Available Now
Where’s the Key to the Safe?
When they’re gone, will you know what to do? A guide to avoid probate pitfalls and protect your family.
The death of a loved one is devastating—but the financial aftermath shouldn’t make it worse. Yet too many families find themselves overwhelmed by probate, missing paperwork, and financial confusion when a loved one passes. If you’re financially tied to someone—a spouse, parent, child, or business partner—are you truly ready for what happens when they’re gone?
Financial advisor Cameron Zabko, CFP®, and Widows Who Wine™ founder Pam Baker know firsthand how overwhelming finances can be after a loss. Despite having a well-planned estate, Pam still faced countless unexpected challenges when her husband passed. Cameron, as a financial expert, saw firsthand the gaps in conventional planning. Now they bring their dual perspectives to simplify estate planning, bridging the emotional and financial realities so you can confidently prepare what to do before and after losing someone you’re financially connected to.
Blending real-life storytelling and expert financial guidance, Where’s the Key to the Safe? helps you:
Understand estate planning
Beyond wills and trusts, including taxes, spousal benefits, and business succession.
Build a financial safety net
By choosing the right advisors, attorneys, and CPAs.
Avoid financial nightmares
Like the widow’s tax, probate pitfalls, and lost assets with simple, proactive strategies.
Manage must-know details
Like online accounts, insurance, health care directives, and passwords.
Ease the financial burden and stress
On loved ones and proactively protect assets with clear-cut, easy-to-follow steps.
More than an estate planning book, Where’s the Key to the Safe? is an empathetic, action-driven guide to financial peace of mind. Packed with checklists, real-world examples, and step-by-step strategies, this book is the support you need to prepare for death before a crisis forces you to.
Don’t leave your loved ones guessing. Read Where’s the Key to the Safe? and protect your family’s future today.
The Authors
Meet Pam Baker & Cameron Zabko
Combining real-world experience with professional expertise to help you navigate life’s most challenging financial transitions.
Pam Baker
Founder of Widows Who Wine™️
After experiencing the challenges of managing finances following her husband’s passing, Pam founded Widows Who Wine™ and dedicated herself to helping others navigate the emotional and financial complexities of loss.
Cameron Zabko, CFP®
Financial Advisor & Estate Planning Expert
With years of experience as a Certified Financial Planner, Cameron has witnessed firsthand the gaps in conventional estate planning and is passionate about bridging the emotional and financial realities of loss.
This essential guide helps you:
Understand estate planning beyond wills and trusts, including taxes, spousal benefits, and business succession.
Avoid financial nightmares like the widow's tax, probate pitfalls, and lost assets with simple, proactive strategies.
Build a financial safety net by choosing the right advisors, attorneys, and CPAs.
“Don’t let one thing you can’t make a decision on hold up the whole process. Have accountability and goals for when to have each step completed. Reach out to others for accountability and help.”
Testimonials
What People Are Saying
Hear from individuals who have benefited from our guidance and expertise.
“This is an accessible and practical guide to planning ahead before you or a loved one dies. Cameron and Pam alternate personal anecdotes from their own experience with professional, actionable advice about how to structure your finances, estate plan and personal information so you are not faced with unpleasant surprises, delays or gaps in funding, or other difficulties after the death of a loved one. Each chapter ends with a list of questions for reflection and action, so you can follow the plan step by step to be better prepared and not scrambling around looking for the key to the safe, your loved one’s passwords, or important documents while dealing with the emotional stress of grieving.”
“Conversations about death are always challenging but this book provides an easy way to start the conversation so that loved ones feel informed about end of life decisions and don’t have to deal with more stress and worry than they are already experiencing in loss. When the financial and estate prep work has been taken care of and communicated effectively, the families can truly grieve and experience the loss fully. There is nothing worse than having to skip a grieving process because you have to search for the will or find the bank account or figure out how to pay the bills. That’s not a burden any of us want to leave so I highly recommend we get our lives in order now by reading this very informative book!”
“This book is filled with valuable information for getting your affairs in order. Pam’s sharing of her personal experience was very relatable whether you had already lost a spouse, or you are just getting your affairs in order. Cam’s information was enlightening and thought provoking. I will be rereading this book and checking off the list of things I need, so my affairs are in order for my family. I want to make it as stressless as possible. I wish I had a guide like this book to help me though the difficult time I was having after the loss of my husband.”
“I just read “Where’s the Key to the Safe” and found it to be a roadmap for learning how to navigate the waters of a loved one’s death. I especially liked the approach of Pam who wrote an emotional and warts-and- all account of her husband’s death and of Cam who was the more practical and fact- given co-author. Dealing with death is an emotional rollercoaster, and having this book as a guide makes the grieving process a little easier to navigate. I definitely recommend this book for everyone and it’s nice to have this topic dealt with in such a caring, compassionate practical manner.”
“A Must-Read That Brings Peace of Mind
“Where’s the Key to the Safe?” is such an important book. After watching a friend’s family struggle with probate and finances after a loss, I realized I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I thought. This book changed that.
Pam Baker’s personal story, combined with Cameron Zabko’s expert advice, makes for a powerful and practical guide. It’s not just about wills—it’s about protecting your loved ones from unnecessary stress when they’re already grieving.
The book is filled with real-world examples, simple checklists, and clear, actionable steps. More than anything, it gave me peace of mind knowing I’m not leaving a mess behind.
If you’re financially tied to anyone you care about, read this book. It’s compassionate, honest, and exactly what I needed.”
“What a well written roadmap of how to navigate the plethora of complexities surrounding the loss of your spouse. Pam’s unique way of sharing her personal experience is both relatable and encouraging. Cam’s perspective is informative and offers sound advice for tackling seemingly endless “to do” lists. Overall, such a very helpful book!”
“I found this book to be extremely eye opening and helpful to me. It’s hard to imagine what to do but this book helps put it all in a way that makes sense. Being prepared for your spouse passing is something everyone should be prepared for. I appreciate the guidance from this book!”
“Thank you for providing all of this valuable information in a clear and easy to read format. I lost my husband suddenly and wish I had all of this information before that happened.”
“From its beautiful cover to the incredibly helpful content, I absolutely loved this book. I only wish I had it two years ago when my husband passed—it would have been an invaluable guide during such a difficult time.
Pam and Cameron have done a phenomenal job of breaking down everything we need to plan for and take care of when a loved one passes. It’s a quick, easy read, and yet it’s packed with wisdom, clarity, and practical steps. For me, knowing them both personally, it felt like they were speaking directly to me through the pages.
I especially appreciated Pam’s comment about never seeing a “girlfriend’s guide to your husband dying”—it made me laugh out loud, even through the heaviness of the topic. That mix of honesty, heart, and humor makes this book truly special.
Whether you’re planning ahead or coping with loss, this is a must-have resource. Pam and Cam, you’ve created something truly meaningful. Thank you.”