Читать книгу The New Retirement - Jan Cullinane - Страница 16

You may be single by choice or single due to divorce or death of a spouse. As a single, you are among a large and growing cohort of adults. According to 2020 Pew Research figures, 28% of U.S. adults aged 50–64 are single, and 36% over the age of 65 are single. In the over-65 group, 21% of males over 65 are single, and 49% of women are single, partly reflecting, of course, men's shorter life expectancy, along with “gray divorce.” That is why there is a common saying, “Men die married; women die single.” And what about “solo agers” – those without children, without a spouse, and without close relatives? Solo agers comprise about 20% of Boomers.

Being single or a solo ager can have a big effect on retirement planning: It can simplify planning – you only have yourself to look after and you are responsible for your own choices; or it can complicate them – you don't have a partner and/or children or relatives to help navigate retirement (although friends can and often do fill in that gap).