All plans that you made jointly with your husband will now have to re-evaluated. Next, set goals to which a newly-minted financial plan will have to be aligned. If you have received any money on separation or spouse's death, use it to lay the foundation for a financially sound future - pay off high cost loans and chalk out an asset allocation plan to meet short-term and long-term expenses. "If you are not employed, invest the lump-sum in such a way that it generates monthly income. You can also set aside a part of it as an emergency fund," says Rasal. Maintain a balance between saving and spending. "I have observed women who were too scared to use the insurance corpus to fund expenses as they feared requests for financial assistance from their in-laws or relatives. Similarly, resist the temptation to splurge the huge amount that you may receive. Post-trauma, human beings try to compensate emotional losses in this manner," she adds. You can also look at buying house if you do not own one. However, do not blindly 'invest' in a property, with the aim to sell it off to meet future needs. For one, you may not be able to liquidate them at will. Secondly, the opaqueness in property transaction can put your lifetime's savings at huge risk.