More Americans are living alone than ever before, according to areport by the U.S. Census Bureau: The proportion of one-personhouseholds increased by 10 percentage points between 1970 and 2012,from 17 percent to 27 percent—55 percent of these headed by women.Sixty-two percent of unmarried U.S. residents 18 and older in 2012had never been married, 24 percent were divorced, and 14 percentwere widowed.

To serve this customer niche, independent agents need to act astrusted advisors, taking the time to review their assets and theircurrent insurance coverages to ensure they're fully protected.

The Insurance InformationInstitute has developed a checklist of ways to make suresingles are fully protected. Click through the following pages tolearn how.

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1. Life Insurance

There were 13.6 million unmarried parents living with childrenin 2011, according to census numbers. Life insurance should be akey element of this customer's financial plan to ensure thatdependents will be financially secure in the event of death. Evencustomers without children can benefit from life insurance as a wayto finance final expenses or leave money to a favorite charity.Whole life or permanent life policies create a cash value that, ifnot paid out as a death benefit, can be borrowed against orwithdrawn. And if a customer is single due to divorce or the deathof a spouse, he or she may have a life insurance policy with anoutdated beneficiary designation, so be sure to advise the customerto make the appropriate policy adjustments.

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2. Disability Coverage

Singles sometimes don't think about what would happen if theywere unable to work because of accident or illness. And because 43percent of all people over age 40 will have a long-term (more than90 days) disability event by age 65, disability income insurance isa must. Although many employers offer disability coverage, somesmaller businesses may not, so encourage your singlecustomers to consider a private disability policy, whichwill replace 50 to 70 percent of their income.

Read related: “Excessive?Hardly.”

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3. Long-term Care

Although the good news is that people are living longer, thisalso makes it more likely that they'll eventually need long-termcare services—which can be expensive. Singles living alone withoutthe financial resources to pay for home health care, a nursing homeor an assisted living facility should consider long-term careinsurance. In general, this coverage is more affordable before thebuyer turns 60; there is less chance that they will be rejected,and premiums are lower the younger they are.

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4. Homeowners and Renters Insurance

Singles are somewhat more likely to rent than own their home;around 20 percent of owner-occupied homes are one-personhouseholds, while almost 40 percent of rental households areoccupied by singles, according to the Census Bureau. Becausethe landlord's insurance only covers the cost of repairing thebuilding itself in the event of a fire or other disaster, thesesingles need renters insurance to financially protect themselvesand their belongings.

Whether they're in a house, condo or co-op apartment, singlesneed the right amount and type of insurance. Althoughhomeowners insurance covers the house's structure, personalbelongings, liability and additional living expenses, residents ofcondos or co-ops need two separate policies: theirindividual insurance policy, which covers personalpossessions, liability and structural improvements to the building,and a “master policy” provided by the condo/co-op board. Thelatter covers the common areas that are shared in thebuilding, such as the roof, basement, elevator, boiler andwalkways, for both liability and physical damage.

Read related: “TheCondo Conundrum.”

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5. Auto Insurance

Singles who are recently divorced should notify their autoinsurer of a change in ownership or designated driver for anycars that were previously jointly owned. Changes of residencealso need to be reported immediately, and if either divorced spousebuys a new car, they should arrange for a new auto policybefore the car is registered. Removing a former spouse or partnerfrom the insurance policy also protects your client frompossible liability if he or she is involved in an accident and getssued. Advise singles that they can often save money by buyingauto and homeowners or renters insurance from the same insurer.

6. Retirement Income

Singles need to be more self-reliant when it comes toinvesting for retirement. Although most people willqualify for Social Security retirement income, the amount isusually not enough to pay for more than the bare necessitiesin retirement. Some will have retirement income from a “definedbenefit” type of pension plan that pays an income based ontheir final income and years of service from an employer. SocialSecurity income increases to match inflation, but defined benefitpayments do not, so they will become increasingly inadequate thelonger a person lives in retirement.

Singles with anemployer-provided 401(k)-type plan should contribute themaximum they can afford, especially if the employer matchescontributions. Those without employer retirement plans canstart their own tax-favored retirement savings plan. Uponretirement, customers may want to consider using some of theirretirement funds to buy an annuity, which pays an income forthe rest of their life.

Read related: “Pants onFire.”