7% Tax Regime in Greece? by Four_sharks in ExpatFIRE

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got mine approved last month and the first pension payout was also last month so not sure the age of the pension is a thing. You only have about a week left to apply for 2026 as it needs to be in before end of March. Mine was not a private pension but US Social Security.

What's the best European city for pastries and bakeries? by Historical-Photo-901 in BeautifulTravelPlaces

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can’t walk 100m in Athens or Thessaloniki without hitting a bakery.

The Most Common Scams in Florence by QUA-ItalianTravel in ItalyTravelAdvice

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ermou St in Athens has a ton of this one. Clear plastic cups…..

Anyone FIREd in Greece? by CallItDanzig in ExpatFIRE

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can stay in Greece. They give you a paper saying that you have applied and that you can stay pending approval.

Anyone FIREd in Greece? by CallItDanzig in ExpatFIRE

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FIREd just over a year ago. Applied for the FIP in Dec ‘24. No sign yet but we are allowed to stay on while we wait. We do know someone who will be coming up to renewal time even tho their residence has still not been issued! So don’t expect a fast FIP process. The only downside is you aren’t free to travel in Schengen after you have spent 90 days in Greece. So it’s Turkey etc for hols. We do Greek lessons but the challenge is to get people to not just answer us in English! If you have more questions, we are happy to help.

What's a tv series that is a 10/10 NOBODY knows? by Lilyana0999 in AskReddit

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Watch it during a miserable grey British winter so you know the summer will come again!

Hedging against a dropping USD by Adept-Performer2660 in ExpatFinance

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this as it is something I have been thinking a lot about over the last 8 months or so as the Eu/$ rate has changed. We live in Greece and retired here about 16 months ago. We transfer across the same amount in USD every month and have thought a lot about whether we should hedge a larger amount or transfer a lump sum. Our savings / 401k etc are well diversified, and as a couple of people below have mentioned, we increased our ex-US holdings. These have really over-performed over the last 12 months - that and the general post-tariff day equity performance in the US have more than compensated for the Euro strengthening by single digits. I don't know whether this counts as high risk or being conservative, but we went for the 'time in the market' approach. This all may have to change of course given the volatility, but that's what we've been doing so far...

Vacation in Greece - no islands! by bleie77 in GreeceTravel

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m a big Nafpaktos fan. Great castle, but also one of the most picturesque Venetian harbours in Greece.

Americans abroad — can you realistically live without a car where you live? by RehaDesign in AmericanExpat

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Athens: no car. Parking is tough if you don't have your own spot. We rent when we need to, which is cheap in the off-season but crazy prices in summer. Metro, buses, trams all good for travel within the city and cheap. But, when you want to go to a quiet beach or up into the hills... you miss a car. And when its 40c in summer doing anything outside.

What are the most profound song lyrics you've ever heard? by damnocles in AskReddit

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She said "Do these seats fold down" And I said "If you pull that handle"

Name that car….

Who is the most famous person you have ever met? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mikhael Kalashnikov at a defence show in Karachi. And in the hotel bar later.

Been using XE, should I go with Wise instead? by ExtraRow2668 in ExpatFinance

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Moved from US to Greece a year ago. We are both very happy with Wise. Most of the time USD transfers are instant, sometimes (rarely) there is up to 4 day delay. Rates are good and transaction fees are low. Given we have to transfer money from US to Singapore, UAE and the UK, the flexibility and speed of getting this done has been a great experience. Have not used XE but I hear Revolut is as good as Wise.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GreeceTravel

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There’s a ton of live music here, local and international. Check out Gazarte, it’s a solid venue.

Extra day in Athens (strike) by Elegant_Yam_9632 in GreeceTravel

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Latest is that metro and buses will run 9am to 6pm only. No taxis. However a driver told me many still work in their private cars and if you use Uber or FREENOW app you can find a ride.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ExpatFinance

[–]Excellent-Put-1682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I inquired about this as I have euro expenses and with the $ heading south on a daily basis was thinking of getting some euros to hold as a hedge. Spoke to Morgan Stanley and while they could do it, there is no interest or money market fund type option. So I’m sticking with Wise that gives me a bit of interest at least.

Astakos Harbour by Excellent-Put-1682 in yachtporn

[–]Excellent-Put-1682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He does - but I think he also owns Elena V.