Hey all...
I have been visiting and hope to retire in Ukraine. Still some years away, but i'm making my financial plans ahead of time. Specific information from the internet can be fuzzy sometimes, so I am reaching out to folks with experience in the matters. Maybe someone here can fill in some blanks for me...
1) 401k/IRA: are distributions taxable as income by Ukraine? Or are they considered savings?
2) US social security: I know that there a hoops to jump through to receive payments. Any pensioners know the up-to-date rules involving online receiving, transferring, and exchanging for local currency?
Also, just to confirm that SS benefits are not taxable as income in UA
3) Local banking: what is the most effective way to establish a Ukrainian account? Has the iPhone age arrived in the Ukrainian banking system yet?
4) Hedging against exchange rates: my current assets are in USD...in my favor for now, but this could easily change. I am looking at the idea of government bonds and bank deposits in UAH to guard against the volatility. Since I would not be converting back to USD, exchange risk is not an issue. Any advice from experience?
Thanks in advance. Hoping to know you all soon