Widowed But Not Alone

As your circumstances change, so will your cost of living, and for homeowners age 62 or older, a reverse mortgage may be the tool you need to help you access a greater cash flow.

In this episode, we are joined by Will Yoho, Sr. Loan Officer at University Bank and reverse mortgage expert. Will shares with listeners why a reverse mortgage might be an excellent tool, especially after losing a spouse, and how it can help your money outlive you.

Todd and Will discuss:

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About Will: 

William Yoho has been assisting homeowners for nearly two decades. As a residential loan officer lending across the country, he has helped with purchases, refinances, and reverse mortgages for single-family homes, condos, and townhomes. He has experience working with clients in every transition of life, from first-time homebuyers to downsizing retirees.

Since 2007, Will has specialized in reverse mortgages. A lending program designed to help seniors access the equity in their homes for everyday expenses such as property taxes, medical bills, home repairs, and even caregiving. His professional and compassionate approach enables seniors and their families to find solutions and help for often complex financial and social situations. Seemingly difficult issues such as incompetency, guardianship, trusts, POA, title issues, and end-of-life planning are part of his normal workday.

Deciding to purchase a new home means you’ll need to understand how to finance it.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, your financial planner and the right mortgage broker can help analyze your financing options.

In this week’s episode, we are joined by Howard Fielder, Senior Mortgage Consultant at Wintrust Mortgage, to talk about how to strategically find ways to finance your next home in this volatile market.

Todd and Howard discuss:

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About our Guest: 

As a Senior Mortgage Consultant at Wintrust Mortgage, Howard Fielder has over 28 years of experience in originating mortgages for clients in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. His business is based on treating everyone who contacts him with the best possible consulting, service, cost structure, and rates. Wintrust Mortgage is a mortgage banker that works with several different banks and lenders. We offer competitive pricing and a wide variety of mortgage products for the first-time homebuyer to the seasoned veteran, as well as the technology and support staff to ease you through the process.

Often one of the big decisions facing a widowed person is whether to move or stay in their current home. 

Working with a financial planner and an experienced real estate advisor is the logical next step.

In this episode, Dawn Bremer of Keller Williams Success Realty shares her expertise in helping widowed clients assess the value of their home, what to consider in this market, and the process she uses to guide clients through the next steps. 

Dawn discusses:

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 About our Guest: 

Dawn Bremer leads the team at Keller Williams Success Realty as a real estate broker. She has over 20 years of experience in guiding her clients through the home buying and selling process. Along with her dedication to serving client needs, she has also been very active in the community. She has volunteered with many nonprofits, including the United Way and Food for Thought. She also serves as President of Kids In Need. Dawn holds leadership positions such as President of her local school board and Commissioner of planning and zoning in the city of McHenry, Illinois.

An insurance specialist is one among a group of professionals a widow reaches out to for financial guidance after the passing of a spouse.

Choosing an insurance specialist that takes all your insurance coverage needs into consideration during this time is critical.

In this episode, Todd Bessey has David Albanese, an independent insurance agent with Neis Insurance for 13 years, on the podcast to share some of the top considerations when it comes to insurance planning, and more.

Todd and David discuss: 

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About our Guest: 

David Albanese has been an independent insurance agent with Neis Insurance for 13 years.  He specializes in the areas of auto, home, and health insurance.  When working with clients, Dave likes to take a consultative approach, explaining the cost and benefits of the various coverage levels.  In his free time, he’s a bit of a sports fan and loves traveling to visit his 13 nieces and nephews.

We are continuously waking up to conversations about conflict overseas, post-pandemic life, higher inflation, rising interest rates, and a declining stock market. 

So, what actions should you take to protect your financial situation in uncertain times?

In this episode, Todd Bessey is joined by Samantha Glaz of First Trust Portfolios to help address these issues. Sam provides some thoughts on navigating the financial market during tough times and the importance of playing the long game when it comes to your financial success. 

Samantha discusses: 

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About our Samantha Glaz: 

Samantha Glaz is a Vice President with First Trust Portfolios in Wheaton, Illinois, Her focus is on providing financial advisors with industry-leading economic and market commentary, portfolio analysis and practice management consulting. Samantha has fifteen years of financial services experience, having worked for JPMorgan and Guggenheim prior to joining First Trust in 2014. Samantha graduated with academic honors from the business school at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Fraudsters are most successful when their victims are in a vulnerable state of mind, and losing a spouse can do that. 

It’s hard enough to cope with the death of a spouse, but to have to worry about being scammed on top of that is just too much. Unfortunately, these scams are all too common and can hurt your financial plan.

In this episode, Todd Bessey discusses common scams to watch for and preventive measures to help avoid them. 

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In the event of a spouse’s death, the surviving spouse is left feeling overwhelmed and confused when it comes to the family finances.

Suddenly being responsible for all the bills, investments, and other money-related items can feel like a daunting task. Especially if you don’t have any previous experience in this area.

In this episode,  Kelly Swisher, CPA and senior manager of accounting and tax services at Eder, Casella & Company returns to Widowed But Not Alone Podcast. She provides tips and tricks on how widows can keep more money in their pockets after their spouse’s death. 

Kelly discusses: 

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About our Guest:

My parents were great examples to me and my three sisters,” says CPA Kelly Swisher. “They showed us that hard work and generosity matters. They taught us how to be motivated, told us we should follow our dreams, and also encouraged us to enjoy life.”

Those lessons eventually led Swisher from Rockford, Illinois, where she grew up and attended high school, to college, where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Northern Illinois University in 2006 and a Masters of Accounting Science from the school a year later. She joined Eder, Casella & Co. in 2008, and is a manager working on tax returns, and monthly and quarterly accounting, while also offering QuickBooks assistance to business clients. “One of my strengths is I can easily adapt and work in many different accounting software platforms,” she says.

Swisher, who is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the Barrington Breakfast Rotary, enjoys the problem-solving nature of client relationships. “I enjoy helping clients who have accounting problems, a situation where I can come in to fix issues,” the married mother of three says. “It is also great to help clients with their accounting efficiencies — anything to help the client save time and money. Accounting is like a puzzle you have to figure out, with many moving pieces, and it feels great when the puzzle is solved.”

The hardest part of widowhood is dealing with the series of firsts that proceeds with your spouse’s passing. There is the first month after, the first birthday, the first anniversary. 

Add in the first time doing taxes without your spouse on top of all of that can be daunting. Organizing your taxes is critical to giving you a sense of control.

So, where and how do you start the tax planning process? 

In this episode, Todd Bessey meets with Kelly Swisher, CPA and senior manager of accounting and tax services at Eder, Casella & Company. She provides tips and tricks that can help widows make good decisions when it comes to tax planning.

Kelly discusses: 

Connect with Todd Bessey: 

Connect with Kelly Swisher:

About our Guest:

My parents were great examples to me and my three sisters,” says CPA Kelly Swisher. “They showed us that hard work and generosity matters. They taught us how to be motivated, told us we should follow our dreams, and also encouraged us to enjoy life.”

Those lessons eventually led Swisher from Rockford, Illinois, where she grew up and attended high school, to college, where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Northern Illinois University in 2006 and a Masters of Accounting Science from the school a year later. She joined Eder, Casella & Co. in 2008, and is a manager working on tax returns, and monthly and quarterly accounting, while also offering QuickBooks assistance to business clients. “One of my strengths is I can easily adapt and work in many different accounting software platforms,” she says.

Swisher, who is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the Barrington Breakfast Rotary, enjoys the problem-solving nature of client relationships. “I enjoy helping clients who have accounting problems, a situation where I can come in to fix issues,” the married mother of three says. “It is also great to help clients with their accounting efficiencies — anything to help the client save time and money. Accounting is like a puzzle you have to figure out, with many moving pieces, and it feels great when the puzzle is solved.”

Understanding what you own versus what you owe can be a difficult task for a widow. 

Organizing your assets and liabilities is crucial to giving you a sense of control. It can also reduce your anxiety regarding your finances while still dealing with your grief. 

In this episode, Todd Bessey continues his discussion on best practices when helping widows organize their financial assets and liabilities.

Todd discusses: 

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Making decisions and taking action can be quite difficult for a widow. However, at some point you must address financial issues that need your attention. 

Organizing your finances is critical to giving you a sense of control. It can also reduce your concerns about financial stability while you’re still dealing with grief, fear, and uncertainty.

So, where and how do you start? 

In this episode, Todd Bessey discusses best practices when helping widows deal with the financial decision making process. 

Todd discusses: 

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