What Widows Need to Know: How to Prepare for a Spouse's Death

Being the Moderator on a Grief Discussion Board, has required me to deal with death on a daily basis. One of the issues that frequently comes up is the information that women need to know before the death of a husband. Having gone through this recently with my own widowed mom, I can assure you that there is a great deal of business to be taken care of. It is imperative that every husband and wife sit down and discuss these things before a death occurs. It is so vital to know where important documents are. Every widow will need to be knowledgeable concerning life insurance policies, pension plans, bank accounts (checking and savings), social security, retirement benefits, CDs, etc. It is also important to know about medical insurance, whether you're covered as a dependent, and if the coverage will continue after his death. Is there a will? Where is it located? Who is the administrator? You need to be informed about all property that is owned jointly or individually. There should be copies made of the titles to all of the vehicles, as well as current auto insurance information. It is good to have a trusted attorney designated to help with estate questions.

My widowed mom recently had to deal with obtaining new property insurance coverage, because so many of the insurance companies in Florida are canceling their plans, due to frequent hurricane damage. (This required an audit, and information concerning the age of the air conditioner, the type of wiring the house contained, the age of the roof and the hot water heater, and many other facts that only my father knew. We were very stressed by the amount of detailed information required.) So it would be a good idea to document any major purchases, and file the information where it is readily accessible.