“Singles” don’t count in today’s society.  Being single in a married world is not easy.  Policies favor couples, but single people tend to offer more to society.  Social scientists and researchers say the plight of the American single person is cause for growing concern.

According to the Census Bureau, about 100 million Americans, nearly half of all adults, are unmarried—but they tend to be overlooked by policies that favor married couples—from family-leave laws to lower insurance rates.  If you take a group trip, for example, you have to pay a single supplement—but on the trip you are not treated equally as the married participants.

This national bias is one reason why gay people have fought for the right to marry. Single people often contribute more to the community because once people get married, they tend to put their energy and focus into their partners and their own families.

According to a quarterly survey from Charles Schwab & Company, even though most Americans seem to think it’s easier for single people to plan for retirement, unmarried people tend to be less prepared financially for life after full-time work.  The survey also showed that there could be drawbacks to retirement planning without a spouse.  Not having a spouse’s additional income or investments as a safety net could be a challenge.