[Carl in Tampa]

In my experience, at least half of the couples who I socialize with are in their second (or later) marriages. This is sometimes because of divorce, but often it is because the first mates have died.

Additionally, you will find a lot of couples who live together but are not married. This is often due to complicated financial arrangements. The woman in the relationship may be receiving a benefit from the death of her husband that will cease if she remarries, causing a drastic reduction in household income. And if the new marriage should dissolve, she may find herself with little or no income.

For others, the combining of assets in marriage may make relationships difficult if both people have grown children with certain expectations of inheritance.

In the 1960s the city of St. Petersburg was reputedly the Florida city with the most retirees. There was some moral outrage when it was learned that a large number of the retired couples were not married. It was explained that the issue was the loss of Social Security benefits if the couples married.

St. Petersburg was dubbed a "Pooped Peyton Place."