陽光燦爛的退休地點也有讓人意外的缺點

Kathy McCoy and her husband, Bob Stover,retired to Arizona from their home in California six years ago.

六年前，凱西·麥科伊（Kathy McCoy）和她的丈夫鮑勃·斯托弗（Bob Stover）退休時從加利福尼亞州搬家到了亞利桑那州。

It’s not an uncommon move for US retirees,to relocate somewhere calmer and warmer in retirement. But, since they’vemoved, McCoy and Stover discovered a few things they didn’t anticipate. First,their city in Arizona is a “snowbird” destination, meaning that many peoplespend winters there but live elsewhere during other seasons.

對美國的退休者來說，移居氣候更加溫暖宜人的地方並沒有什麼特別。但是自從搬到這裏以後，麥科伊和斯托弗遇到了一些始料未及的事。首先，他們居住的這座亞利桑那州的城市是“候鳥”目的地，很多人來這裏過冬，但是其他季節又會去別處生活。

The couple wasn’t preparedfor the area’s summer weather.

這對夫婦沒有預料到該地區夏天的天氣狀況。

“About half of our community is only here three to four months ayear,” McCoy, 71, said. “The more affluent ‘snowbirds’ who spend winters intheir second homes tend to look down on those of us who are full-timers.” Manycommunity events are geared toward those temporary residents, as well, andlittle is offered during the “off”season. with high humidityis not unusual.”

“我們社區裏有將近一半左右的人一年只在這裏生活三到四個月，”71歲的麥科伊說，“較富有的‘候鳥’會去他們其他的住處過冬，他們往往看不起我們這些常住者。”很多社區活動也爲這些暫居者而設計，所以“淡季”幾乎沒有活動。這對夫婦也沒有預料到該地區夏天的天氣狀況。“我們對高溫有預期，”麥科伊說，“但是我們沒想到夏天的季風期會這麼潮溼。華氏117度（攝氏47度）伴隨着很高的溼度，這種天氣司空見慣。”

If they had to do it over again, McCoy andStover might have chosen to stay in California, they said.

如果他們可以重新做決定，麥科伊和斯托弗說，他們可能會選擇呆在加利福尼亞州。

In the US, three out of five Americans hopeto spend their retirement in another city or state, according to a survey fromBankrate. In the UK, more than six million adults plan to retire abroad, withSpain and France being top destinations, according to research from MGMAdvantage, a retirement income specialist.

根據Bankrate的一項調查，五分之三的美國人希望在另一個城市或另一個州享受晚年退休生活。根據退休收入專業諮詢公司MGM Advantage的研究，在英國，600萬以上的人計劃去國外退休，首選地點是西班牙和法國。

Before you join them, sunglasses in hand,here’s what you should know:

在拿着太陽鏡加入他們之前，你需要了解以下幾件事：

What it will take: Thoroughly research yourretirement destination to make sure it meets all your needs. Ensure it doesn’tdisrupt your financial situation via increased costs of living, such as higherhealthcare, or through different tax rules that might impact your retirementsavings. And you’ll have to give some thought to where family and friends are locatedand whether you’re ready to start over in a new city.

需要做哪些準備：對你的退休目的地做徹底調查，確保它符合你的全部需求。確保它不會給你造成財務問題。生活成本的增加、醫療費用的提高和不同的稅收規定都可能影響到你的退休積蓄。而且你需要考慮親朋好友的生活地點，以及你是否準備好了在一個新的城市開始新生活。

Spending a week somewhere every winter doesnot make you an expert.

每年冬天到一個地方度假一週，並不意味着你就成了當地的專家。

“If you’re the sort of person who can join the local Y, take a class,make friends and start to do the things you’ve always wanted to do, that’sgreat,” said Gabrielle Redford, executive editor of integrated content at AARP.“But if you really place a lot of value in your friends and being close to yourfamily, then that’s something you should consider. People get lonely.”

“如果你是那種能融入當地年輕人羣體，會學一門課程，交友，並開始做你一直想做的事的人，那麼這符合你。”美國退休人員協會（AARP）綜合內容執行編輯加布麗埃勒·雷德福（Gabrielle Redford）說，“但是，假如你很看重朋友，希望離家人很近，那麼你就需要三思。人總是會感到寂寞。”

How long you need to prepare: Make time tovisit your chosen retirement destination extensively throughout the year,including the quiet months. You’ll also need time to seek advice on residency,tax and inheritance rules if you’re crossing borders — as well as to look intohealthcare. Give yourself at least six to 12 months to do the research. And,consider what you would do if you change your mind. Could you afford to moveback if things don't work out?

你需要花多長時間來準備：各個季節都要找時間去你選擇的退休目的地參觀旅遊，包括淡季。如果你要出境，那還需要花時間諮詢定居、稅收和遺產方面的規定——還要研究醫療保障。至少花6到12個月進行研究。還要考慮的是，假如你的想法變了，你該怎麼辦。假如結果不理想，你還能否回來生活？

Do it now: Get to know the place. Spendinga week somewhere every winter does not make you an expert. You need tounderstand all the factors that might impact you, so you don’t end up moving toa location that turns out to be dangerous, expensive, unsuitable or with littlesupport as you age. So, consider renting a place for several weeks at differenttimes of the year. And, visit in the summer months to make sure you can takethe heat.

現在就行動：多瞭解那個地方。每年冬天到一個地方度假一週，並不意味着你就成了當地的專家。你需要了解所有可能影響你的因素，這樣你纔不會搬到一個地方纔發現那裏很危險，物價高，不合適，或者對老年人的支持太少。所以，考慮一下在一年的不同時候去當地租房，住上幾周。而且，要在夏天去住，確定你能接受高溫天氣。

“You need to be there during the not-so-popular times,” said JasonBalm, a financial planner with Rehmann Financial in Florida in the US. “Thatmeans a couple of times during the rest of the year and for a minimum of two tothree weeks to really tell if the environment or the locale you’reconsidering is ideal for you.”

“你需要在淡季時去當地感受感受，”美國佛羅里達州Rehmann Financial公司的金融規劃師賈森·巴姆（Jason Balm）說，“這就意味着在一年其餘的時間去幾次，至少呆兩到三週，才能真正判斷當地的環境和人羣對你是否理想。”

When you’re considered aresident of most countries in the world, you have to file taxes there.

在全世界大多數國家，如果你成爲當地居民，你就需要報稅。

Think about family. Are you leaving friendsand relatives behind to feel the sun on your face? You may find that you spendmore than anticipated visiting them, even if you try to budget for it. Andbeyond the money, having a support network nearby becomes more valuable laterin life. “Everybody needs an advocate as they age,” said James Bryan, afinancial planner with Cahill Financial Advisors in Minnesota in the US. “Ifyou’re widowed or divorced or alone and the children are living back home andyou’ve relocated to a warmer state, it can get really tough.”

考慮家人。你能不能爲了曬太陽而拋下朋友和親戚？你可能會發現你比預期更多地去和親友見面，儘管你嘗試爲此設定預算。除了錢的問題，身邊擁有一個人際支持網絡對老年生活來說也很有價值。“每個老年人都需要一個支持者，”美國明尼蘇達州Cahill Financial Advisors公司的金融規劃師詹姆士·布賴恩（JamesBryan）說，“假如你老年喪偶，或者離婚，或者獨居，你的孩子在家鄉居住，而你遷居到了一個溫暖的州，你可能會感到生活很困難。”

Figure out the tax situation. If yourresidency is changing, it may affect how you’re taxed. Canada, for instance,has many residents that spend half the year in warmer parts of the US. “One ofthe issues there is when you’re considered a resident of most countries in theworld, you have to file taxes there,” said Julia Chung, a financial and estateplanner with JYC Financial in Langley, British Columbia, in Canada. “We have alot of Canadian residents that are just finding out they’re supposed to file atax return with the US every year. It’s a huge problem uphere.”

弄清你的稅收問題。假如你的居民身份發生了變化，這就可能影響到你的納稅問題。以加拿大爲例，很多居民每年有一半的時間都在美國較溫暖的地方生活。“其中一個問題是，在全世界大多數國家，如果你成爲當地居民，你就需要報稅，”加拿大不列顛哥倫比亞省蘭裏市JYC Financial公司的金融和房地產規劃師茱莉婭.陳（Julia Chung）說，“我們遇到很多加拿大居民發現自己每年需要向美國報稅。這已經成爲加拿大一個嚴重的問題。”

If you’re a US citizen residing elsewhere,you will still owe taxes to the US on income, including Social Security. And ifyou’re in the US but changing states, your new state may tax retirementbenefits differently from your old one. Then there are estate and inheritancetaxes and property taxes, which may change, depending on where you move. Soseek expert advice.

在美國境外生活的美國公民仍然需要向美國交所得稅以及社保。而如果你仍然在美國，只是換了一個州，新的州的退休稅收福利可能有別於舊的州。另外，還有遺產稅和房產稅。居住地點不同，稅收也不一樣。所以，應該去諮詢專家。

See a money professional. If you’re gettinga pension of any sort, make sure you can still receive it wherever you’regoing. One of Canada’s government pensions, for instance, doesn’t transfer ifyou move to certain countries. In the UK, if you qualify for a state pension,you can be paid in another country — but you can only be paid in one countryper year. A financial advisor can help you run the numbers to make sure you canafford the cost of living in your new home, and that you aren’t overlookinganything important.

約見金融專業人士。假如你領取任何一種退休金，請確保你在移居之後仍然能領取。比如，加拿大政府的一種退休金就無法轉付到一些國家。英國的政府退休金可以支付到任何一個國家——但是每年僅限一個國家。金融顧問可以幫你計算，確保你能夠負擔在新居家地點的生活成本，並確保沒有忽略任何重要的事項。

If you’re crossing borders,the healthcare you have in your current country may not transfer.

如果你要出境，那麼你現在的醫療保險可能無法轉移出去。

Check into healthcare. If you’re crossingborders, the healthcare you have in your current country may not transfer.(Medicare in the US, for instance, does not.) “People are often surprised thatthey must pay contributions for healthcare cover or take out private cover —somethingthat they did not include in their budget planning,”said DaphneFoulkes, a financial advisor and partner with the Spectrum IFA Group in France.

深入瞭解醫療保險。如果你要出境，那麼你現在的醫療保險可能無法轉移出去。（比如美國的醫療保險就不行。）“人們常常驚訝於必須支付醫療保險費用或私人保險——他們沒有把這部分計入預算中，”法國Spectrum IFA集團的金融顧問和合夥人達芙妮·福克斯（Daphne Foulkes）說。

Then there are your day-to-day healthneeds. Where will you get your prescriptions? Who will your doctor be? Is therea major medical facility nearby? “Some of these beach towns are terrific, butdo they have a hospital?” Redford said. “As we get older, we all develop healthissues. You need to be close to medical facilities that can give you the carethat you need, whatever that care might be.”

還有你日常的保健需要。你從哪裏取得處方？你的醫生是誰？家附近有沒有大型醫療設施？“這些海濱小鎮真的太棒了，但是他們有醫院嗎？”雷德福說，“隨着年齡的增長，我們的健康開始出問題。你需要住在醫療設施附近，這樣你就能得到你需要的醫療服務，不論是哪種醫療服務。”

Do it smarter: Consider making a part-timemove. You don’t necessarily have to sell your house and move forever. “If I had tochoose the perfect recommendation, it’s to leave for fourmonths and rent,”Bryan said. “And then come back.”

運用智慧：考慮不完全移居。不是非得賣掉房子，再也不回來生活。“如果你一定要完美的建議，那就是移居四個月，租房住。”布賴恩說，“然後再回來。”

It’s the best of both worlds—you still getto store the snow shovel and enjoy some warm weather, but for the rest of theyear you’re close to your family, friends and regular doctors. You can even trya different warm climate every year. Just don’t forget to wear sunscreen.

這是一種兩全其美的辦法——你仍然可以把雪鏟收起來，享受溫暖的氣候，而且每年的其他時間還可以回到家人、朋友和熟悉的醫生身邊。你甚至可以選擇每年去嘗試不一樣的溫暖氣候。只是別忘了抹防曬霜。