On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Kathleen Rehl on grace: the third stage of widowhood. On previous podcasts, Kathleen has discussed grief and growth, the first two stages of widowhood. Grace, also called “transformation” by some, is the final stage of widowhood. Kathleen begins by mentioning that at this point a widow may begin advanced financial planning, i.e. advanced estate planning. Becoming confident in her own independence, she may become involved in other efforts such as philanthropic giving. Similarly, Her mindset has been shifted to now share her hopes, values and dreams with future generations. Kathleen mentions, however, that not all widows make it to this stage. This could be a result of the comfort of the growth stage. Ultimately, feeling financially secure is the biggest need of all widows. Kathleen closes with a personal experience, explaining the expected overlapping of the three stages of widowhood. 
If you are a widow or know of a widow who is in the third phase of widowhood called Grace, you have come a long way on your journey, but you still may need help with advanced planning. At Intelligent Investing, we’d love to have a conversation with you to discuss advanced estate planning, philanthropy or your legacy. We understand your need to feel financially secure, and we’d love to help you sleep at night knowing you have a coordinated financial plan and portfolio. 
On upcoming podcasts, Kathleen will talk about the three stages of widowhood- Grief, Growth, and Grace, so be sure to subscribe by clicking here.
Kathleen Rehl Bio
Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, CeFT® wrote the multi-award-winning book, Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows. Experiencing widowhood herself, Dr. Rehl empowers widows financially™ and inspires their advisors. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, AARP Bulletin, CNBC, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Journal of Financial Service Professionals, Journal of Financial Planning, and other publications. Rehl owned a financial planning firm for 17 years before retiring to her “encore” career. She walks an hour daily, practices yoga, enjoys art and music festivals, writes poetry and makes art, loves her grandsons . . . and continues to evolve on her journey.