Financially Ever After Widowhood

A house can be full of wonderful memories and still no longer make sense for your finances, lifestyle, or future. But deciding to leave isn't exactly easy, especially after a major life change.

In this episode, Stacy sits down with real estate expert Alexandra Gupta to talk about the emotional and financial sides of staying, selling, downsizing, or renting. From the true cost of homeownership to the pressure of timing the market, they unpack how to make a housing decision that fits the life you want to live now, not just the one you've always known.

You'll hear them discuss:

Why the home that once felt perfect might no longer fit your lifestyle, budget, or priorities

The costs of maintaining a home that go beyond money, including repairs, cleaning, and the time and energy it takes to keep everything running

How walkability, social connections, convenience, and feeling safe in your neighborhood can make a huge difference in your quality of life

The differences between condos, co-ops, townhouses, and single-family homes, and how to figure out which setup works best for you

The often-overlooked expenses of buying and selling, from closing costs and taxes to staging, commissions, and moving

Why pricing your home realistically from the start can matter more than waiting for the perfect season to sell

Whether it makes sense to wait for mortgage rates to drop, buy at today's rates, or rent while you figure out your next move

Resources

Alexandra Gupta on Website | Corcoran | LinkedIn | Email: alexandra.gupta@corcoran.com | Mobile: (347) 683-4433 | Facebook | Blog | Newsletter

Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) | Email

FrancisFinancial.com

Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Who’s going to care for you when you’ve spent years caring for everyone else? Long-term care is one of those topics that’s easy to put off until you're left with no easy choices.

In this episode, Stacy talks with long-term care specialist Denise Kligman about what care can really cost, what Medicare doesn’t cover, how insurance options have changed, and why planning early can give you and your family a lot more breathing room when life takes an unexpected turn.

You’ll hear them discuss:

Why Medicare and traditional health insurance generally don’t cover the day-to-day custodial care many people eventually need

How the cost of home care, assisted living, and nursing home care can quickly put serious pressure on a family’s finances

Why long-term care planning can be especially important for women, who are often both caregivers and more likely to need care themselves later on

How traditional long-term care insurance compares with newer hybrid policies that combine long-term care benefits with life insurance

When it may make sense to start looking at coverage and why your age and health can make such a big difference

What actually triggers a long-term care insurance claim, including activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, and elimination periods

Why having conversations about where you want to receive care, who you want involved, and how it will be paid for matters even if insurance isn’t part of your plan

Resources

Denise Kligman on Owens Group | LinkedIn | Email: dkligman@owensgroup.com | Phone: 201-408-3501

Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) | Email

"Because I Love You" - A Legacy Companion

FrancisFinancial.com

Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Scammers don’t need you to be careless. They just need you to be rushed, distracted, lonely, or convinced that someone you trust needs help right now.

In this episode, Stacy sits down with Donna Olah-Reiken to unpack how today’s scams are becoming harder to spot, from AI voice cloning and hacked emails to romance fraud, fake investments, and financial abuse by people close to you. They also share practical ways to slow things down, verify what’s real, and build a trusted circle that can help protect you and your money.

You’ll hear them discuss:

How AI voice cloning is making emergency calls from “family members” frighteningly convincing

Why urgency, fear, and emotional pressure are some of the biggest tools scammers use

How hacked emails, fake meeting links, QR codes, and software downloads can open the door to fraud

Why romance scams and fake investment platforms often build trust slowly before asking for larger amounts of money

The financial red flags that can signal abuse, including unusual purchases, cash withdrawals, new accounts, and changes in spending patterns

Why caregivers, family members, and other trusted people can sometimes be the source of financial exploitation

Simple ways to protect yourself, including calling trusted numbers directly, using a family safe word, reviewing transactions regularly, and creating a circle of people you trust

Resources

Donna Olah-Reiken on Preferred Business Solutions | Preferred Business Management Solutions | LinkedIn | Email: donna@preferredsbs.com

Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) | Email

FrancisFinancial.com

Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

How do you keep showing up for someone you love when grief has already started, and the bills, taxes, legal decisions, and everyday money stuff suddenly land on your shoulders too?

Suzy McNamara joins Stacy for a conversation about caring for her husband through early-onset Alzheimer’s, losing both her husband and sister in the same year, and finding her footing again through grief. They talk about the financial wake-up call that came with caregiving, why both partners need to understand the household finances, and how small wins can slowly bring back a sense of control.

You’ll hear them discuss:

How anticipatory grief can begin long before someone dies, especially when illness slowly changes the person you love

What happened when Suzy realized her husband could no longer manage the finances and how much had already started slipping through the cracks

Why leaving all the money decisions to one partner can create a huge amount of stress when illness, incapacity, or loss enters the picture

How getting help from financial professionals, friends, and a trusted support team helped Suzy rebuild confidence one problem at a time

Why shame and embarrassment around money can keep people stuck, and the power of simply asking, “What can I solve today?”

The value of regular financial check-ins with your partner so both of you understand the bills, savings, debt, taxes, accounts, and passwords

How learning to manage money became one area Suzy could actually control during a time when so much else felt completely out of her hands

Resources

Suzy McNamara on Website | "The Silkworm, The Magician and The Sister Tree" Book | LinkedIn

Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) | Email

FrancisFinancial.com

Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

You can have the will, the beneficiaries, the trust, and still get blindsided when someone dies. Bank accounts can freeze, automatic payments can stop, and suddenly the grieving person is also trying to keep the financial wheels turning.

Stacy sits down with accountant Evan Gilder to unpack the practical money issues families often don’t hear about during estate planning, from frozen accounts and probate delays to beneficiary mistakes and unclaimed funds.

You'll hear them discuss:

Why individual bank accounts may be frozen after someone dies, and how that can disrupt mortgage payments, utilities, taxes, and other everyday expenses

How joint accounts can make things easier, plus some of the complications families may still run into when accounts and assets are held at the same institution

What happens when a power of attorney ends at death and why access to money can become much more complicated than families expect

Ways families may handle essential expenses while waiting for probate or an estate account to be established and why keeping good records matters

Why retirement account beneficiaries deserve regular checkups, especially after divorce, death, or other major family changes

How unclaimed funds end up with the state, where to look for money tied to old addresses or previous states of residence, and why it’s worth doing the search yourself

How thoughtful planning before a crisis can help families manage the paperwork, financial decisions, and unexpected problems that come with caring for someone and settling their affairs

Resources

Evan Gilder on Redlig Financial Services | LinkedIn | Email: e.gilder@redlig.com | Phone: 646-827-3600

New York State Unclaimed Funds - https://www.osc.ny.gov/unclaimed-funds

Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) | Email

FrancisFinancial.com

Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!