etc). And still, being just across the river you could visit Buenos Aires anytime, spend weekends and even weeks here in the city. It is more an idea than a plan at this moment. But it might be an interesting set up in the future to enjoy Buenos Aires and live in a stable country at the same time. (the one loop hole I still have: are there any good schools in this area (not in Montevideo, but closer to Colonia)? A quick google search did not bring out much. Probably someone has some insight?)

 

[Alby]

More on the tax (evasión) issues, from an article currently on Página 12:


En este mismo sentido, la tecnología permitió el desarrollo de cruces de datos entre entidades gubernamentales y del sistema financiero, la implementación de un registro único tributario, la introducción de sistemas satelitales de trazabilidad de mercaderías para evitar fraudes fiscales y la consolidación de regímenes de retención automática.

Para mitigar la evasión de los impuestos a la renta, los acuerdos de cooperación internacional en materia fiscal, con especial énfasis en el desarrollo de instrumentos de control y, sobre todo, en el intercambio de información financiera y tributaria entre distintos países, son un instrumento valioso. También algunos programas de regularización de activos no declarados con el fin de identificar patrimonios e ingresos que no estaban pagando los correspondientes impuestos y así incrementar sus recursos tributarios. Argentina y Brasil fueron los primeros países de la región en hacerlo, y sus resultados superaron ampliamente las expectativas (un 1,8 por ciento y un 0,8 por ciento del PIB, respectivamente).

 

[aketada]

I think the key factor in the original post is that there is a school-aged child involved. As complicated as Argentina is, the bilingual school options in BA are far superior to most other cities in Latin America, certainly in comparison to Uruguay. If he is set on South America, Argentina is worth considering. However, I would think twice considering the increasing levels of instability in the country, even before coronavirus. Much will change in five years, but Argentina has pretty clear cycles of economic implosion. Sad but true. It’s a better choice now for young expats looking for adventure rather than retirees looking for stability.

Thank you for your thoughts. The insight from everyone has been very helpful for my original post and certainly provides the context i was looking for. You are absolutely correct. My original question was centered on the idea of my kid (who would be ~12) by the time we execute our early retirement plans. We certainly would not do this without taking his best interest into consideration and weighing the pros and cons with respect to his education.

As for those with such emphatically negative opinions of BA... why are you still there?? Presumably you felt the same prior to Covid so you could have left. No places is perfect but for the combination of cost and specifically latin culture makes it a real stand out option in my mind. I guess it might help if you've traveled a lot before making the plunge for long-term plans for BA. Nothing from my travels tells me there is anything exceptionally worse in Argentina than any numbere of other comparable places. If you're looking for a big city life, i don't see many other places nearly as compelling. I see the USD will continue to go so far and provide an exceptional array of lifestyle options that simply isn't available here domestically at the same cost. Other than the wealth tax, BA is still at the top of my list. I'll be tracking what happens in BA and this group until then. Thanks all for your comments!

 

[aketada]

Considering argentina...... here's my advice, NO! anywhere but here, unless......... no no no the answer still a big fat NO

You're certainly entitled to your opinion...and i'm not disqualifying your opinion but why are you still there? Presumably you still have your passport...there isn't a shortage of other places that would welcome you. I ask because there might be something for me to learn about painting myself a corner. Thank you.

 

[aketada]

No offense to OP, but I read the title of this thread, and the first post, and the thought that popped into my head was, "RUSM?"

Why in the name of Dante's nine circles of Hell would you come here?

Bali, Veracruz, south Thailand, The Seychelles, Katmandu even, but why here?

Why are you still there? You still have your passport and there is no shortage of other countries that will welcome you (although 4 more years of el Presidente Pendejo ought to take care of that). I ask because there might be something for me to learn. Thank you.

Veracruz. south Thailand, seychelles, katmandu... all very small world and too removed. I'm looking for a more urban lifestyle (former NY'er from Manhattan) in early retirement. I don't want to spend all of my days lounging by the beach. I'm not sure culturally speaking any of those places (sans Veracruz) come remotely close to the vibrant nature of latin culture (and I'm an Asian-american). Thailand...Chang Mai is a distant 'maybe'. Culturally bland and leaves very little for day to day city life. I'll be visiting again during my retirement... but don't see that as a permanent option under any circumstance.