According to statistics, 69% of women who marry will outlive their husbands, women are widowed at an average age of 56, and women often experience a loss of half their income with the death of their spouse. Women who become widowed must deal with a number of financial concerns, including the following: obtaining a death certificate and presenting it to various agencies; changing vehicle, bank account, and property ownership/titles; obtaining insurance benefits; and notifying pension and veteran's agencies. Newly widowed women must also become aware of their own needs and must deal with the common emotions of the grieving process: shock (initial numbness, emotional release, loneliness); denial (depression, panic, anger, hostility, guilt, inability to return to activity); and acceptance (gradual hope and struggle to affirm reality). Other problems with which widowed women need to cope include the problems of being a single person in social networks that are often organized in couples, experiencing a drastic reduction in income, and having to make financial and investment decisions. (An annotated list of 18 print, audiovisual, and community resources is included.) (MN)