(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jan Mutchler, University of Massachusetts Boston (THE CONVERSATION) Older Americans who want to live independently face serious economic challenges. Half who live alone don't have enough income to afford even a bare-bones budget in their home communities, and nearly 1 in 4 couples face the same problem. Those numbers add up to at least 11 million older adults who are struggling to make ends meet, a new analysis shows. The numbers are worse for older people of color. Dramatically higher percentages of Black, Latino and Asian older adults live on incomes that don't meet their cost of living, even with Social Security. That can mean skipping needed health care, not having enough food, living in unhealthy conditions or having to move in with family. These disparities often reflect lifelong disadvantages that add up as people of color encounter structural racism and discrimination that shape their ability to buy property and save for the future. To calculate realistic rates of economic insecurity and estimate the disparities, my colleagues and I used the Elder Index, created by the University of Massachusetts Boston to measure the true cost of living for older adults. It tracks expenses for housing, health care, transportation, food and other basics, county by county. We paired the index with state-level income data to determine the percentage of people who don't have enough income to cover their cost of living. When we compared this information by race or ethnicity, wide disparities in economic security became apparent. Disadvantages and stress add up The disadvantages people of color face can extend through their lifetimes and can pass on to future...