SINGLES NEED TO LEARN HOW TO ARTICULATE FINANCIAL DISCRIMINATION OF SINGLES
(These thoughts are purely the blunt, no nonsense personal opinions of the author and are not intended to provide personal or financial advice).
In last post of July 25, 2016 (program) it was shown how the new Canada Child Benefit program is a source of discontent for families and how financial discrimination of singles continues.
This post also showed how singles feel they have been left out of the financial process and how most families will bash singles whenever they express despair about this fact. (Ever singles and early divorced singles without children are made to help pay for Canada Child Benefit while families with high net worth are still able to profit from the Child Benefit and other benefits).
As has been stated many times by this blog author, families will talk about about how their ‘hearts are eternally and inexplicably changed’ when bearing their children, but same hearts appear to become ‘hearts of stone’ in financial matters when these same children become adult singles, low income or no income persons and families. These disadvantaged persons are tossed out or are made to be less important in financial formulas and decision-making processes. It is like families become financially dissociated or detached from their children, siblings and relatives that are single without children. Singles are made invisible and excluded from financial formulas by families, politicians and governments.
In last post comments from singles on the Canada Child Benefit were itemized. The one common theme running through all these comments is the dissatisfaction with financial discrimination, but no articulation of what needs to change. When singles are commenting online or by other means, comments without substantiation will just produce more financial bashing of singles.
SINGLES NEED TO LEARN HOW TO ARTICULATE HOW THEY ARE BEING FINANCIALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BY:
–Educate, educate, educate while stating facts– It is a sad fact that most families, businesses, financial gurus, politicians and government will not have a clue about what singles are talking about when it comes to financial discrimination. Most will get that glazed look in their eyes and state it costs less for singles to live and children are more important. And unfortunately, the education of others will have to occur over and over again until there is maybe one fact that will stick to achieve an ‘ah, ha’ moment. Also, singles will need to be prepared for anger, defensiveness and a whole range of other negative emotions from people they are trying to educate.
–Show examples – This cannot be stressed enough. It is often the examples that will produce understanding of the financial discrimination of singles. For example:
— show copy of ‘Six Reasons Why Married or Coupled Persons Able to Achieve More Financial Power (Wealth) than Single Persons’ (six-reasons)
—show an outline of your budget
—give copies of articles that show how much it costs singles to live
— show examples of how financially privileged families are becoming with benefits like the Child Benefit program (tax-credits)
— show examples of how financially privileged families have become with the benefits upon benefits they receive. (An example of benefits upon benefits is this statement: From time couple with children is married to time one spouse dies couple will have possibly received shower, wedding, baby gifts, paid maternity/paternity leave, child benefits, TFSA/RRSP benefits times two, RESP grants, reduced taxes, pension-splitting and possible survivor death benefits. Singles get none of these benefits while supporting families through payment of taxes to support these benefits-show this statement when talking about financial privilege of families).
— show visual examples of graphs, pictures, etc. that give information on all the benefits that one family unit will receive over the family unit comprised of single persons, for example, financial silos (financial-illiteracy)
— show statistics from studies like ‘Living wage for Guelph and Wellington 2013 (Report) that itemize what it costs a single person to stay off the streets.
—become knowledgeable about different levels of status of singles (marital status). For example, rebuttals will often state singles are included in financial formulas, when in fact, the only singles more likely to be included are single parents and widowed persons. (Updated August 7, 2016)
– Provide solutions – Provide solutions to financial decision makers, one example is to use cost of living equivalence standards (singles) for financial formulas. It is a false statement to say that cost of living for a single person is one half of a married or coupled family unit of two. Rather, some statistics show cost of living for family unit of a single person is approximately 70% of a married or coupled family unit of two. Singles deserve equal representation in financial formulas according to what it costs them to live.
– Spread the word – Tell other singles about financial discrimination, and above all, lobby all decision makers (families, businesses, politicians and government) about inclusion of singles in financial formulas.
– Get out and vote! All financial lives matter. Stop the financial discrimination of singles!
(This blog is of a general nature about financial discrimination of individuals/singles. It is not intended to provide personal or financial advice).
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