Essay 149 – Some people decide to move to another country when they retire

GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 149

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people decide to move to another country when they retire. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this practice?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

Many people dream of retiring into a life of leisure. In order to translate the dream into reality, they often intend to enjoy their retirement living overseas. This essay will shed light on both benefits and drawbacks of this phenomenon.

Spending one’s retirement abroad has some decisive advantages. First of all, the financial incentive is a clear advantage to retirees. Put simply, many people today receive a meagre pension at their retirement and have little support from the state. Coupled with small savings, inflation is pushing up the cost of living beyond their reach. As a result, retirees want to move abroad where a lower cost of living meets a higher standard of life. A case in point is U.S. retirees. Hundreds of American retirees have settled down in the Philippines due to a low cost of living ensuring a high quality of life. Secondly, retiree incentives are another key point to consider. Many countries provide retirees with incentives. Panama’s Pensionado program, for instance, is open to retirees who meet modest income standards.

On the flip side, there are also some setbacks of living in a foreign country after retirement. For a start, one of the major disadvantages is language and cultural differences, which can cause awkward situations. In other words, people may interpret behaviour and gestures differently that can make retirees dumbfounded. For example, in European countries ‘everything ok’ is shown with the sign of the thumb and forefinger forming an O, while in India it is an indecent sexual sign. Moreover, another key drawback to remember is instability. Not all countries can enjoy the same level of economic and political stability. Last but not least, the charm of vacation is different from living somewhere permanently. In simple words, the country could be a great place for holidays but not so great for settling down.

In conclusion, the decision on where to live after retirement is tough. Therefore, people should decide much soul-searching and considering every aspect of it.