When you retire in Panama as a pensionado, you’re eligible for major benefits and discounts
Albert Fine used to live in Orlando…now he lives in Panama City. There are lots of little reasons why he made the move, but the main one is: He likes the way they spoil him down there.
Albert retired to Panama nine years ago…not long after he met and married his lovely Panamanian wife, Carmen. Albert is a frugal man. In fact, after 85 years on this earth, he’s made penny pinching an art form.
He also has a wickedly dry sense of humor. I think of him as the “Jack Benny” of Panama. (That’s why he’s such a popular speaker at IL’s Live and Invest in Panama Seminar).
Albert lives in a luxury high-rise condo with an ocean view in the city’s Punta Paitilla neighborhood. His condo fees for this area, which he describes as “the Beverly Hills of Panama City,” run $160 a month. He likes living here because he never wants to mow grass again. “The more concrete the better,” he says. He eats out almost every meal…at some of Panama’s most popular restaurants. “A couple of bucks for breakfast, $2.25 for lunch, less than $5 for dinner.”
Albert knows how to get around Panama. I don’t have time here to tell you all of his “Panama secrets” (you can ask him yourself if you’re attending the Panama Seminar next month), but he’s figured out how to live like a king on a pensioner’s income. He’s one guy who makes constant use of Panama’s generous pensionado discounts we’re always telling you about in International Living.
Everywhere he goes in Panama, Albert says, his signature line is “Descuento de jubilado, por favor,” which roughly translates to “Retired person’s discount, please.”
You see, Panama has what some call the “world’s best retirement program.” If you qualify (and it’s not difficult…you just need prove you have the means to support yourself—$1,000 a month), you are eligible to retire in Panama under the pensionado visa program.
When you’re in Panama as a pensionado, you’re eligible for major benefits and discounts, as Albert Fine can attest. Like:
* 50% off entertainment, such as movies, theater, concerts, and sporting events
* 30% off bus, boat, and train fares
* 25% off airline tickets
* 30% – 50% off hotel stays
* 15% – 25% off restaurant meals
* 25% discount on residential phone service
* 25% discount on utility bills
Best of all, you’re eligible for major discounts on health care costs, which are already very low in Panama. Albert, for example, pays $10 for a doctor’s visit, and $5 for blood tests. And he saves a boatload on prescription medications.
Pensionados also receive a one-time exemption on the importation of household goods and are exempt from duties on the purchase or importation of a car every two years.
And remember…Panama’s pensionado program is easy to qualify for. So if you can, why not retire now?
As Albert Fine says, “Is this a great country or what?”
Editor’s note: If you haven’t yet booked your seat at International Living’s Live and Invest in Panama Seminar, April 13-16, there’s never been a better time—because we’ve just released a special $150 “flight credit” discount. Get the full details here …and soon you could be learning Panama secrets from Albert, Suzan, and more.
