I am 73 and my husband is We married three years ago, and I moved overseas to be with him. We are in excellent health and, statistically, we have another 10 to 15 years of life ahead of us. I have grown children in their 40s and one grandchild in the U. My European husband has two ex-wives and no children. My income is almost double what he receives from his pension, as his former wives took a considerable share.
So I pay two-thirds of our living expenses. He will also get half my U. Social Security. If I were widowed, I would move back to the U. But I feel slighted by being bypassed, especially because I changed my life around so we could be together and am making good provisions for my spouse.
Should I just accept the situation as reasonable for a late marriage, or would an impartial observer suggest an alternative? You have made a courageous and adventurous decision to move overseas to be with the man you love. By leaving your adult children and your old life behind, you have made the bigger sacrifice to be with your husband, and I hope that you are happy with your move and that you enjoy at least 15 years together in good health.
Companionship in your 70s β or at any age β is priceless. There are financial advantages to getting married later in life: You get to split costs and, if one person has employer-based health insurance, it can save money for the partner without such insurance.
Maintaining one home is obviously far less costly than maintaining two separate homes. In many U. But there are downsides, as you have discovered: Those include the costs of medical and long-term care if one partner falls into ill health, as well as disputes over inheritance.
