How's everyone hanging in there with the cost of living these days?

[steveinbsas]

There is a Part B deduction of around $200 for hospital care, so the actual cash amount is less but either way, this is a great deal in Argentina.

Expats can "opt out" of this if desired, and, as no medical services performed outside of the USA are covered by Medicare, most US expats do not have this deduction from their monthly benefit.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I'm curious to know what the average British pension is.

Many Brits have workplace pensions or private pensions in addition to the state pension but, provided you have worked for the qualifying number of years and paid or had credited National Insurance contributions through your work, the current UK State Pension is £221.20 per week. That's £958.53 per month or, at the current interbank rate of exchange, US$1237.47 per month.

 

[zensailor]

Milei and the right are trying to dismantle Argentina in the same manner that hedge funds acquire and manage a distressed company ... they gain control ... sell the assets, ( they select who to and for what price ) ... get rid of, or ignore, the employees.... pick the remaining bones clean ... and then walk away .... oblivious to the damage .... but they are wealthier !!! ... rinse, lather, and repeat ...unfortunately, they have added the additional indignity of governing Argentina like it's a cheesy reality show.

 

[desde_Holanda]

Many Brits have workplace pensions or private pensions in addition to the state pension but, provided you have worked for the qualifying number of years and paid or had credited National Insurance contributions through your work, the current UK State Pension is £221.20 per week. That's £958.53 per month or, at the current interbank rate of exchange, US$1237.47 per month.

I´ll throw in the Dutch version.
1. Every citizen of the Netherlands builds up a right of the state pension ('1st pillar), 2% for each year living in Holland before official retirement age, so in 50 years the whole right of state pension is build up. Current state pensions per month are $ 1.664,00 for a single person and $ 2.263,00 for a married couple.
2. Work related pensions are in most sectors of the economy obligatory to attend and will add quite an amount to the above numbers. The Dutch pension system is consistently at the top of the ranking of the best pension systems in the World.
3. Total estimated average income of households of retired people is about $ 65.500 per year (state and work-related pension together).

 

[A Antares]

Expats can "opt out" of this if desired, and, as no medical services performed outside of the USA are covered by Medicare, most US expats do not have this deduction from their monthly benefit.

I still pay my Medicare Plan B and my Medicare Supplemental Plan G because I never know when / if I would have to return to the USA. I subscribed via the open enrollment.

The VA put and paid for a lot of high grade metal parts in me and with that, coupled with other injuries, I would surely be denied by USA underwriters were I to reapply today. As I was effectively denied in Argentina via an exorbitant monthly quote (+10K USD) from OSDE. I consider the monthly deductions an operational cost of being here.

I don't give a damn about the corrupt politicians in Argentina or other Latin American countries. It's Kabuki Theater that won't change. They and their friends win, and everyone else loses. I'm in Latin America 100% for the wonderful people, nothing else. I'm not paralized, I have my eyesight and I have all of my limbs. Many are not so fortunate. I'm happy to be on this continent.

 

[Quilombo]

...unfortunately, they have added the additional indignity of governing Argentina like it's a cheesy reality show.

What, you don't like the man with the sister version of an Oedipus complex?

 

[LuckyLuke]

...unfortunately, they have added the additional indignity of governing Argentina like it's a cheesy reality show.

 

[LuckyLuke]

Milei and the right are trying to dismantle Argentina in the same manner that hedge funds acquire and manage a distressed company ... they gain control ... sell the assets, ( they select who to and for what price ) ... get rid of, or ignore, the employees.... pick the remaining bones clean ... and then walk away .... oblivious to the damage .... but they are wealthier !!! ... rinse, lather, and repeat ...unfortunately, they have added the additional indignity of governing Argentina like it's a cheesy reality show.

There is a very nice park in Neuquen capital called Parque Nevares. It sits on what used to be the site of a federal prison. When the government shut the prison down and had the inmates transferred they allowed the land around the prison to be repurposed. The municipality turned it into a community park. Slides, swings, skate ramps, running paths etc. They regularly hold concerts and ferias there as well. Well, Milei has now apparently decided to liquidate some public properties. So this beloved community park is now literally for sale by the federal government to whoever wishes to buy and develop it for their purpose. A truly bizarre situation. Why not sell each brick of the Casa Rosada so we can put some shiny plaque or handprint on it. How about we hold a raffle to buy a runway of Ezeiza. Embarrasing...

 

[QuilmesSlo]

I am taking a dim view of the likellihood of Milei's reforms working.

Once the high of repatriated dollars is over, Argentina has the prospects of increasing employment in the AG sector short term, increasing employment in Oil & Gas medium term, and increasing employment in Mining longer term.

The problem is, none of this employment will be meaningfully applicable in Buenos Aires. This raises the specter of BA has an engine of discontent beating in the nation.

If that view is correct, I think increases price levels can only run for another year or so.

 

[FrankPintor]

I am taking a dim view of the likellihood of Milei's reforms working.

Once the high of repatriated dollars is over, Argentina has the prospects of increasing employment in the AG sector short term, increasing employment in Oil & Gas medium term, and increasing employment in Mining longer term.

The problem is, none of this employment will be meaningfully applicable in Buenos Aires. This raises the specter of BA has an engine of discontent beating in the nation.

If that view is correct, I think increases price levels can only run for another year or so.

USD 8 billion of repatriated dollars? Less than 5% of the amount estimated to be held by Argentinians, that wasn't much of a high. How does it compare with previous amnesties?

I can't see CABA being an engine of discontent, it was explicitly gerrymandered to provide a reliable non-Peronist voting base, as well as a safe jurisdiction where court cases against non-Peronists go to die. The conurbation, yes, sure, I'll agree with you there, that could be more volatile. But that will be a problem for Axel Kicillof, so LLA will be happy to point fingers, let prices soar, unleash the rabid Espert, and let Kicillof hang. I think LLA has already written off Sister Karina's chances of being elected there.

I read that for 2025, Vaca Muerta is expected to provide USD 8 billion for the state. And the amount can only go up (for the next 5-10 years at least, until the world loses its appetite for petrol).That's where the money will be. Maybe this time next year we'll be camping out in @LuckyLuke's backyard Fire up the BBQ!