"Gray" Divorce

After almost 40 years of marriage, Mary has gone through a very emotional divorce.


Previously, she had not been very involved in the family finances and relied on her ex-husband to make most of the major financial decisions.


Having been a stay-at-home mom for her children and later serving as a caregiver for her ailing mother, Mary has a very limited work history.

Having previously relied on her ex-husband to manage their finances, she now must navigate this unfamiliar territory by herself.


Despite receiving a sizeable amount of retirement assets in the divorce, she lacks sufficient work history to qualify for Social Security on her own and will be relying on ex-spousal Social Security benefits.

Widowed                                 

Questions You May Have

  • When should I start ex-spousal Social Security benefits, and what are the eligibility criteria?
  • Will I still be eligible for survivor benefits if my ex-husband pre-deceases me?
  • What happens to my Social Security benefits if I ever decide to get re-remarried?
  • What should I do about healthcare before becoming eligible for Medicare?
  • Should I work? Even if it's part-time.
  • How would I prepare an effective budget that will allow me to cover my day-to-day expenses and provide the opportunity to travel and spend time with family?
  • How much income can my investment and retirement assets provide, and which accounts should I draw from first?
  • What estate planning strategies will allow me to pass my estate to my children efficiently?
  • How will I pay for long-term care if I'm not currently living close to children and grandchildren?

Note: The above is hypothetical and does not involve an actual Blake Wealth Management client. No portion of the content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience the same or certain level of results or satisfaction if Blake Wealth Management is engaged to provide investment advisory services.

Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap™

Our complimentary process to help you answer your most important retirement questions.

This process will also help you evaluate our services and make an
informed decision about working together.

Get Started ➡