The SOLOIST Archives | 2020

Solos Should Be Proactive Planners

Who will take care of me when I’m old? It’s a question that haunts many Solos. Some may push these thoughts out of their minds because, without a spouse, partner, or adult child, they see no obvious answer.

Good Reads

In our ongoing research on Solos, we often come across worthwhile articles we think you’ll find useful. Here’s an initial batch. We’ll pass along others from time to time in future issues of The Soloist.   

What to Plan for If You’re Aging Solo

Flip through any issue of AARP Magazine and you’ll see a recommended to-do list for older adults: Choose a healthcare proxy, get an estate plan and a durable power of attorney, document your end-of-life wishes, write down your emergency contacts.

Why Solos Need a Financial Plan

More than two-thirds of singles do not have a financial advisor, according to a recent survey. In fact, they are more than twice as likely as marrieds to say they hadn’t spoken to anyone at all about retirement.

Solo in the Time of COVID-19

“COVID has made me think a lot more about aging alone,” a 60-year-old widow told me. Her wife had died six years ago; they had no children. Although she has since found a new partner, she’s learned from experience that relationships don’t always last.

Solos Come in Many Varieties

Strictly speaking, solos are defined as adults age 65 or older who have neither a spouse/partner nor adult children to support them as they age. But Solos are a varied bunch. The complexities of real life, real people, and real families produce a lot of diversity under the Solo tent.

Are You a Soloist? Are You Putting Yourself at Risk?

Nearly one-quarter of people age 65 or older are “soloists”—that is, aging adults without a spouse or partner and children whom they can all on for help or support, when needed. That’s a huge portion of the population.

How We Became Passionate Advocates for Solos

Not long ago, my world view got turned on its head. I proudly showed a friend Davis Financial Group’s new print brochure, which we had put a lot of time into getting just right. She shook her head and handed it back to me. It looked good, she said, but “soloists” like her— older adults without a spouse or partner and children―were totally missing. “There’s a lot of us out there,” she said, “but you’ve forgotten to include us.”

One Solo’s Wake-up Call

I was in my early 50s when I came face-to-face with one of the dilemmas of living solo: Whom do I call in an emergency? I was crawling at 30 miles an hour in rush-hour traffic, when—bam!—the car in front of me abruptly stopped.

What’s Your Legacy As a Solo?

After my grandmother died, her choicest possessions quickly found new homes. Everything else wound up in my uncle’s basement in New Hampshire, waiting until someone decided what should go to the dump.

Self-reliance Is Overrated

I was in my mid-30s when I broke my leg in a hiking accident. For more than a month, I hobbled around in a cast and crutches, determined to continue living much as I had before: running errands, meeting friends for coffee, returning to my job at UMass, even traveling from building to building for meetings or a class.

Soloist First Post

As we enter the height of summer, the virus is continuing to wreak havoc with our economy, our sense or order and security, and for some our faith in the future. Covid-19 is certainly illuminating the fragility of life. Even those of us who procrastinate the most have been moved by our intensified sense of our own mortality to make sure our legal documents are all buttoned up.

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