Episode Details

In this Based Camp episode, Simone and Malcolm Collins dive into the harsh realities of aging alone through a Wall Street Journal article about Amy Kant, a 65-year-old single, childless woman facing health issues, estate planning struggles, and isolation. They explore the growing demographic of “solo agers,” the long-term consequences of choosing career and freedom over family, feminist regrets, and why so many women (and men) end up dying alone.

Topics include: the breakdown of intergenerational social contracts, business opportunities in elder care/power of attorney/estate planning/unclaimed assets, pronatalist perspectives, and real listener stories of regret. Malcolm also shares new rfab.ai features like the recipe generator and discusses building liable human services.

A raw, unfiltered look at demographic decline, life choices, and turning societal problems into opportunities.

Show Notes

Can two dark things cancel each other to create a rainbow?

* Dark thing: The job market is atrocious and about to get worse

* Dark thing: Millions of childless elderly people—and aged parents who moved away from and dissociated from their children—are headed into old age and death without support networks

* Rainbow? There are huge business and job opportunities

We can use a recent Wall Street Journal article, More Americans Are Aging Alone. One Woman Told Us What It’s Like, for inspiration!

(Not reading every paragraph)

“Amy Kant initially thought she should name a power of attorney about 10 years ago after caring for a dying friend. She still hasn’t appointed someone to do it.

The 65-year-old is single with no children, and bound up in that choice over who should make financial decisions on her behalf are other big questions that are often intensified when aging alone. How to handle eldercare? Estate planning? Where will she live in her later years?”

* Company opportunity? Power of attorney for isolated old people?

* Easy attorney job

* Many elder law and estate planning attorneys serve as POA agents (they charge both hourly and flat fees)

* You may not need to be an attorney: Some states recognize licensed/bonded “professional fiduciaries” who can be hired to act as your agent under POA, trustee, or similar roles

* You could also take the CPA route:

* Some planners recommend using a CPA, financial advisor, or daily money manager to handle money management and, in some cases, to serve as agent under a financial POA.

* Financial planners may not advertise as “POA companies,” but they can be named personally in the document

* Less relevant: Certain not‑for‑profit care management firms (staffed by nurses, social workers, and care managers) specifically market themselves as agents under POA for older adults without family.

* But these won’t be able to keep up with demand

* What percentage of Americans over 65 have savings sufficient to cover their costs in retirement?

* Federal Reserve data, summarized by several analyses, shows that around 51–62% of households headed by someone in their mid‑60s or older have money in retirement‑specific accounts (401(k), IRA, etc.). That means roughly 4 in 10 have no retirement account at all, though they may have Social Security, pensions, or other assets.

* A 2024 analysis of Federal Reserve survey data found only about 31% of Americans of all ages feel “on track” with retirement savings, implying that even among