Initiating conversations with client couples about what to do when one spouse dies is difficult, but it's in clients' best interest to have these discussions when both partners are able to participate. It's especially important for women, who are more likely to be the surviving spouse.

A study released Monday by New York Life found 68% of women reported significant life changes following the death of their spouse.

Men suffered, too, following the death of their wife, but the survey found they reported significant life changes at lower rates than women. Over half of women (55%) said adjusting to a change in income was a significant challenge they faced as a widow and 46% cited budgeting for one income, compared with 34% and 32% for men, respectively.

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.