Four tips to make the most of hybrid work

I know I am lucky to work for a company that offers hybrid work options – in fact, I am currently writing this newsletter from a breezy porch on the Jersey Shore. My sister is on the phone reviewing design plans for a project, and my younger brother has been working at the dining room table all week.

It is nice to have flexibility – along with some extra family time and fresh air – for a change.?

There also is new proof that hybrid work can be a positive force for employees as well as companies: A research paper co-authored by Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom, recently published in the journal Nature.

The study – the largest of its kind, looking at the effect of work-from-home policies – finds that the benefits are multiple: Productivity is not harmed, promotions and career advancement are not affected, and employee retention improves significantly.

“There may have been a stigma about remote work pre-pandemic, but I don’t think there’s a stigma anymore,” Bloom says. “Many big companies now typically have employees coming into the office three days a week. Hybrid seems to be where it’s at.”

Of course, there are potential pitfalls to working from home part-time. Here are four tips to make the most of hybrid work arrangements.

For aspiring expats, a way to test retirement abroad

Do you dream about living overseas when you retire? My husband and I like to talk about our ideal retirement spot. We both like the idea of a beach with mountains nearby.?

Oh, and he needs good sushi.?

I want culture and community.

My friend Jill’s latest retirement obsession, meanwhile, is a small town in Spain. (I can’t tell you the name because she doesn’t want her secret to get out.)

It’s easy to dream. But moving to another country is no small step. Yet it is one that many have already taken: At least 5.4 million Americans lived abroad in 2023, according to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas.

The magazine International Living recently released its 2024 Global Retirement Index, ranking locales around the world according to a variety of criteria. Costa Rica is first on the list while Portugal, Mexico, Panama and Spain round out the top five.

One big reason for such a move: The strength of the U.S. dollar in foreign countries. Most Americans are far behind on retirement savings, so if they can find a location with a much lower cost of living, the math changes immediately.

Here are tips for anyone considering locales abroad for their retirement years. Also, it’s fun to fill out this Expatsi survey which suggests places to retire. I took the survey, and my top countries are The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, The United Kingdom, Sweden, Austria, Republic of Ireland and Norway.

Where do you fantasize about living in retirement and why? If it’s in another zip code or even on another continent, have you taken a test-drive yet??

Write to me about the experience at [email protected].

Should you freeze your credit after the latest data hack?

Another day. Another data breach.

This time around, hackers may have gained access to the private information of millions of people from a background-check company called National Public Data.?

And while the details are murky, your Social Security numbers may have been leaked in the breach.

My husband, who froze his credit several years ago, urged the rest of our family members to freeze our credit.?

I’ve been dragging my feet because it seems like a pain, but after reading this, I think I will do it.

?? Reuters Poll

Given the recent volatility in the financial markets, are you buying, selling or holding? According to our poll, 63% of you are staying put, which makes me so happy because research shows that reacting to short-term market moves never works out well for investors.?

And now for this week’s question: Have you frozen your credit? Take our Reuters poll, and let me know why or why not in the comments.

????♀? A$K Lauren

Do you need to refinance your mortgage? Are you in the market for a new car? Send your money questions to [email protected], and I'll tap my extensive source network and braintrust for expert advice.

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