Several years ago, a client of ours died in the night. His wife called us the next morning to let us know. These are people we’ve known for a decade.

We had everything in order – even though his death was unexpected.

Once the funeral was done, she turned her attention to the things that need to get done in those early days. One of these things is filing a claim for life insurance proceeds. Often, this money is critical to helping a widow bridge the gap while we determine what, if anything else, needs to be done.

As it happens, we were at her residence the day that the life insurance agent came by the house to personally hand deliver the beneficiary claim form. This is a form that can be downloaded off the insurer’s web site, emailed, faxed, or mailed. It doesn’t need to be hand delivered. The agent then began trying to convince the new widow to use the insurance proceeds to buy more insurance on herself – so he could rack up some commissions on the sale.

You might believe this type of deplorable behavior was unique. Unfortunately, it is not. Time and time again, we have witnessed salespeople and others motivated by greed try to take advantage of widows. They know she is overwhelmed and vulnerable. Widows will agree to do something – even if she knows it isn’t a good idea – simply because she can’t handle having another thing put on her plate.

Why did DouglasBradley choose widows? Because no one else would. When I told a widow about the Not Just A Widow Guidebook that I co-authored with a widowed client, that it’s a tool to help widows get a better understanding about what they face, she said “Finally. Someone is looking out for widows.” She knows.

It’s ok to lean on family and friends for some things. But when a widow begins the process of reorganizing her finances (and her late husband’s) to make sure SHE’S taken care of, she needs someone who can see the big picture and look long-term. Most widows do not remarry. They need to ensure that what they have will take care of them for DECADES.

Why did DouglasBradley choose widows? Because in a world as complex as the financial world, you can’t be an expert on all types of situations. A young married couple has different concerns and circumstances than a retired couple in their 80s. And a woman who’s husband has died is in a situation unlike any other. Our job is to help her make smart financial choices for her and her family so she can focus on kids and work – and herself.

Why did DouglasBradley choose widows? Because we know from experience that our methodology is better suited to women than men. We focus on the big picture and the long-term. We value open communication and transparency. We prefer simple and elegant solutions over complex ones. Our clients tell us they appreciate how we communicate with them and that it’s not how most of the people in the financial industry speak to them.