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Free Download · For Recent Widows

The Widow's Penalty Survival Guide — what to do in the first 3 years

Filing-status changes, year-of-death tax decisions, the bracket jump in year 2 that doubles taxes, survivor Social Security choices, and the deductions that disappear. The 5-step plan no financial advisor walks you through.

What you'll get

A printable 5-step guide covering the decisions a recent widow has to make — and the trap that catches almost everyone in year 2 if nobody warned them in advance.

  1. Step 1 — The year-of-death tax decisionYou can still file Married Filing Jointly in the year your spouse passed. This year saves the most. Don't waste it.
  2. Step 2 — The Qualifying Surviving Spouse window (years 1-2 if you have a dependent child)Two more years of MFJ rates — most widows don't know this exists, leave money on the table.
  3. Step 3 — The bracket trap in year 2 or year 3Same income, single filer brackets, IRMAA tier jumps. Tax bill increases $3,000-$8,000 with no change in actual money. The math, in advance.
  4. Step 4 — The Social Security survivor decisionTake your own benefit first and switch to survivor later? Or take survivor first? The decision is irreversible and worth $50K-$200K.
  5. Step 5 — Roth conversions during the MFJ windowThe last year (or 3) at married rates is the highest-leverage Roth conversion window of your life. Use it.
Plus the "do this first" punch-list — the 8 immediate paperwork moves (SS notification, beneficiary updates, account retitling, RMD coordination) that need to happen in the first 30 days, listed so nothing slips.
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A note from Hans: If you're reading this in the first year after losing your spouse, the math feels distant from the grief. It is. But the decisions you make in this year and next have a 30-year impact on your finances, and most of them have IRS deadlines. The guide walks through what's urgent and what can wait. The free walkthrough is yours whenever you're ready.