The math that surprises couples
When a spouse dies, the household usually keeps the larger Social Security check and loses the smaller one, while most expenses barely drop. Pension survivor elections made decades ago suddenly matter enormously. The surviving spouse can face a meaningful income cut at the worst possible moment, and taxes often rise because filing status changes.
Good protection planning models that exact scenario, both directions, and fixes the gaps while fixing them is cheap.
The part that isn't math
In most couples, one person carries the money map in their head. If that's you, your spouse's real question isn't actuarial; it's 'would I know what to do on the worst week of my life?' A binder with the accounts, the documents, the passwords' location, and the name of a planner who already knows you both answers that question better than any spreadsheet.
This is also, honestly, why working with a team beats working with a stack of logins. Someone should know your whole picture who isn't you.
Written by the team at The Retirement Life, led by Rc Arseneau, CFP®. This is education, not individualized advice. Your situation deserves a real conversation before any decision.