Things to consider when losing a spouse

be addressed, and your attorney can tell you determine which ones apply to you.

3. Contact social security. Your benefits may change after a spouse’s passing so you’ll need to notify them A sAP.

is not the time to go it alone.

By Eric Reich

Losing a loved one is always hard, and when that loved one is a spouse, it becomes even more difficult. to make matters worse, there are a lot of things that need to be done and decisions to be made especially at a time when you may not be thinking clearly because of your grief. this week I thought we would explore a list of some things that need to get done so that you don’t miss any important steps that you need to take. these are not necessarily in order.

1. Contact the funeral home and make arrangements. Don’t forget to consider veteran’s arrangements if applicable. Ask them to help you get additional copies of the death certificate. You almost always need more copies than you think.

2. Call your attorney. there are many legal things that may need to

4. Review/cancel their health insurance. If insurance is provided by a former employer, you will need to contact them.

5. Contact your spouse’s pension company if applicable.

6. Notify the life insurance company and file a claim. this is typically a very easy process so don’t put this one off for later. the sooner you get the funds the better in order to help you with all of the expenses.

7. If your spouse was a veteran, then you should contact the VA to see if there are any benefits payable to you.

8. Notify banks (change account names), credit cards (remove spouse or close accounts), mortgage companies, insurance companies, and all other important bills (change into your name only).

9. Contact your CPA to discuss all of the issues unique to this tax year. this is a great time to retain a CPA if you’ve been doing it yourself. Now

10. Contact your financial advisor. You will need to change account titles, file beneficiary paperwork for IRAs, 401k(s), etc.

11. Retitle any assets (real property, cars, etc.) in your spouse’s name to your own.

12. Prepare and probate the estate. Your CPA or attorney can often help with this step.

13. u pdate your own estate plan. If your spouse was your beneficiary, then you’ll need to update all of your accounts, insurance policies, estate documents, etc. in order to reflect your new beneficiaries.

Just as important as all of these items are, it’s equally important to understand the things that you shouldn’t be doing as well. Do not do the following things.

1. Don’t make big decisions that you are not required to make. You don’t need to decide to keep or sell the house and move away right now. You need time to adjust to your new situation and snap decisions could be regrettable ones if they’re made without a “clear head”.

2. Don’t make major purchases. this is a time when I often see people spend more money than normal. sometimes it’s due to a lack of focus on finances and sometimes it is due to wanting to “live for today”. Either way, now is a really important time to focus on your finances, and not let them get away from you.

3. Don’t be quick to give away money, or “stuff”. Often, I see clients giving away larger gifts to children after a spouse passes or their own or the deceased spouses possessions. First you need to fully understand your new financial situation before you can adequately access whether or not these gifts make sense. giving away a spouse’s possessions needs to be well thought out. If not, family rifts can occur because your spouse may have had conversations with children regarding certain possessions that you might not be aware of.

It's important to have a checklist to follow during this difficult time in order to keep a bad situation from becoming worse. I hope this helps!

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Reich Asset Management, LLC is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation. To view form CRS visit https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures.

Eric is President and founder of Reich Asset Management, LLC. He relies on his 25 years of experience to help clients have an enjoyable retirement. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Investment Management AnalystSM (CIMA®) and has earned his Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designations. A lifelong resident of Cape May County, Eric resides in Seaville, NJ with his wife Chrissy and their sons ,CJ and Cooper, and daughter Riley.

By Tammy Thornton

Last month, we explored ways to make your basil plants more productive. If you are fortunate, hot summer days, good watering, and careful pruning have led to a bumper crop of basil in your garden. But now we have the happy “problem” of what to do with all of that basil? Of course, the obvious answer is to make pounds of pesto. Making pesto from your abundance of basil not only gives you a tasty meal now, but freezing homemade pesto will allow you to enjoy your garden bounty this winter as well.

Once you have made your own pesto, you will never be content with store-bought. And to be honest, making your own takes less time than fighting the lines at the store. If it’s your first time, don’t be intimidated, pesto is easy to make, very forgiving, and adaptable to using various different ingredients. Once you master the basics, you can substitute ingredients and play around with the process. For the quick summary: simply whiz up some basil, pine nuts, garlic, grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, and olive oil in a food processor and you are ready for pasta night.

Now, let’s fine tune things a bit. t hough I’m the substitute queen, some ingredients are non-negotiable. You absolutely must use fresh basil, extra points if you grew your own. If you even considered using dried basil, we can’t be friends. Extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed) is another necessity. Pesto has very few ingredients, so make sure you use the best of each one for optimum flavor. Now things get a bit blurry. If your Nonna taught you to make pesto, best to stick to tradition or you could cause a family feud. But at this point you can shake things up a bit. Normally, pesto calls for pine nuts. However, if your friends or family have an allergy, you don’t have to be pesto-less. Other options are: walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), or sunflower seeds. though I’m usually a purist and prefer straight up basil, you can also add spinach, parsley, arugula, and a hint of mint to your pesto. Now let’s add some small extra steps. You can skip these steps, but they only take a few extra minutes and can greatly enhance the flavor of your pesto. First, toast your pine nuts (or nut of choice) in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Watch them closely since pine nuts can quickly burn. t his step should take less than a minute, but will cause the pine nuts to release their oils, giving them a richer flavor. Pour the pine nuts into your food processor and allow them to cool. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan, roughly chop two large cloves of garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. slightly cooking the garlic will mellow its pungency. You can also roast the entire head of garlic in the oven, use half in the pesto and the other half on a slice of toasted Italian bread. While some recipes suggest blanching the basil leaves to help them maintain their bright green color, a squeeze of lemon juice can do the trick as well. I also zest some of the lemon into the food processor, because when I’m holding citrus, I feel compelled to use my microplane grater. A slight amount of lemon zest and juice will add a bright flavor to your pesto. Adding a layer of olive oil to the pesto once it’s prepared will also help it stay green.

Gnocchi with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.

When it comes to salt, use a light hand, because salty opinions are very subjective. Keep in mind that you would not use equal measurements for kosher salt, sea salt, and common table salt. Always start with a minimal amount and add to taste. For my pesto I used one teaspoon of kosher salt, but added ½ a teaspoon at a time. Cheese will also add saltiness to your dish, so under-salt at first. If you plan to freeze your pesto or have a vegetarian daughter, leave the cheese out until you are ready to serve your dish. You can use hand grated parmesan or pecorino cheese or 50/50 of each. Do not use the stuff in the green bottle.

Writing out recipes makes me cringe because everyone has different tastes and your garlic might be milder than my garlic. Recipes are like the prompt your composition teacher gives you to send you on your way to originality. But here is a guideline to get you started. Pulse ¼ cup of toasted pine nuts with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, two cloves of garlic, and ½ cup parmesan or pecorino cheese (if freezing, leave out the cheese until you make your dish). After pulsing with the food processor a few times, add ¼ to ½ cup of olive oil, two compacted cups of fresh basil leaves, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pulse a few more times until you achieve the desired consistency. Add more salt and olive oil as needed.

Besides pasta, use your pesto over roasted vegetables, chicken, fish, or gnocchi. I see a chicken ciabatta with mozzarella and pesto in my future. Freeze extra pesto in muffin liners then pop into a freezer bag once frozen. Your future self will thank you when they are enjoying a taste of summer on a dreary winter day.

6-MONTH 15-MONTH

3.75% APY 5.00% APY Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.

85 August 17, 2023