What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
#46
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
You may pay more tax but the final price differential is minimal, if different at all at the macro level.
The NHS covers all drug costs for a person over 65 (or 60, i forget) anyway. Plus my mum get heating subsidy, free public transport, and pays 150 quid in car insurance including breakdown coverage forher Nissan Micra. You don't get that in AB
The NHS covers all drug costs for a person over 65 (or 60, i forget) anyway. Plus my mum get heating subsidy, free public transport, and pays 150 quid in car insurance including breakdown coverage forher Nissan Micra. You don't get that in AB
Assuming one gets full CPP, OAS and GIS here, the state pension is much more generous than the UK...although considerable time as a resident here is required to get the max.
Average is around 1500 dollars per month for CPP and OAS...those with reduced CPP qualify for GIS.
I'd rather be on 1500 a month here then less than 400 quid a month in the UK.
#47
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Fall River NS
Posts: 63
Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
NS is a good place to retire to with a few caveat's. We are top of the totem pole where taxes are concerned. Our sales, property and income taxes(Provincial) are all higher than the rest of Canada.
Salaries and wages are, for the most part, lower.
You will need to buy additional health insurance. MSI ( medicare) does cover basic health needs such as doctors, specialists, hospital stays etc.
Drugs however are not covered. Neither is vision care or dental services.
NS does have a drug plan for senior citizens but, if you have private coverage you cannot join the plan. Only when your health plan benefits have been exhausted can you join ( after a waiting period)
Family Pharmacare is available for those low income families than can't afford a private health insurance. It is income limited but does cover all members of the family.
We do complain about our weather, nobody listens because it doesn't change. And if you do buy a house two things to look out for. Gravel driveways, because they hold the ice for months, and gravel roads, for the same reason.
Salaries and wages are, for the most part, lower.
You will need to buy additional health insurance. MSI ( medicare) does cover basic health needs such as doctors, specialists, hospital stays etc.
Drugs however are not covered. Neither is vision care or dental services.
NS does have a drug plan for senior citizens but, if you have private coverage you cannot join the plan. Only when your health plan benefits have been exhausted can you join ( after a waiting period)
Family Pharmacare is available for those low income families than can't afford a private health insurance. It is income limited but does cover all members of the family.
We do complain about our weather, nobody listens because it doesn't change. And if you do buy a house two things to look out for. Gravel driveways, because they hold the ice for months, and gravel roads, for the same reason.
#48
Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
and a massive 98 quid a week if you only get a state pension
Assuming one gets full CPP, OAS and GIS here, the state pension is much more generous than the UK...although considerable time as a resident here is required to get the max.
Average is around 1500 dollars per month for CPP and OAS...those with reduced CPP qualify for GIS.
I'd rather be on 1500 a month here then less than 400 quid a month in the UK.
Assuming one gets full CPP, OAS and GIS here, the state pension is much more generous than the UK...although considerable time as a resident here is required to get the max.
Average is around 1500 dollars per month for CPP and OAS...those with reduced CPP qualify for GIS.
I'd rather be on 1500 a month here then less than 400 quid a month in the UK.
So I guess the worry could be pension pay being reliants on exchange rates which could be negative with the lack of indexing.
Last edited by el_richo; Jun 9th 2012 at 6:35 pm.
#49
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
I doubt any state pension would see much more than survival levels anywhere.
#50
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Location: South Bucks
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
only CPP (depends how much you pay in)can be drawn abroad not OAS unless you been resident for 20 years, well that is how I read it on the website! Would be great if I was wrong!
#51
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Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Durham Region Extension
Posts: 3,342
Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
Federal and provincial jobs are where it's at if you can get it. In our line of work, you can bump your pension to 70% max and if you are still young enough to carry on, then you can double-dip
Our son got sick during a road trip to Chicago in 2009, and we were in and out of the Hospital just shy of 1hr, thanks to the coverage.
Our son got sick during a road trip to Chicago in 2009, and we were in and out of the Hospital just shy of 1hr, thanks to the coverage.
#52
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
And if you are not, are self employed relying on the "world economy" even though you are hardworking, you will get nothing. OAS is divided into portions of 40 and you get pro-rata depending on the years you have been living here! Hence we have no option but to go somewhere else or end up in trailer parks! Perhaps that is why there are about 5million Canadians living elsewhere! You don't read about how many are at food banks while our tax payers money gets shipped off to different projects and causes!
#53
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Location: Durham Region Extension
Posts: 3,342
Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
And with some couple opting not to have kids because they want the toys and vacations, it leaves fewer people in the work force
#54
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
not everyone can have children, have you thought of that? very insensitive of you!
#55
Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
Insensitive is the least of it. BTW, nice to see you wandering over to the France forum. Do you have ties/experience in France?
#56
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
no ties to France, but loved it there when on holiday! great lover of wine is me coming from a wine background
#58
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
hee hee, grandfather was a winefarmer in Stellenbosch Western Cape!
#59
Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
Oh really? Jammy bastard: I was there two or three times between 1989 and 1993. Not just for the wine, for work. Worked involved a lot of scientific equipment which was shipped down in 20 ft containers. The containers returned to Germany loaded with a considerable amount of Pinotage.
#60
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Re: What important considerations for planning to spend twilight years in Canada?
You must know me personally to have spouted what you did?