Retirement For One
BOSTON (CBS) - Most of the ads you see on TV for retirement have young looking, graying couples playing sports or exercising together.
That's not a realistic scenario. Fidelity Investments has wised up and they feature single individuals in their retirement ads for they know that will be more the norm.
Many individuals will be riding off into that retirement sunset solo. That may be due to a divorce, widowhood or the fact that they have never married! Seventy-five percent of men age 65 and over are married and live with their spouse. Only 45% of women over 65 are married and living with their spouse. Average age of widowhood is 56. Women outlive men by an average of at least 5 years.
So spending all or part of retirement alone is something a woman needs to plan for. Women are at a disadvantage here. Women have not earned as much as men over their lifetime and while we may have the good fortune to outlive men we need to make our savings last longer. According to the AARP, for current retirees over 65, 44% of the men receive pensions while only 26% of the women do.
In retirement someone who has been single all of their life and has built a support system of family and friends will have an advantage over the suddenly single retiree who has been partnered. Take the time to build a support system for your golden years.
Give some thought to your housing arrangements. Living alone has suited you well during your working years but do you want to consider some sort of communal living with other singles or even siblings as you age. Perhaps you give up the house and look for a townhouse or a condo where someone else will be responsible for the lawn mowing, snow shoveling or painting.
Estate planning is especially important for the single retiree! You want to be sure things are in order if something should happen to you.
