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This blog wasn’t going to be about the election. However, it is in part. It deals with the fact that we have to live with the outcome of the election and many other situations in life that we lack the power to fix.  The idea for this blog gelled weeks ago when Barbara was engaged in a conversation about the topic with her first boss over lunch. Subsequently, she mentioned it to Margaret, but we were busy at that point writing about other topics. Then the Presidential election took place, which also included federal and state Senate and House races,...

Part two Q&A with author, journalist, columnist, and blogger Vicki Larson of OMG Chronicles*  Question: How much of their time are these older women willing to devote to a life partner? What are their top priorities if suddenly single after 50 and living alone for the first time in their life or since a long time ago?  Answer: Again, it depends if they desire to re-create what they had — hubby, wife, a home and shared interests and activities. Some may decide to change it up — maintain separate interests, hobbies, and friends. But they’d still be putting their romantic...

Q&A with author, journalist, columnist, and bloggerVicki Larson of OMG Chronicles*  Part One   Question: Is there a timetable as to when most women who are divorced or widowed decide to date and get involved again? If divorced, a woman may need verification that she is still desirable (like Barbara) and rush into some unhealthy, but also healthy, relationships. Have you heard this? A widow might have this fantasy that a new relationship will start the way the relationship in her marriage ended (as with Margaret). What about a feeling of betrayal to a late spouse for a widow?  Answer: I haven’t...

A major loss can be devastating whether a job, family member, your home, or any number of unexpected events. In a nanosecond, your life as you knew is derailed. You can give in to the loss, sit in a corner and metaphorically suck your thumb, or you can use it as an opportunity to navigate a new path forward. A friend of Margaret’s in her late 50s was a financial analyst for a boutique firm. Her children are out of the house, and her husband passed away almost five years ago. One morning, she walked into work, and a pink...

  By Vicki HaakGetting a good financial plan in place is no different than having a detailed road map before you head out on a journey. In this case, the journey is your life forward with as few bumps and meanderings as possible. We talked recently to Vicki L. Haak, Certified Financial Planner™ in Rhinebeck, N.Y., about the key steps for anyone widowed or divorced later in life to take. Haak, cited by Hudson Valley Magazine as one of its 2016 Five Star Wealth Managers, herself is divorced. What are the biggest financial concerns you hear from women who are 50 and older when they didn't expect...