After losing a spouse.

Working through your financial picture with someone who has guided others through this, at a pace that fits your life.

In the weeks and months after a spouse's death, surviving partners face a sequence of financial decisions at the worst possible time to make them.

Some of those decisions are genuinely urgent. Most are not, despite feeling that way. Distinguishing one from the other is the first piece of work we do together.

The financial picture shifts as well. Accounts retitle, beneficiaries shift, Social Security changes, insurance benefits pay out, tax filing status shifts. Retirement projections built around two people now have to work for one.

None of that needs to be figured out alone, and very little of it needs to be figured out immediately.

We slow down what doesn't need to be decided immediately, help you navigate and prioritize the work, and walk you through the rest at a pace that fits your life.

There is no single timeline for this work. Here is how we typically help; every situation is different.

The immediate weeks
We help you understand what needs to happen in the first 60 to 90 days (and what can wait). Account retitling, beneficiary updates, Social Security notifications, life insurance claims, and coordination with your attorney on estate filings. We help you navigate and prioritize the operational work, and we coordinate with your other advisors where appropriate.

The first year
We help you understand your financial picture as it is now, not the one you built together. Income, expenses, retirement projections, tax considerations, and what your decisions look like going forward. Most major decisions can wait until this picture is clear.

The years that follow
We help you rebuild a plan that fits your life going forward. Retirement timing, estate updates, gifting decisions, what to do with the house, how to think about the next chapter. The work is yours to lead; we walk alongside it.

Common questions.

Questions surviving spouses ask us most often.

What needs to happen first?+

Three things to prioritize: notifying Social Security, starting the death benefit claim, and reaching out to your attorney about estate filings. Account retitling and beneficiary updates matter but rarely have to happen in the first weeks. We help you sort what's truly urgent from what only feels urgent.

I was not the one who managed our finances. Where do I start?+

You can start by understanding what you have: your accounts, policies, and income sources. We help gather and discuss all of that with you in plain language, before recommending anything. For many people in this situation, it is the first time they have had their full financial picture organized in one place.

What if my spouse had a different financial advisor?+

We are happy to coordinate with your spouse's existing advisor or to take on the relationship ourselves, whichever is right for you. There's no obligation in either direction, the first conversation is just about understanding your situation and what you need.

How quickly do I need to make decisions about investments and the estate?+

Most major decisions can and should wait. The first year is usually about understanding your picture, not changing it. Estate decisions follow their own timeline driven by your attorney. Investment decisions can follow yours.

What if I am not ready to talk about any of this yet?+

That is understandable and you shouldn’t rush. The conversation is available when you are. There's no preparation required and no commitment created by meeting with us. Some clients find that a single conversation clarifies things, even if they don’t take action for months.

If you'd like to talk through what you are navigating, we are here.