Unmarried together: seniors choosing to cohabitate

The number of men and women who are 65 and older and choose to live together without getting married has nearly doubled in a decade, according to a study by the Census Bureau as reported in an October 2004 article posted online by the AARP. Of the 9.7 million unmarried partners who were cohabiting in 2000, the Census counted 266,600 couples in the 65-plus group. This number more than doubled since 1989, according to the Census Bureau. Furthermore, many experts think the numbers are now much higher and they are expected to climb even further as baby boomers age and Americans generally stay healthy and live longer. So what stops so many seniors from tying the knot? Among other things, it is often the prospect of financial loss, according to the same October 2004 article posted by AARP. By:  Patrick Lange, Sunherald.com.

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive4/090405/tp17de17.htm?date=090405&story=tp17de17.htm  (Last visited September 4, 2005).