Retirement strategies for global nomads
My family and I have always found it deeply liberating to get to choose where we live. Many of our clients feel this way too. Not based on where you were born or where your employer is based, but where your life feels most alive.
Whether it’s a cottage in the Dordogne, a beach house on the Garden Route, or a quiet corner of Lisbon, many expats are thinking beyond borders when it comes to their retirement.
The idea of settling down in just one place… forever… doesn’t always fit the modern, mobile lifestyle.
Retiring abroad isn’t just about finding the right property or securing your visa. It’s about knowing how your income, investments, and healthcare will hold up in unfamiliar systems. Because as idyllic as life in a new country can be, it’s also full of fine print, and that fine print can get expensive if you miss it.
One of the most common challenges I see is managing retirement savings across multiple currencies and tax jurisdictions. You might have a pension in the UK, an investment account in the U.S., and rental income from a flat in Cape Town, all denominated in different currencies, subject to different tax rules, and governed by completely different reporting requirements.
And let’s not even get started on what happens when exchange rates swing!
That’s where a good plan earns its keep. And, it’s where a qualified and certified planner keeps you accurately informed.
Not by simplifying your life into neat little boxes, but by respecting its complexity and giving you clarity in the middle of it. A retirement strategy for global nomads needs to account for cash flow in the currency you’ll actually spend, tax efficiency across jurisdictions, and how to keep your money accessible without creating unnecessary red tape.
Then there’s healthcare. Many assume they can rely on public systems, but those systems may not apply once you’re no longer paying into them, or may offer only basic cover. Others overpay for private options out of fear. The real win comes from understanding your actual needs and matching your cover accordingly, with flexibility if your location, health, or status changes.
And there’s something else that’s easy to overlook: residency. As you move between countries, your tax status can shift without warning. You might unintentionally become tax-resident in a place you didn’t mean to… or miss out on benefits in a place you assumed you qualified for.
Good planning doesn’t just handle the now; it anticipates what could change and puts buffers in place.
But for all the complexity, I believe this lifestyle, this global way of living, is worth it. There is incredible richness in living and retiring on your own terms. The key is to turn that dream into something sustainable.
And that doesn’t mean locking yourself into rigid structures. It means building a plan that moves with you, wherever life takes you next.
If your idea of retirement looks more like a collection of places and experiences than a fixed point on a map, you’re not alone. The challenge is real, but so is the opportunity! And, with the right strategy, both your finances and your freedom can thrive.
Planning for a life that moves? Let’s talk.
