One of the greatest things about falling in love as an older adult is that you and your new partner have an opportunity to meet “whole” people. While you’ll always experience personal growth, by the time you’re in your 50s or 60s, you know who you are, what you want out of life, and what you don’t. This is a beautiful thing, but it can create challenges unless you get on the same page from the moment you choose to make a commitment.
Today, NewsTapping.com offers a few tips on how to navigate life’s challenges if you choose to take the plunge into marriage as an established adult.
Love: Then Versus Now
By the time you reach your senior years, there’s a good chance you’ve already been married and divorced or widowed at least once. You may find that there is a huge difference in your relationship now compared to those you forged in your younger years. One of the biggest things you may notice now is that you are no longer falling in love simply based on physical attraction or the idea of perfection. You are likely now more interested in a deep connection and more willing to accept people as they are versus how you want them to grow to be.
Practical Problems
There are many practical problems that are likely to arise with the new relationship in your senior years. These primarily deal with family. Your older adult children may experience jealousy or continue to feel unwaveringly loyal to their other parent. Listen to their concerns, and make sure to address issues that affect them, including having the conversation about whether or not you will move away to be with your new spouse or if their inheritance might change.
Starting a Business (with Joint Business Cards!)
Starting a new business together is something that many older couples do during their relationship. There are plenty of perks to this, including having something to do together during retirement and offering an enhanced income. Plus, working on this together is a great way to bond! You can even add your names together on your business card — you can use online tools to create your business card design in a matter of minutes — which is sure to give you a spark of excitement as you begin this part of your adventure together. The great thing about designing these cards yourself is that you can change and update them whenever you want.
Where to Live
Even if you don’t plan to move far away from your family and friends, you should have a serious discussion about where you and your new spouse will reside. Of course, you have many options, but if you’re already looking toward the future, consider moving into a lifecare community. This will allow you to live an independent lifestyle until you need to transition to assisted living or more intense care. This offers the fewest disruptions and allows you to remain in a familiar and homelike environment for as long as possible.
If you’re planning on selling one or both your current residences, use a home proceeds calculator to estimate how much the home is worth.
Discuss Finances Early
In addition to having already established your identities and having loved and lost before, by this age, you’ve probably already established yourself financially. Talk about how you plan to handle finances, and this includes whether or not you will file your tax returns as a married couple or separately. You should also discuss how your joint assets will be distributed to your heirs, especially if one of you brings more into the relationship than the other.
There are many things to consider when you’re planning to get married in your golden years. From starting a business together (and creating matching business cards!) to knowing how your finances will be distributed and how you’ll file your taxes, the above tips are just a few things that you should know about the practical elements of being in love and starting a new marriage in your retirement years.
