Wealth with Intention

What should you do with a divorce settlement?

Park the money somewhere safe, wait 60 to 90 days before making any permanent decisions, and then invest it according to when you will actually need it. A settlement is not one pot of money. It is several different kinds of money with different tax rules, and treating it as a single number is the most expensive mistake women make in the first year after a divorce.

This article is about what happens after the decree is signed. If you are still negotiating, still waiting on a QDRO, or still deciding which assets to ask for, that is a different set of questions. Intentional Divorce Solutions covers that ground in detail, starting with how to divide assets in a divorce.

The first 90 days: do less than you think you should

There is enormous pressure to act quickly. Your attorney is done. The accounts have transferred. Everyone around you has an opinion about what you should do with the money.

Do less.

The only urgent items in the first 90 days a...

By Leah Hadley, AFC®, CDFA®. Last updated September 2026.

For many women, changing their name after divorce is one of the first tangible pieces of a new chapter. Some are eager to return to a name that feels like their own. Others keep their married name for their children, their career, or simply because it fits. Either way, the choice is yours, and there is no wrong answer.

If you do change it, the order you work in matters more than most people expect. Nearly every institution wants to see a name that already matches somewhere else. A mismatch between your Social Security record, your tax return, your employer, and your financial accounts can delay a refund, stall a rollover or transfer, and leave an old name on documents that should have changed. This guide walks through the steps in an order that keeps each one from stalling the next.

Post-Divorce Tip: Update Your Passwords