In this episode, Christine shares her poignant journey through infertility, adoption, and the sudden loss of her husband, Brian, while their children were still young. Despite the tragedy, Christine reflects on the comfort they found in being prepared with life insurance, burial plots, and plans for their house. She delves into the myriad decisions that had to be made immediately following Brian's death, including essential house maintenance and remodeling. Christine also opens up about the uniq...
Jun 30, 2024•46 min•Ep. 39
This episode features JoAnn, a music therapist who shares her experience of losing her husband after a six-year battle with cancer. JoAnn reflects on the value of the extra time chemotherapy provided despite the health challenges it caused. It allowed her husband to witness and participate in their daughter's important milestones. As a music therapist, she made the tough decision to close her business to focus on his care. Following her husband's passing, JoAnn navigated a series of practical ye...
Jun 11, 2024•37 min•Ep. 38
This episode features Michelle, author of the fictional novel "The New Normal," inspired by her own experience as a widow. The book shares the emotions and complexities of grieving after the loss of a spouse. Even 20 years after his death, the grief will come back. She shares about losing her spouse during an adoption process and then being denied as a single adoptive parent, the double blow of losing her partner and their future family. Michelle was the primary breadwinner and shares about her ...
Jun 05, 2024•44 min•Ep. 37
Bob Aamodt, CFP® has been an advisor for over 25 years. He has been mentioned by several widows who have been interviewed on this podcast as their advisor. Bob shares his experience investing in real estate. We talk about the pros and cons of real estate investing. Spoiler, it may be more complex than you realize. If you would like to learn more about Rock House Financial and the services offered see our website https://rockhousefinancial.com/ Information expressed does not take into account you...
Apr 25, 2024•32 min•Ep. 36
Summary In this podcast episode, we explore Julie’s unique path as a widow. After her husband's unexpected passing from an aortic aneurysm, Julie's financial situation took an unexpected turn. Unlike many widows who face financial challenges, Julie's finances significantly improved following her husband's death. Throughout their 15-year marriage, Julie and her husband faced substantial financial setbacks due to his spending habits and addictions. They constantly struggled to stay afloat, resulti...
Mar 12, 2024•48 min•Ep. 35
Summary Karen faced significant hardships after the tragic motorcycle accident that took her husband's life. Suddenly finding herself as a single mother of six children, Karen had to navigate through various obstacles to ensure the well-being of her family. Having recently relocated from Michigan to Idaho, Karen and her husband were in the midst of selling their Michigan home and purchasing a new one in Idaho. However, her husband's untimely passing caused Karen to have to shoulder the responsib...
Feb 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 34
Summary In this podcast episode, we have the privilege of interviewing Chris Bentley, a financial advisor. Chris' journey began when he encountered a dear friend who had recently become widowed and realized the lack of resources available to support widows in similar situations. Rather than standing idly by, Chris decided to seize the opportunity to make a difference. In 2018, Chris founded Wings for Widows, a remarkable non-profit organization. Wings for Widows aims to provide invaluable coachi...
Jan 09, 2024•34 min•Ep. 33
Summary Just one month shy of their 20th wedding anniversary, Emily was widowed unexpectedly at the age of 37 due to Covid. Emily’s husband, Nathan, was the core of their family as the stay at home dad. They have 4 children who were ages 10 - 19 at the time. Emily shares how she left her corporate job and became self-employed founding Brave Widow and the membership community to help other young widows navigate grief, heal their heart, find hope, and dream again for their future. Not having debt ...
Dec 05, 2023•50 min•Ep. 32
When you get a big windfall like life insurance, should you use it to pay off your house? Or if you have extra monthly income should it go to paying off your house or saving? This depends on many different factors. It can be different for each individual. Consider your priorities and situation, seek help from a professional, and don’t feel rushed to make a decision. If you would like to learn more about Rock House Financial and the services offered see our website https://rockhousefinancial.com/...
Nov 21, 2023•15 min•Ep. 31
Kimberly’s husband died by suicide after being married for a very short time. They had started the process of combining finances when they first got married, including changing wills and beneficiaries. Due to this being a second marriage and such a short marriage it created conflict in the family. Kimberly had to cut her losses and make a lot of financial sacrifices to not turn it into a battle. She felt the best way to respect her husband was to work respectfully with his family. And she needed...
Nov 07, 2023•41 min•Ep. 30
One of the big reasons I see that people struggle to live on a budget or keep an emergency fund is because they are not planning for annual expenses. They consider regular monthly expenses in their budget but forget about the annual life insurance bill or the home and car maintenance. In this episode, I talk about how sinking funds or annual funds can help create a more realistic budget or spending plan. Many of these expenses are predictable and should be planned in your monthly spending allowa...
Oct 24, 2023•19 min•Ep. 29
Missy was in her 20s when her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor after just a few short years of marriage. Missy was able to quit her job and be his full-time caregiver. After seeing her father-in-law pass away and what his mom went through, they realized they needed to prepare for Stephen’s death. The gift he wanted to give Missy was to make sure everything was taken care of for her, such as titling the cars in her name, planning a funeral, putting the bank accounts in her name, and makin...
Oct 11, 2023•42 min•Ep. 28
Jasmine’s husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer while Jasmine was pregnant. There was no conversation about what would happen after he passed away. She was so unprepared for all the decisions she had to make when she was already so overwhelmed. She felt very alone, had no peers or other young widows that she knew. She couldn’t believe there was no one to help her when she felt she could not function. Years later she started her own business to be an after-loss professional, which is like a ...
Sep 26, 2023•52 min•Ep. 27
Many widows on our podcast have shared how valuable a financial advisor has been in their financial journey, so how do you find a financial advisor. Summer and Nicole discuss the issues when searching for an advisor and some tips on what to look for. Here are some places to find a fee only financial advisor: https://www.feeonlynetwork.com/ https://www.napfa.org/financial-planning/how-to-find-an-advisor If you would like to learn more about Rock House Financial and the services offered see our we...
Sep 12, 2023•31 min•Ep. 26
Anita’s husband, Jason, died very unexpectedly while swimming. She was 38 and had 4 young children. Being 4+ years out from the loss she shares all that she has had to learn about finances. And looking back at the decisions she made because of fear and how far she has come. Anita hosts a podcast for widows and so has heard what a lot of other widows have had to handle with their finances. Check out Anita’s podcast on any podcast player: Widow We Do Now On Instagram @widowwedonow If you would lik...
Sep 05, 2023•58 min•Ep. 25
Many people express how much they dislike budgeting and we can relate. So we share how to not have a micro budget, instead build structures and habits into your finances so you do not need to spend an hour budgeting every week. Disclaimer: Depending on your situation you may need a strict budget, if you find you need to change money habits or get spending under control. Consider finding a financial counselor or financial coach if you are struggling to not overspend every month. If you would like...
Aug 29, 2023•47 min•Ep. 24
Lori’s husband, Jim, passed away unexpectedly leaving her with a business and several real estate holdings. Through the process of unwinding the business and selling real estate she realized all the things she did not know and learned a lot. The key was having a great team of people to help her, a financial advisor, an accountant, a real estate agent, an attorney, and others were able to help her make decisions and work through the long process. If you would like to learn more about Rock House F...
Aug 22, 2023•50 min•Ep. 23
Nicole and Summer talk about how they use credit cards. The discuss that credit cards are a tool that can help or hurt your finances. They discuss reward points, budget behaviors, and some tips. Ultimately you need to do what works best for you. Be thoughtful and educated in your credit card usage. If you would like to learn more about Rock House Financial and the services offered see our website https://rockhousefinancial.com/ Information expressed does not take into account your specific situa...
Aug 15, 2023•35 min•Ep. 22
Summary Becca’s husband died from complications of Covid at 51. He had a financial planning business and a hedge fund he ran with several investors. She shares her experience of not being on the business documents and bank accounts and needing to unwind those businesses. As the wife of a financial planner she shares from her perspective what type of advisor to look for and how valuable an advisor can be for you. And she shares how important it was that they lived solid financial principles such ...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 21
Summary Each financial situation is unique, but many people have been saving into an IRA or pre-tax 401(k) throughout their lives. At retirement, this money will be taxable upon withdrawal. However, converting the money to a Roth IRA could change that. Summer and Nicole share stories of real clients who decided a Roth conversion was right for their situation. Taxes, charitable gifts, and inheritance all come into consideration when making this decision. But depending on the situation, this can b...
Aug 02, 2023•28 min•Ep. 20
Each financial situation is unique, but many people have been saving into an IRA or pre-tax 401(k) throughout their lives. At retirement, this money will be taxable upon withdrawal. However, converting the money to a Roth IRA could change that. Summer and Nicole share stories of real clients who decided a Roth conversion was right for their situation. Taxes, charitable gifts, and inheritance all come into consideration when making this decision. But depending on the situation, this can be a grea...
Jul 25, 2023•28 min•Ep. 19
When Perri Ann’s husband passed away, she was left with major debts and barely able to afford the funeral. His prolonged sickness and care left them without income for several years. Unfortunately, he had no life insurance or employee benefits to keep them afloat. Financially, they were at rock bottom after his passing, and Perri Ann had to rebuild her life. She graduated from pharmacy school, began a career, and started saving for retirement. She changed her money behaviors from a spending ment...
Jul 18, 2023•51 min•Ep. 18
If you tune out or shy away from conversations about investing, this episode is for YOU. Summer and Nicole explain and discuss the basics of investing to help equip their listeners with entry-level understanding. The reality is, you cannot run away from this topic forever. Especially if you are a widow! This episode is a great first step if all the investing talk goes over your head. Education is the first step toward financial freedom. Resources For the 20 Years ending in 2021 The S&P 500 a...
Jul 11, 2023•57 min•Ep. 17
Cindy lost her husband to a sudden and unexpected heart attack. He was not yet 50 years old. They had six children, four of them were still living in the home when he passed. Shattered, Cindy relied on those around her to lift her up and helped her deal with her grief, raising her kids, and sorting out her finances. In this raw and vulnerable episode, Cindy explains how she moved forward. Her biggest takeaway? Live in the moment because life is short. Resources If you would like to learn more ab...
Jul 05, 2023•44 min•Ep. 16
Many widows need to sell their home or a rental or business after losing their spouse. What are the tax implications? Nicole and Summer talk through some different scenarios and some tax saving ideas. Make sure you get that step up in basis at the death of your spouse. And keep good records on the improvements to your real estate. Resources https://www.kitces.com/blog/step-up-in-basis-gifting-assets-spouses-estate-tax-unrealized-gains-separate-property-states/ If you would like to learn more abo...
Jun 27, 2023•38 min•Ep. 15
Audrey shares her story about losing her husband from cancer with 18 month old twins. She shares the journey of years of treatments knowing they had a terminal diagnosis, raising her kids, developing her career, and pursuing her goals. She talks the journey to get out of survival mode to prosperity. If you would like to learn more about Rock House Financial and the services offered see our website https://rockhousefinancial.com/ This testimonial was provided by a current client. The client was n...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 14
Social Security is a key benefit for widows. For many widows it is the only safety net they have when a spouse dies. For those who may have other assets like life insurance or retirement accounts, Social Security will still be a huge part of their financial plan. Here are some topics we cover: When can I get Social Security Survivor Benefits? Should I take my own Social Security or my Survivor Benefit? How much will my children get in Social Security Survivor Benefits? How long do Survivor Benef...
Jun 13, 2023•30 min•Ep. 13
Social Security plays a very important role in your finances. It’s not the most interesting topic and can be complex but you should be educated on the basics of this system as many people unknowingly discount the impact Social Security will have on their retirement or for their survivors. Here are some topics we cover: Will Social Security be there for me? At what age can I take Social Security? What is the spousal benefit? How do I know how much I get? Should I delay taking my benefits? Check o...
Jun 06, 2023•43 min•Ep. 12
Deb has had many life experiences, losing her mom at 8 years old, getting married later in life, losing her husband in her 50s, having infertility and adopting a daughter, building a career and retiring, and then getting remarried to another widower. She talks about the principles of building a great foundation with your career and staying out of debt. And how important it is to have your legal preparations done, including a will, trust, and prenup. Resources If you would like to learn more abou...
May 30, 2023•51 min•Ep. 11
Summary One month after COVID-19 pandemic began, Marie unexpectedly lost her husband of 33 years. Despite this shocking loss, Marie was prepared in several ways to handle her finances and her new reality. She and Rob had completed their estate planning documents, she had a career in education, and even a list of passwords and logins put together. Her best advice to women is to “get your life in order,” because life never quite goes how you might plan. Resources If you would like to learn more ab...
May 16, 2023•44 min•Ep. 10
