Kathleen Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®
Tampa, Florida Financial Planner

Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., Certified Financial Planner® has assisted individuals with life-centered, comprehensive financial planning in her “fee-only” practice at Rehl Financial Advisors since 1996. She is a Registered Investment Advisor, serving as a trusted guide and fiduciary.   Frequently invited to speak on the topic of widows and their financial issues at national and regional events, Kathleen has also been published in many sources and quoted in publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money, and Consumer Reports. She was named as one of the country’s 100 great financial planners by Mutual Funds magazine. Kathleen’s world changed forever when her husband and business partner died of cancer in 2007. Then five weeks later her widowed mother also passed. It was from her personal grief experiences that Kathleen’s life purpose evolved—helping other widows to be more self-confident, knowledgeable and secure about their money matters. She is passionate about empowering her “widowed sisters” to take control of their financial future. Her loss motivated Kathleen to publish Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows. This guidebook helps widows stabilize their new financial situation, avoid making big mistakes and make progress in their changed life. New widows, especially, are in such a fragile emotional state, vulnerable to acting on inaccurate, or even worse, unethical advice provided by untrustworthy sources. She presents information in an easy-to-understand manner, along with issues of the heart, to help widows face their very different life ahead. This unique book includes a beautiful format, helping to heal a woman's soul while focusing on money issues. The March 2011 issue of "Your Guide to a Richer Retirement," a newsletter produced by Kiplinger's Retirement Report, recommends Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows. U.S. News and World Report also featured the book in a special story. Widows transitioning into their new financial life may use this book on their own or with the guidance of a professional. It may be given as a gift to a family member or friend who is widowed. Some organizations using the guidebook are: many U.S. Army posts; the national ELCA Foundation; hospice services; community support groups; funeral homes and congregations.

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