You lose a loved one and are dealing with your grief. You are not likely thinking about anything other than how much you miss the individual. It is not likely that you are thinking about things such as what new responsibilities you may be facing as a result of your loss or what financial decisions lay ahead in the weeks or months to come. You may have already had or at least planned the funeral or perhaps the individual pre-planned their funeral in which case they spared you that anquish. The funeral and settling the estate of the recently deceased individual are two matters that will not be able to be put off. Other financial matters such as insurance coverage, IRAs, assets and liabilities etc., can probably wait until you are thinking without so much emotion.