He's Gone But The Money's Not
by Nicole Roberts CFP® & Summer Parry
Being a widow comes with a variety of unique challenges—including facing the dreaded personal finances. But maybe with the right tools and the right attitude, it doesn't have to be so bad. On He's Gone but the Money's Not, hear success stories of widows who have made it through the financial forest after losing their spouses. Learn how they cope with and address their personal finances after their world has turned upside down. Hosts Summer and Nicole bring these stories to light and will help you understand key financial topics that will put you on the road to financial success.
Episodes
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Infertility, Adoption, Disabilities, and Widowhood | Interview with Christine
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...
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From Caregiving to Widowhood | Interview with JoAnn
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…
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Finding New Normal After Losing a Husband | Interview with Author Michelle
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...
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Should You Invest In Real Estate? | Interview with Bob Aamodt, CFP®
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...
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Improved Finances after the Loss of a Spouse | An Interview with Julie
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...
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Job Loss, Relocation, a Bad Economy and Loss | An Interview with Karen
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...
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Finding Guidance After the Loss of a Spouse | An Interview with Chris Bentley
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...
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Losing Your Stay At Home Spouse | Interview With Emily
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…
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Should a Widow Pay Off Her House?
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,...
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Blended Family Issues after Death | Interview with Kimberly
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…
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Why Budgeting Isn’t Working For Widows
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...
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The Gift of Being Prepared | Interview with Missy
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…
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Overwhelmed with the After Loss To-Dos | Interview with Jasmine
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…
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How To Choose a Financial Advisor
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...
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I Have Come So Far | Interview with Anita
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...
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How to Not Budget
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,...
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Selling a Business and Real Estate | Interview with Lori
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…
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Credit Card Rewards, Are They Worth It?
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…
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The Wife of a Financial Advisor | Interview with Becca
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…
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What is a Roth Conversion?
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...
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Why Do a Roth Conversion?
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...
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Changing Money Habits IS Possible | An Interview with Perri Ann
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...
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Investing 101: Learn the Basics
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...
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Learning to Live in the Moment | An Interview with Cindy
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…
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What Taxes Will I Pay When I Sell My Home?
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…
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I Am Not a Victim | Interview with Audrey From Survival to Prosperity
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...
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Part 2: Social Security Survivor Benefits
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…
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Part 1: Social Security Basics
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…
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Have Your Legal Ducks in A Row | An Interview with Deb
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...
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Get Your Life in Order | An Interview with Marie
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…
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Don't know where to start saving?
Saving money sounds like a good idea, but the logistics might feel daunting. In this episode, we discuss options and priorities for saving. From emergency funds to Roth IRAs to education accounts, this episode helps clarify your options for saving. Resources Source: Americans Can’t Cover a $400...
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Should you save into a Roth or Traditional retirement account?
One benefit of putting money in a retirement account can be the tax savings. In this episode we talk about two different types of tax advantages you can elect when saving for retirement. The first is pre-tax often called traditional and the second is Roth. We cover saving into 401ks and IRAs. If...
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A Tax Savings Tip: Use your Health Savings Account
Health Savings accounts can be a great way to save for unexpected medical costs and can also provide tax savings. We discuss different strategies when using your HSA depending on if your goals are to save for an emergency or invest for later medical expenses. Check out other resources here Nicole...
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Why Everyone needs an Emergency Fund
Having money set aside for emergencies brings huge relief and peace of mind. In this episode we discuss how much to put aside, where to put it, and when to use it. Resources For high-yield savings accounts, check out NerdWallet Top 5 High-Yield Savings Accounts or Bank Rate: Best High-Yield…
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Learning Her New Role After an Expected Loss | Interview with Brynn
Matt was diagnosed with terminal cancer after 17 years of marriage to his wife Brynn. After a long battle, he passed away. Although Matt and Brynn had many discussions and preparations regarding their finances prior to his passing, there were still discoveries and surprises for Brynn like...
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Why are Widows a Target for Annuities?
Annuities are complex insurance products that have compelling benefits especially for individuals nervous about market volatility. Come learn about the pros and cons of annuities with us. Why annuities are often targeted to widows. And why it's a buyer beware situation if you are considering...
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How Your Childhood Impacts Your Finances
Everyone has a background with money. How they think and feel about it depends on their experiences, starting with childhood. In this episode, we discuss these money scripts and help you to understand what your own money behaviors are and why. If you would like to learn more about Rock House...
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Be Prepared, Don't Think It Won't Happen to You: Interview with Melinda
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 situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual....
About this show
Being a widow comes with a variety of unique challenges—including facing the dreaded personal finances. But maybe with the right tools and the right attitude, it doesn't have to be so bad. On He's Gone but the Money's Not, hear success stories of widows who have made it through the financial forest after losing their spouses. Learn how they cope with and address their personal finances after their world has turned upside down. Hosts Summer and Nicole bring these stories to light and will help you understand key financial topics that will put you on the road to financial success.
Hosted by
Nicole Roberts CFP® & Summer Parry
Categories