Markeiz Ryan, 36, had a pretty good childhood growing up in Maryland, but the 2008 financial crisis changed things.

“It wiped my mother’s job away and it really made things tough for us around the time I graduated high school,” Ryan tells CNBC Make It. “I didn’t have much of a financial security blanket to fall under. The best thing for me was to join the military so I wouldn’t have to put my family into any more debt and I think that was the right decision.”

Ryan joined the U.S. Air Force in 2010 and was stationed in various countries around the world, including Korea, Germany, and throughout Africa. In 2016, while living in Korea, Ryan got in trouble for breaking his curfew. He lost out on several months of pay, was restricted to his military base and demoted from staff sergeant to senior airman.

“After this, I was very depressed and very sad,” Ryan said. “But that depression and sadness make you think about where your life is going and it makes you redirect your life into the right direction.”

In that period of time that Ryan was restricted to his military base, he planned a trip to visit a friend in Vietnam.

“It just looked like so much fun and it really lived up to all the hype,” he said. “I ended up having the best time of my life, and that depression was [just] gone.”

Ryan says that after that first trip to Vietnam and seeing how happy he was, he didn’t want to let go of that feeling. He started planning his return to the country.

The veteran returned to his life in the Air Force and completed his service on a military base in Wyoming before being honorably discharged in 2019.

Soon after, Ryan relocated to Vietnam, where he lives off roughly $4,000 a month, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Ryan suffers from spine arthritis, respiratory issues, auditory pain, and mental health challenges from his time in the military. He receives disability from Veterans Affairs.

His monthly income stems from several sources, including approximately $1,500 from VA disability, $1,000 from the GI Bill while he’s pursuing a master’s degree, and $900 to $1,300 from teaching English. Ryan also does occasional odd jobs like voiceover work, where his pay can range from $200 to $600 a month, and is an avid fan of day trading, where he averages about $300 a month.

“This might not sound like a lot in America but trust me, this is more than enough to be middle or even above middle class in Vietnam,” he says.

Ryan lives in Ho Chi Minh City and has a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in one of the country’s tallest residential towers. He pays $850 a month in rent and his utilities round up to about $130, which includes electricity, water and housekeeping.

In addition to those expenses, Ryan also pays $1,000 a year for health insurance and $3 a week on gas for his motorcycle. What he spends on groceries varies from $100 to $400 a month, as he often alternates between cooking his own food or dining out frequently.

“Vietnam is the number one safest place I’ve ever lived. I never have to look over my shoulder here. I noticed that there’s this great level of calm,” Ryan says. “People are more focused on their day-to-day life and they’re less focused on what’s going on politically. It’s a much more calm feeling.”

Although Ryan loves living in Vietnam, one thing that irks him is the noise pollution.

“There’s a lot of honking, street sellers and sometimes karaoke really loudly, so if you are very intolerant to noise, this might not be the place for you,” he says.

Since moving to Vietnam, Ryan has made an effort to learn the language, but he admits he’s still not the best at it.

“I can never claim that I’m fluent in Vietnamese, but I do a lot better than most of my peers here,” he says.

Ryan has been living in Vietnam for six years now, and says he has no plans of leaving.

“If I leave, it’s because Vietnam told me to leave. In America, I felt very unmotivated. I felt like no matter how hard you work, you’re still in poverty. You’re constantly chasing a standard that you can’t really achieve,” he says. “Here in Vietnam, it takes a lot of the monetary pressure out of your day-to-day. You focus on what makes you happy, who you want to become and how you’re going to get there.”

This experience, he says, is the complete opposite of what his life was like back in the U.S.

“Every day I wake up with a long to-do list of things I want to do, not the things that I need to do, and it’s a completely different way of living. Even if you need to work 40 hours a week here, you’re doing it as an investment in your future. Getting out of survival mode makes things infinitely more human.”

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As a former world champion debater, Kate Mason, PhD, knows that the way you communicate can matter just as much as your message.

Mason, who lives in Sydney, Australia, spent a decade working in communications at companies like Google and YouTube before becoming an executive coach and founding her own strategic communications firm, Hedgehog + Fox, in 2017.

Through her work as a communications coach, Mason noticed a pattern she calls “imposing syndrome”: many professionals, particularly women, are overly self-conscious about ruffling feathers or “being a bother” at work, she says, which often causes them to stay quiet and minimize their accomplishments.

These self-deprecating habits have “an insidious effect on their work and their standing,” she says.

“It leads to underestimating themselves and their work by extension,” she continues.

Mason’s goal in highlighting these communication patterns isn’t to point out “all the ways we’re doing it wrong,” she says. Instead, she hopes to provide resources for leaders, especially women, who are interested in changing their communication patterns.

“It’s more like a kind acknowledgment: this is a thing, and if that’s not serving you, maybe you want to experiment a little bit,” Mason says.

She shares her top insights in her first book, “Powerfully Likeable: A Woman’s Guide to Effective Communication,” which debuted earlier this month.

Here are three phrases Mason recommends all professionals avoid in the workplace, along with stronger alternatives.

‘It’ll just take a second’

People who use this phrase are often acting on a “very kind, emotionally aware impulse” to demonstrate respect for others’ time, Mason says.

In reality, prefacing your conversation with “It’ll just take a second” can have the opposite effect, according to Mason.

Firstly, “you’ve set an expectation to the other person that this will be very quick,” she says, but “literally nothing takes one second.”

Providing an unrealistic time estimate can annoy or disappoint the person you’re speaking to, Mason says.

“That person, a couple minutes in, is already a bit irritated because they’re like, ‘Wait, this was only going to be a second.’”

Moreover, the phrase also sets the expectation that whatever you have to say is minor or unimportant, Mason says, which can undercut your actual message.

A better way to articulate your request is, “I’m going to put in an hour for us next week. I really want to talk through A, B and C. Let me know if that time works for you,” Mason says.

With that rephrase, “suddenly, I look like I’m coming to you with something substantive and meaty and worthy of us spending that time together,” she says.

“It just does the idea — and yourself — a lot more justice to reframe it that way,” she continues.

‘No worries if not’

This phrase is commonly used to ‘soften’ a direct request, Mason says, but it’s usually not factually true.

“There often is a pressing concern,” she says. “It’s very rare that we make an ask and genuinely think, ‘Oh well, if they get back to me, we’ll see.’”

Saying “No worries if not” communicates that your request is a low priority, Mason says: “It does a bit of a disservice to the ask.”

For her part, when Mason hears this phrase, she mentally places that task lower on her to-do list, she says.

“If you’re communicating with an exec or someone who’s busy and you’re telling them ‘no worries if not,’ and there is a worry, then we can get ourselves into a bit of an unnecessarily sticky situation,” she says.

Instead, Mason suggests specifying the purpose and time frame of your request. For example, “I would appreciate if you could send me your edits by this afternoon, because the final draft is due tomorrow.”

As Mason cites in her book, a psychological study from the 1970s found that people were more likely to comply with a request if they were given a reason behind it.

With that context, people are “usually happy to help,” she says.

‘I’m not an expert, but…’

This phrase will instantly make you seem less credible, Mason says.

According to Mason, prefacing your point with “I’m not an expert” reduces your authority and telegraphs uncertainty: “It immediately deescalates your status.”

People often minimize their accomplishments when they’re feeling self-conscious, Mason says, especially if they view themselves as the ‘odd one out’ in a group.

Whether you’re the youngest in the room, or the newest to the company, “whatever that imbalance may be, we’re hyper-aware of it,” she says.

Being conscious of your place in the professional hierarchy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Mason says, but instead of downplaying your value, she recommends embracing the unique qualities you bring to the table.

“You weren’t hired because you have the same expertise as that vice president or C-level exec,” she says. “You were hired because you have your expertise.”

Leaning into your strengths can be “really empowering,” Mason says.

“Once you start realizing like, this is the thing I was hired for, and that is the value I can bring, and that’s what they want from me, it just lets you put down a lot of that hierarchical, status-oriented anxiety.”

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Trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. Without it, even the strongest emotional connection can feel unstable.

At its core, trust is having confidence that your partner is reliable, that they are someone who does what they say they will do. It has to be earned through honesty and emotional vulnerability over time.

As a Harvard-trained psychologist who focuses on relationships, I’ve found that partners who truly trust each other are willing to lean into difficult conversations. Here are 10 things they regularly talk about, even if it’s uncomfortable for them.

Managing finances is one of the top reasons couples fight, and one of the most important topics to discuss. Partners who trust one another talk about everything from the shared budget to who will pay for what (and when) to financial priorities that lay the groundwork for spending.

Every person brings a different background, set of desires, and expectations into the bedroom. Trusting couples can speak honestly about what they like, what they don’t, and how to keep intimacy alive. These conversations are less about performance and more about connection and creating an enjoyable experience together.

If you’re raising children together, chances are your parenting styles won’t match exactly. Couples who trust their partner give and receive feedback, adjust when necessary, and stay focused on raising kids based on shared values, not just individual preferences.

We all carry baggage. Whether it’s from childhood, past relationships, or personal trauma, couples who trust each other feel safe enough to be vulnerable about the experiences that shaped who they are today. They open up about painful experiences, not to be “fixed,” but to be seen and understood.

Time is a finite resource. Couples in healthy relationships talk about how they want to spend it, both when together and apart. That includes expectations for quality time, travel, work schedules, and alone time. These conversations keep the relationship aligned and prevent misunderstandings.

We all have insecurities and shame about things we’ve done: stupid decisions we’ve made, embarrassment about current choices, and even realities that we struggle to admit to ourselves because it hurts so much. When you trust your partner, you can tell them your deepest secrets without fear that they will reject or berate you.

When someone makes a mistake, like being late to a planned event or making a choice that is bound to undermine trust, couples who trust each other tell the truth. Even if a mistake is large and ruptures trust, each partner understands building a life based on lies eventually undermines the framework of the relationship itself.

For most people, family members are among the most loved people in our lives. Yet, they also make for some of our most difficult relationships. Couples who truly trust each other talk about family dynamics, ask for help navigating challenging relationships, and support each other to make these relationships as healthy as possible.

Relationships inherently have power dynamics. Who makes decisions? Who compromises? Who leads and when? When in an argument, couples who trust each other navigate these power struggles together, engaging in a dance of intimacy. Sometimes they take a stand, and other times they back down in a respectful way.

Couples who trust each other are willing to share their aspirations and hopes for the future with each other, even the crazy or unlikely ones!

I always remind people that even the most connected couples aren’t perfect. They just know how to face imperfection and have hard conversations together — something that most people rarely do. And when that happens, it’s truly a gift.

Dr. Cortney S. Warren, PhD, is a board-certified psychologist and author of the new book “Letting Go of Your Ex.” She specializes in romantic relationships, addictive behavior, and honesty. She received her clinical training at Harvard Medical School after earning her doctorate in clinical psychology from Texas A&M University. Follow her on Instagram @DrCortneyWarren or Twitter @DrCortneyWarren.

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Dan Porter, founder and CEO of digital sports media company Overtime, can quickly point out a candidate who isn’t the right fit for his company.

He uses his go-to interview question, one that you’ve likely heard before: “Do you have any questions for me?” The interviewee’s answer paints a picture about what kind of employee they’d be, Porter told LinkedIn’s “This Is Working” podcast on Sept. 18.

“Bad employees, or bad interviewers, ask me about a dental plan or how I started Overtime when there’s, like,100 podcasts,” he said. “And good people are like, ‘Oh, I’m glad you asked that.’ And they have like 20 questions.”

Make no mistake, the interview process is typically the time to ask about benefits, says Suzy Welch, a career expert, NYU Stern School of Business professor and three-time New York Times best-selling author. “After all, people work for the love of it, for meaning, for growth — but also to pay the bills,” she says. “To ignore this reality, especially in 2025, is ridiculous.”

“But I agree, these are not matters to discuss with the CEO, and frankly, not matters to raise until you have an offer in hand. … Frankly, they may not even know about the dental benefits in any detail, and if you ask, they could very possibly think, ‘Well, I know why this person wants to work here,’” Welch adds. “With the CEO, use your time to talk about the markets, competitors and any ideas you have about the many ways you will make the company better, smarter and stronger.”

Candidates can also ask about the company culture and how employees at the organization collaborate, says Welch. Just be sure to ask specific, particular questions, not those with “fluffy, jargon-addled terms.”

Something like “How do the managers here support work-life balance?” for example, sounds good on the surface, but doesn’t really get down to what day-to-day life at the organization looks like and can prompt a broad answer. Using Welch’s advice, a question like, “What kind of person should not work at this company?” is much more pointed, eliminates buzzwords and prompts less rehearsed answers.

“Use your time wisely in the interview,” says Welch. “You’re not wrong to care about benefits, just do it with the right people at the right time.”

As for what green-flag qualities Porter looks for when hiring someone, he values character and intelligence over a lengthy resume, he says.

“I prioritize personality and intelligence, but not academic intelligence, intelligence to think about the world,” said Porter, 59, using his experience running social game company, OMGPOP — which was acquired by Zynga for $180 million in 2012 — as an example. “When I ran a gaming company, I used to only ask one question: What’s your favorite game and why?”

When a person could give a detailed answer about what makes that specific game better than all the others, “I knew they would be great to work at a game company,” he added.

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This year, Global Citizen Solutions published its Global Retirement Report for 2025, which ranks the best countries to retire abroad.

The report looked at 44 passive income and retirement visa programs. It examined 20 targeted indicators, grouped into six sub-indices: procedure, citizenship and mobility, economics, tax optimization, quality of life, and safety and integration. Each country was given a score out of 100.

The United States was not included on the list simply because the country doesn’t have an official retirement visa program. The report found that many of the countries ranked in the top 10 were located in the Americas and Europe.

“The Americas dominate the availability of digital nomad retirement visas and then Europe. They have a very high quality of life that’s above average,” Dr. Laura Madrid Sartoretto, Research Lead at GCS’ Global Intelligence Unit, tells CNBC Make It.

“That’s not a coincidence because one of the motivations people have when they decide to relocate abroad is looking for a place where they will have a better quality of life.”

Portugal is the European country that tops the list, with an overall score of 92.61.

Dr. Madrid Sartoretto says Portugal’s retirement visa program has been a flagship one for the last 10 years.

“The country started to invest in attracting investors, retirees and digital nomads. Portugal is a country that nowadays scores really well in quality of life,” she says. “Portugal is the safest country in Europe if you look at the World Peace Index. It is one of the most sought-after countries in Europe for retirement.”

The European country offers non-EU citizens the D7 visa, which allows those with steady passive incomes, like pensions or rental income, to retire.

To apply for that visa, you’ll need a minimum income requirement of 870 euros. After the initial residency permit is granted and you’ve lived in Portugal for at least five years, you become eligible to apply for permanent residency or citizenship.

The Portuguese government offers a worldwide tax system, meaning it includes foreign-earned income. Portugal also does not have wealth or inheritance tax for close family members. There is a 10% Stamp duty that applies to others.

Portugal is also renowned for its Golden Visa program. It allows non-EU citizens to gain citizenship or residency in the country through investment, excluding real estate.

The Portuguese government has seen a 72% increase in golden visa approvals, with Americans making up the majority, according to Forbes. Portugal’s Golden Visa program has raised more than $7.2 billion since its introduction in 2012.

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