My husband died earlier this year and I suddenly have to take care of managing our finances. How do I get started?

In all relationships, there is naturally some division of labor that is negotiated. When one partner in the relationship dies, the other is left to take care of all of the responsibilities. This can be overwhelming.

The nature of the responsibilities range from household management to handling the finances to taking care of the children to car care. You may decide that it’s too much to manage on your own and will want to hire professional help for some of …

How can I organize my personal and financial papers in case of an emergency?

Organizing your personal and financial documents in case of emergency is a smart thing to do. Having these documents organized and available will help get your finances on track in the event of a crisis such as a death in the family or recovery following a natural disaster.

The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit at http://www.operationhope.org/images/uploads/Files/effak2.pdf is an excellent tool to get your papers in order.

You may also want to create a “Grab ‘n’ Go” box that is portable, …