My Widowed Money: Recent Episodes
Richard Dri
Welcome to the My Widowed Money podcast, a safe and reliable place to obtain information about life after the loss of a spouse. Our host Richard Dri is a financial planner, father of three, and a surviving spouse. Losing his wife propelled Richard into helping the widowed community cope with, and understand, the many transitions after loss. Join him as he provides insight into rediscovering joy after heartache, practical financial knowledge, and stories from his widowed point-of-view.
Every experience of a widow or widower can vary greatly.
Therefore, we decided to speak with another widow about her own experience and how she coped with the loss of her husband both emotionally and professionally, as an entrepreneur.
In this episode, Richard interviews Monica Rok, a wife and mother that has been a member of the widow community for 10+ years. Listen as Monica shares her story, and offers many great tips and words of wisdom.
Together, Richard and Monica discuss:
- How she handled the unexpected death of her husband, Andrew
- Her feelings on having to assume control of their independent business
- What happened when she started dating, and her advice to others navigating new chapters after loss
- The importance of seeking help when you are grieving
- And more!
Resource:
- CEO Global Network
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
- Subscribe to the My Widowed Money Blog
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
When your spouse passes away, the decision to sell the family home is a hard one.
Should I stay? Is selling a financially wise move?
In this episode, Richard and Palma sit down with Irene Kaushansky, owner/broker of KB Real Estate Team, a Keller Williams Portfolio Realty Brokerage to talk about the difficult decision widows and widowers face when deciding whether or not to sell their home.
Listen in as they discuss:
- Palma and Richard’s experiences and emotions surrounding buying or selling
- Richard’s reasons for selling his house, and how his opinion has changed over time
- How the status of the market doesn’t really impact you when you downsize
- Financial options to consider if you want to continue staying in your home
- Irene’s insight on the real estate market in Toronto for 2023
- And more!
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
- Subscribe to the My Widowed Money Blog
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Would you believe me if I told you that there’s a way to invest tax-free?
Sounds too good to be true?
In this episode, Richard and Palma cover the ins and outs of Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). They explain how you can obtain one, what the contribution limits are, as well as the types of investments that can be included. In addition, they discuss how TFSAs differ from RRSPs and why itshow a TFSA account can be accessed by a widow or widower.
Join Richard and Palma as they discuss:
- The basics of TFSAs and how it differs from a RRSP
- Why you need to select a beneficiary and inform others of your choice
- What type of investments can be part of your TFSA account and their tax advantages
- The importance of using a TFSA as an emergency fund
- And more!
Resources:
- My Widowed RRSP (Ep. 6)
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
- Subscribe to the My Widowed Money Blog
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
In life there are many certainties, like death and taxes. But, what about RRSPs?
Losing a spouse significantly changes your life, including your retirement plans.
This is why it is crucial that you consider four key factors to help you prepare for a change in your retirement plans should you or your spouse enter the widow community.
Join Richard and Palma as they talk about the basics of RRSPs, what happens to the RRSP after a spouse passes away, and the tax components you must know to maximize your returns.
Listen and learn about:
- What happens to an RRSP account after a spouse dies
- How to rollover the RRSP to your spouse on a tax-free basis
- The importance of confirming your beneficiary
- Richard’s rule of thumb on how to meet your retirement goal
- And more!
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
- Subscribe to the My Widowed Money Blog
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
It can be terribly tough to get through a day centred around love when you no longer have your spouse by your side.
What can you do to avoid feelings of overwhelming grief, sadness, and even guilt on a day like Valentine’s Day?
In this episode, Richard and Palma share how they approached February 14th for the first time after becoming widowed, and how their perspective and feelings have changed in the years since they lost their partners.
Additionally, they explain the importance of discussing finances with a new partner, when the time is right.
Join Richard and Palma as they chat about:
- How having a dog can emotionally help people who have lost a loved one
- Palma’s strategies to acknowledge grief on Valentine’s Day
- The appropriate time to start dating another person, and how to share the news with your children
- And more!
Resources:
- Eckhart Tolle
- Scotia Wealth Management Blog: Please Send Help My Wife is Spending Too Much Money
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
- Subscribe to the My Widowed Money Blog
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Grieving is the natural response to a loved one’s death. This process involves several stages that we must be aware of.
And no one should question how you handle each stage. How you deal with loss is a personal experience.
In this episode, Richard Dri and Palma Polesel explain the five stages of the grieving process, and how emotions like anger, depression, and sadness have affected them personally as surviving spouses.
Join Richard and Palma as they discuss:
- The state of denial and shock when your spouse passes away
- How both Richard and Palma felt angry when they lost their spouses
- The negative effects depression can have on your finances
- Why acceptance and moving forward is different for everyone
- And more!
Resources:
- On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler
- On Death & Dying by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- Intuit Mint – Managing Money Made Simple
- The Steps To Take Immediately After the Death of a Spouse or Partner (Ep. 2)
- The Steps To Take Within 3-6 Months After the Death of a Spouse or Partner. (Ep. 3)
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
- Subscribe to the My Widowed Money Blog
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Do you have a will?
Have you been made the executor of a will?
There are so many questions when it comes to inheriting assets from someone who has died, therefore it’s crucial to be knowledgeable, and organized in order to prevent unnecessary stress.
In this episode, Richard Dri and Palma Polesel explain some of the necessary tasks that need to be handled after the passing of your spouse. They address the high importance of having a will, appointing a guardian for minor children, and how to transfer assets to beneficiaries.
Listen as Richard and Palma discuss:
- Details about wills, and the importance of having one
- The three areas of focus for when making or updating a will
- How in Ontario, the Succession Law Reform Act affects those without a will
- The importance of having mortgage insurance
- How the living spouse can benefit from RRSPs, Pension Plans and Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA)
- And more!
Resources:
- Succession Law Reform Act
- Angus Reid Institute
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Your spouse has died. Now what do you do?
The steps to take after you lose a loved one can be complex, and stressful. To help you with the emotional, and legal processes, you need to be organized. For many, it is hard to focus on tasks because you are in the midst of grief and sorrow.
In this episode of My Widowed Money, Richard and Palma talk about the steps to take when your spouse, or someone close to you passes.
Richard and Palma discuss:
- How to communicate the death of a loved one with family and friends
- The process of choosing a funeral home, cemetery, and type of burial for your loved one.
- How you can pre-plan for your funeral and mitigate the associated high costs
- Financial benefits that the children or the surviving spouse may be eligible for
- How to truly help someone who has lost an important person in their lives
- And more!
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Welcome to the first episode of the My Widowed Money podcast!
In this inaugural episode, you’ll get to know Richard Dri and his co-host Palma Polesel, and how they became members of the widowed community. They share the experiences that came with loss of a spouse, and explain how this podcast aims to provide financial and emotional guidance to widows and widowers.
Richard and Palma discuss:
- How Richard’s late wife Mary was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, the difficult process for him and his family before and after her death.
- How his wife’s story inspired him to start this podcast
- Palma’s similar experience with her late husband, Dave
- The mission of the My Widowed Money podcast
- And more!
Connect with Richard Dri:
- richard.dri@scotiawealth.com
- LinkedIn: Richard Dri
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group
Connect with Palma Polesel:
- LinkedIn: Palma Polesel
- Join the My Widowed Money Facebook Group