You know, when I was talking to the Gold Star families there, there were some widows dating back to World War II, and then there was a young woman who had just had a baby and had just lost her husband.

WHITEHOUSE: Ending the War, Saluting the Troops

Before the trial that started Wednesday, he also drew a finger across his throat in court, a gesture aimed at some of the Srebrenica widows.

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So some of Mr Darling's advisers now think that widows' benefits are best left alone.

ECONOMIST: Social security

And if you find yourself trying to untangle such accounts after your spouse dies, give yourself some time, says Karen Altfest, a New York financial planner who specializes in working with widows.

WSJ: What a Tangled Web We Leave