Alexandra Armstrong

Alexandra Armstrong is a native Washingtonian whose father died when she was 8 and her mother was 48. Due to a lack of money her mother went to work for the first time and they struggled to make ends meet. Alex graduated from Newton College of the Sacred Heart on a scholarship. Her first job was as a secretary in the research department of Ferris & Compnay, a brokerage firm in Washington. As Alex advanced in her career she found herself working more and more with single women, particularly widows. In the process, Alex earned her certified financial planner designation (the first in Washington DC) and started working with her own clients. Two of her early clients were George and Mary Donahue. When Mary was suddenly widowed she turned to Alex for help. Over the years they worked together and became personal friends.

Alex read books which dealt with the financial side of widowhood or the emotional side but not the two together. She asked Mary, a psychologist, to work with her on this unique book which dealt with both parts of the recovery.

The first edition came out in 1993. Mary and Alex went on a nine city book tour, appeared on Good Morning America and sold 25,000 copies of "On Your Own". As tax laws and investment opportunities changed, they issued three other revised and updated editions of the book This new fifth edition reflects the market upheaval and tax changes of 2008--2009 as well as technological changes.

This edition is available in print as well as electronically. We think is our best effort to date and hope it will help any woman, not just widows, gain control of her future.