Words you will hear after a husband dies

Adult Protective Services: A program run by state and local government. It takes and looks into reports of abuse, neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation of older adults. From Book 6, The People Around You
Advance Designation: A way to tell Social Security, ahead of time, up to three people you would want as your representative payee. It appoints no one. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Advance directive: A document that names someone to speak for you about medical care and records what you would want. The forms differ by state. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
AmeriCorps Seniors: A volunteer program for people 55 and over. It runs RSVP, the Senior Companion Program and Foster Grandparents. From Book 7, Year Two
Annual wellness visit: The yearly Wellness visit under Medicare, with a health risk questionnaire, a check of memory and thinking, and a written plan. No cost if the provider accepts assignment. The yearly depression screening is a separate benefit. From Book 5, The First Year
Appraisal: A written opinion of what something is worth, from someone who knows that kind of item. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Assessment freeze: A kind of property tax relief. What it does, and who qualifies, differs by state. Your assessor can tell you how it works where you live. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Basis: The value a gain is measured from when something is sold. Inherited property generally takes a new basis equal to its value on the date of death. From Book 2, The Money
Beneficiary: The person named on an account or policy to receive it. The name on the form usually decides, even if the will says something different. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Beneficiary designation: The form that names the beneficiary. If an account or policy names one, that form decides who gets it, not the will, and it usually skips probate. From Book 2, The Money
Bequest: A gift left to someone in a will. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Bereavement plan of care: The hospice's written plan for supporting a family after a death. You need to be on it to receive its services. From Book 5, The First Year
Bereavement program: The grief support a hospice or another organization offers after a death. A hospice must offer it for up to a year after the death to those on its bereavement plan of care. From Book 5, The First Year
Blended family: A family that includes children from an earlier marriage or relationship. From Book 6, The People Around You
Certified copy: An official copy of the death certificate from the state or county. Most offices want one, and many keep it. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
COBRA: A federal law that can let you keep the health coverage you had through his job for a time, if you pay for it. There are deadlines. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Columbarium: A wall or building with small spaces for urns of ashes. From Book 5, The First Year
Consignment: A store sells something for you and keeps part of the price. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Continuing care retirement community: A community that offers housing and, later, more care, usually for an entrance fee plus monthly fees. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Credit freeze: A lock on your credit file that makes it harder for anyone to open new credit in your name. It is free, and you place it with each of the three credit bureaus. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Creditable coverage: Drug coverage that Medicare counts. Going 63 days in a row without it can bring a Part D penalty. From Book 2, The Money
Custodian: The company that holds a retirement account, such as an IRA. From Book 2, The Money
Daily check-in service: A local service where a volunteer calls at the same time each day. If there is no answer, someone you named is asked to look in. Also called a telephone reassurance service. From Book 6, The People Around You
DD-214: His military discharge papers. You may need them for veterans' burial benefits. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Deferral: A kind of property tax relief that puts off paying the tax until later. Who qualifies differs by state. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Disclaimer (refusing an inheritance): Refusing an inheritance in writing. For tax purposes it generally has to be done within nine months of the death, before accepting any of it, and you can't choose who gets it instead. From Book 2, The Money
Durable power of attorney: A legal document that lets someone act for you on money matters, and keeps working if you become unable to act. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Earnings test: Social Security's rule for how earnings from work can reduce benefits you receive before full retirement age. The current limits are in the appendix. From Book 7, Year Two
Election notice: The letter from a health plan that sets out your COBRA choice. You have at least 60 days from it to decide. From Book 2, The Money
Elective share: In many states, a surviving spouse's right to claim part of an estate, whatever the will says. The rules differ by state. From Book 8, Someone New
Entrance fee: The large one-time payment many continuing care retirement communities charge on moving in. Some are partly refundable, some are not. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Estate: What he owned in his name alone. Things you owned together, and accounts with a named beneficiary, usually pass outside it. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Estate sale: A sale of the contents of a house, often run by a company. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Executor: The person named in the will to settle the estate. It may be you. It is a job with steps, not a week-one task. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Exemption: A reduction in the property tax on a home for owners who qualify, for example older owners or surviving spouses. The rules differ by state. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Family mediation: A meeting with a neutral person who helps a family talk through a disagreement and reach its own decision. From Book 6, The People Around You
Fee-only: An adviser paid only by you, not by commissions on what they sell. From Book 2, The Money
Fiduciary: Someone who must act in your interest. Investment advisers owe this duty for the whole relationship. From Book 2, The Money
Fraud alert: A note on your credit file that tells businesses to check with you before opening a new account. You contact any one bureau, which tells the other two. It is free and lasts one year. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Full retirement age: The age at which Social Security benefits are not reduced for starting early. The one for survivor benefits can come earlier than the one for your own retirement benefit. From Book 7, Year Two
General Price List: The itemized list of prices a funeral home must give you if you ask in person. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Grief counselor: Someone trained to help people after a death. From Book 5, The First Year
Heir: Someone who inherits under state law when there is no will. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Homestead exemption: A kind of property tax relief on the home you live in. The rules differ by state. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Interment: Burial, of a body or of ashes. From Book 5, The First Year
Intestate: Dying without a will. State law then decides who receives what he owned in his name alone. His wife doesn't always get everything: in many states her share is smaller if he had children from another relationship, or if he had no children and his parents are living. Ask a probate or estate lawyer. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Joint tenancy with right of survivorship: A way of owning something together so that it passes to the survivor without going through the court. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Legacy contact: A person someone names in advance, inside an account such as Apple's or Google's, to reach that account's data after they die. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Letters testamentary: The court paper that shows the executor may act for the estate. Banks often ask for it. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Licensed and insured: A contractor who holds the license your state or county requires for the work, and carries liability insurance. Ask to see both. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Licensed therapist: A mental health professional licensed by the state. From Book 5, The First Year
Living apart together: A couple in a committed relationship who each keep their own home. From Book 8, Someone New
Lump-sum death payment: Social Security's one-time payment of $255 to a surviving spouse who qualifies. Apply within 2 years of his death. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Medical examiner: The official who investigates some deaths, for example sudden or unexpected ones. Some places call this person the coroner. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Memorial fund: Money given in someone's name to a cause or charity they cared about. From Book 7, Year Two
Password manager: An app that stores passwords behind one main password. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Payable on death (POD): A note on an account that passes it straight to the person named. From Book 2, The Money
Payable on death (POD) or transfer on death (TOD): A note on an account that passes it straight to a named person, outside the will. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Pending: Written on a death certificate when the cause of death is still being investigated. The certificate can be amended later. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Personal alert device: Something you wear or keep nearby and press to call for help. Also called a medical alert device, or a personal emergency response system. From Book 6, The People Around You
Personal property: Things that can be moved: furniture, jewelry, tools, a car. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Personal representative: Another name for the executor, used by some states and courts. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Plan administrator: The office that runs a pension plan day to day. It answers questions and sends the forms. From Book 2, The Money
Prenuptial agreement: A written agreement, signed before a marriage, about what each person keeps and what happens to property if the marriage ends or one of them dies. From Book 8, Someone New
Probate: The court process for settling an estate. It is not always needed, and it works differently in each state. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Qualified appraisal: An appraisal that meets the IRS's rules, generally needed when donated items, one item or a group of similar items, are worth more than $5,000. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Qualifying surviving spouse: A tax filing status you may be able to use for the two years after the year he died, if you have a dependent child living with you and meet the other conditions. From Book 2, The Money
Real property: Land and buildings, such as the house. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Representative payee: The person Social Security appoints to manage someone's benefits when they can't. A power of attorney does not do this. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Required minimum distribution (required withdrawal): The amount that must be taken out of some retirement accounts each year from a certain age. The age is in the appendix. From Book 2, The Money
Retained asset account: An account an insurer holds the payout in, with drafts that look like checks. It is not a bank account and is not FDIC-insured. From Book 2, The Money
Reverse image search: A way to search the internet with a photo, to see where else that photo appears. From Book 8, Someone New
Reverse mortgage: A loan against the home that becomes due when the last borrower dies or moves out. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Right of survivorship: The terms on most joint accounts: when one owner dies, the account goes to the surviving owner. From Book 2, The Money
Rollover: Moving money from one retirement account to another. From Book 2, The Money
Romance scam: A crime in which someone builds a false relationship, often online, in order to get money. From Book 8, Someone New
Senior center: A community hub with meals, classes and activities for older adults, funded in part under the Older Americans Act. From Book 6, The People Around You
Senior move manager: Someone who helps older adults downsize and move. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Servicer: The company that handles a mortgage or reverse mortgage day to day: the statements, the payments and the calls. From Book 3, The House and the Things
Single supplement: An extra charge some trips and tours add for one person traveling alone. From Book 7, Year Two
Successor in interest: The status a mortgage servicer can confirm for you after a death. Once it does, you have the same servicing protections as a borrower. From Book 2, The Money
Summary plan description: The pension plan's own explanation of its rules, including survivor benefits. Ask the plan for it in writing. From Book 2, The Money
Support group: People who have had a death and meet to talk, in person or online. It is different from group therapy billed to Medicare. From Book 5, The First Year
Surrender charge: A fee some annuities charge to take money out in the first years. From Book 2, The Money
Survivor benefit: A payment to a surviving spouse, from Social Security, a pension, or both. There is often more than one choice. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Tenants in common: A kind of joint account without a right of survivorship. After his death, his share goes to his heirs, the people who inherit from him. From Book 2, The Money
Travel insurance: Coverage you can buy for a trip, for things such as cancellation or medical care away from home. What it covers depends on the policy. From Book 7, Year Two
Trusted contact: Someone you name on a bank or investment account, whom the firm can get in touch with in certain cases. A trusted contact cannot see your accounts or move your money. From Book 6, The People Around You
Trusted contact person: Someone you may name at a brokerage firm, who can be contacted about possible exploitation. They cannot make decisions or trade. From Book 2, The Money
Trustee: The person who manages a trust, such as a living trust, and hands out what is in it. From Book 1, The First 30 Days
Two-factor authentication: A second check when signing in, often a code sent by text to the phone number on the account. That is why his phone number matters. From Book 4, Everything They Handled
Unveiling: A Jewish ceremony for setting or uncovering the headstone, often held within the first year. From Book 5, The First Year