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Childfree Life by Design

Childfree Insights

Childfree Life by Design is a podcast for people who are Childfree or permanently childless and thinking seriously about money, legacy, and what comes next. It tackles financial planning, estate planning, and life decisions for adults building a future without children and without a default script to follow.

Hosted by experts in financial and life planning, the show cuts through outdated assumptions about family, retirement, and aging. Conversations focus on utilizing wealth, solo aging, long-term care, relationships, and how to plan with clarity when you don’t have kids.

This isn’t about justifying your choices or debating labels. It’s about practical guidance for planning life without children making smart financial decisions, defining legacy on your own terms, and building support systems that actually work.

If you’re Childfree, childless, or planning without kids and want thoughtful, trusted education, this is where those conversations happen.

Disclosure: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult your professional advisors before implementing any ideas discussed. For full disclosures, visit Childfreewealth.com.

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21 episodes
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Avg 33 min
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#207
Thursday · 33 min
Scary Stories: Tax Mistakes Childfree People Make | Bri Conn, CFP®, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Maddy Roche
The worst tax stories aren't about criminals, they're about ordinary people doing what they thought was allowed and stepping into a trap. Bri Conn, CFP® reads a string of real-world cautionary tales while Maddy Roche reacts and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® explains what actually went wrong, from the influencer myth that your whole life becomes a write-off, to the unpaid tax bill that can revoke your passport at the airport, to the rent your unmarried partner pays you that the IRS counts as income. The throughline is one every Childfree person building a life outside the standard script needs to hear: the tax code has sharp edges around staying single, filing unmarried, and living abroad, and ignorance of the rules is the one excuse the IRS will never accept. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why "I post about my life, so my life is a write-off" is a myth, how the IRS separates a real business with a profit motive from a hobby, and what actually happens when you never show a profit How unpaid taxes can get your passport revoked, why the IRS can lien your home or garnish wages after the fact, and why a payment plan keeps you current and protected Why chasing a lower tax bill by moving states or obsessing over brackets can cost you far more in happiness than it saves, and how to weigh the real tradeoffs Why getting legally married often works against Childfree couples on taxes and student loans, and how filing unmarried, gift-tax limits, and estate-tax cliffs quietly reshape the math How an ordinary foreign bank account can trigger FBAR reporting and life-altering penalties, and why your CPA and financial planner can only protect you if you tell them everything Episode Hosts: Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education. Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®, the first of its kind next of kin representation service for Childfree people. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money. Maddy Roche is the Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®, where she leads all sales, marketing, and partnership initiatives and brings sharp insight to estate planning, LGBTQ+ legacy considerations, and Childfree financial decision making. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights delivers education for financial and estate planning without children. It supports people with no kids in making informed decisions about retirement, legacy planning, beneficiaries, and long-term care. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#206
August 27 · 33 min
Tax Planning for Childfree People | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC
Most mainstream tax advice runs on autopilot, and the autopilot assumes you're married with kids, funding a 529, and leaving an inheritance behind. When none of that describes your life, following it can cost you a fortune. Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® and Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC start from a blunter premise: the tax code is built to reward having children, so Childfree people are never going to get those breaks, and the smarter move is to design your own. The throughline is the opposite of chasing a lower bill this year. It's using taxes as one more tool to fund the life you actually want, paying the IRS what's owed without leaving a tip, and knowing when the strategy some influencer swears by simply doesn't fit a life without kids. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why the tax system is intentionally pronatalist, how that shapes everything from the child tax credit to head-of-household status, and why designing your own tax breaks matters when the built-in ones were never meant for you Why the popular "become a landlord for passive income" advice often breaks down for Childfree people once you factor in the lost step-up in basis, and how a charitable remainder unitrust can turn an appreciated property into lifetime income plus a charitable benefit How to think through the pre-tax versus Roth 401(k) decision, why your tax bracket, your state's income tax, your student loans, and any dream of moving abroad all change the answer Why the Roth conversion and backdoor Roth strategies the financial press pushes every November are so easy to get wrong, and when the paperwork simply isn't worth it Why paying zero tax in a given year is not always the win it looks like, how donor-advised funds let you time your giving for maximum benefit, and why coordinating a CFP® professional and a CPA protects you over a lifetime rather than a single April Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Early Retirement Tax Planning with Cody Garrett, CFP®, Ep 166: : https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-166 Get Dr. Jay's book "The Childfree Guide to Life and Money" here: https://childfreewealth.com/childfree-guide/ Learn more about Childfree Wealth: www.childfreewealth.com Learn more about Childfree Trust: https://www.childfreetrust.com Episode Hosts: Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®, the first of its kind next of kin representation service for Childfree people. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money. Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC is an Associate Advisor at Childfree Wealth® and the go-to expert for long-term care strategies and tax planning questions. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#205
August 20 · 18 min
Guardianship vs. Power of Attorney: Protecting Your Choices as a Solo Ager | Bri Conn, CFP® & Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW
Most people first hear the words guardianship and conservatorship in a moment of crisis, when an accident, illness, or cognitive decline has already taken the decision out of their hands. Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW has spent years inside that court system, conducting the capacity assessments that decide whether someone keeps the right to manage their own life or a court steps in to decide for them. She joins Bri Conn, CFP® to pull these intimidating legal terms apart and draw a clear line between the reactive path and the proactive one: guardianship and conservatorship are what happen when no plan exists, while a power of attorney set up ahead of time keeps every medical and financial choice in your hands. For solo adults who may not have a default next of kin to name, they talk through how to build that safety net on purpose and how Childfree Trust® can step in when there is no obvious person to list. In This Episode, You'll Learn: The real difference between guardianship and conservatorship, why guardianship is best understood as reactive, and how a court process gets triggered when no plan is already in place How a guardian or conservator actually gets chosen, who can file the petition, what the two-professional assessment involves, and how the role can fall to a stranger or the state when no one you know is willing or able to serve Why guardianship is so difficult and costly to reverse once it is granted, and what the ward has to go through to try to reinstate their own rights How a power of attorney for both medical and financial decisions keeps your choices in your hands, why it never requires a court, and why naming a backup is just as important as naming your first choice What belongs in your care documents, from doctors and billing details to your wishes on treatment, facilities, who to notify, and even who cares for your pet, and how Childfree Trust® can serve as the power of attorney when you have no one to name by default Explore Childfree Trust: Explore Childfree Trust & start protecting your future today: https://childfreetrust.com/ Episode Hosts: Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education. Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW is a Senior Advisor at Childfree Trust® with three decades in social services across child welfare, public schools, and guardianship and probate. She is also one of the nation's first Certified Veterinary Social Workers, with deep expertise in the legal and emotional terrain that vulnerable individuals navigate. She has conducted guardianship and capacity assessments within the court system for many years. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights delivers education for financial and estate planning without children. It supports people with no kids in making informed decisions about retirement, legacy planning, beneficiaries, and long-term care. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#204
August 13 · 37 min
The Myth of the Maternal Instinct | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Dr. Amy Blackstone
There's a particular kind of quiet worry that comes with being Childfree, the suspicion that everyone else received some piece of wiring you're missing. Dr. Amy Blackstone spent her mid-30s certain she was broken as a woman, and she went looking for the research to explain what had gone wrong with her. What she found became her life's work. There is no maternal instinct waiting to switch on, and the majority of Childfree people she interviewed had opted out for a reason that genuinely surprised her: they watched their parents do it well, understood exactly what good parenting asks of a person, and chose to put their energy somewhere else. She joins Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® for a conversation that runs from the political noise around falling birth rates to what the research actually says about regret, and lands on the thing that reframes everything. If you feel wrong, it may be because you've been measuring yourself against the wrong population. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why there is no scientific basis for the maternal instinct, and how the absence of that supposed pull leaves so many people convinced something is wrong with them The biggest surprise in Dr. Amy Blackstone's research, that most Childfree people she interviewed had good childhoods and opted out precisely because they saw how much good parenting requires What the research actually shows about regret, why the distinction between Childfree and Childless matters so much, which group does report unhappiness later in life, and how that compares to the share of parents who regret having kids Why measuring your life against the standard life script guarantees you'll feel like you're doing it wrong, and how comparing yourself to the right population changes the entire picture How stigma around the Childfree choice has shifted over the decades, what today's pronatalist politics and policy fights look like, and why roughly a quarter of the country remains almost entirely underserved Resources Mentioned: Laura Carroll, Childfree author and advocate who revitalized International Childfree Day: https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-74/ Marcia Drut-Davis, author of Confessions of a Childfree Woman: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marcia-Drut-Davis/author/B08429L4CL The Childfree Path to a Healthier Planet | Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® | TEDxWilsonPark: https://youtu.be/ltZpfHCpHPg?si=38LrZlkf4oMGWyE8 Episode Guest: Dr. Amy Blackstone is a public sociologist who studies and writes about reproductive justice, population trends, workplace sexual harassment, activism and other forms of civic engagement, power and politics, and any other topic that strikes her fancy, hits the news, or gets myopic dingdongs with too much power riled up. In recent years, much of her focus has been dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic and what's been left in its wake: a silent but no less crushing aftershock, an illness known as Long COVID, that has claimed millions, snatching her from public life, while the world carries on as if nothing has happened. Her book, CHILDFREE BY CHOICE (Penguin Random House) enraged pronatalists the world over, a career highlight. Dr. Blackstone worked as a professor of sociology at the University of Maine for a quarter century and she now looks forward to a future of retirement and troublemaking. Connect with Dr. Amy Blackstone: Website: amyblackstonephd.com Instagram: instagram.com/a.maria.blackstone/ Childfree by Choice by Dr. Amy Blackstone https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Blackstone/author/B07T7TM4DT Episode Host: Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® (he/him) is the Founder of Childfree Wealth, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping people simplify their finances so they can live an amazing Childfree life. Dr. Jay is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Childfree Wealth Specialist, and author of the book "The Childfree Guide to Life and Money." About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights focuses on planning for solo aging and later life without children. It offers trusted education on financial planning, estate planning, and building support systems for people aging independently. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#203
August 6 · 24 min
Disability Insurance and Protecting Your Paycheck | Bri Conn, CFP® & Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC
When you're Childfree, disability insurance is essential. Bri Conn, CFP® and Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC make the case that your paycheck is the engine behind the entire life you've designed, and protecting it isn't the same as guarding against some freak accident. More than one in four of today's 20-year-olds will become disabled before retirement, and about 90 percent of claims come from ordinary illnesses like cancer, heart conditions, and long COVID, not the dramatic scenarios people picture. The throughline is the one that runs through everything on this show: your income is your freedom, and protecting it on purpose is how you keep the life you built. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why disability is far more common than people assume, with more than one in four of today's 20-year-olds becoming disabled before retirement and about 90 percent of claims coming from everyday illnesses rather than accidents The real difference between short-term and long-term disability coverage, and why a solo earner with no partner to fall back on should treat long-term coverage as non-negotiable How the definition of disability in your policy changes everything, from the restrictive "any occupation" standard to the "own occupation" coverage that keeps paying even if you build a new career How occupational class, benefit caps, and riders like residual disability shape what you actually pay and what you actually collect, and why mental health claims are often limited to a set number of years The tax rule that catches people off guard, why a benefit paid for by your employer is taxable while one you fund yourself arrives tax-free, and how that math should shape the coverage you choose Episode Hosts: Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education. Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC is an Associate Advisor at Childfree Wealth® and the go-to expert for long-term care strategies and tax planning questions. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#202
July 30 · 38 min
Where to Find Your Community as a Childfree Adult | Maddy Roche with Kari Cardinale, Florence Wlodarski, Charlie & Ali Higgins
Building real community as an adult is quietly one of the hardest things about modern life, and it gets harder when you're Childfree. The friends you assumed would always be around get busy, have kids, or move away, and one day you look up and realize the built-in social life adulthood promised never actually arrived. Maddy Roche sits down with four people who got tired of waiting and built the communities they couldn't find. Kari Cardinale of the Modern Elder Academy, Florence Wlodarski of Parallel Social Club, and Charlie and Ali Higgins of DINK Social each started from the same quiet ache, wanting people whose weekends were free and whose lives looked like theirs, and turned it into something thousands have now joined. Underneath it all sits a striking finding: the single biggest predictor of a long life is not diet or exercise, but the quality of the friendships you build in midlife. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why finding your people gets harder in your 40s and beyond, the specific friction points that make adult friendship so difficult, and how these community builders designed around every one of them How three very different organizations approach the same need, from a midlife wisdom school to an in-person social club to an app built specifically for Childfree couples Why the first hangout is only the entry point, and how structured, smaller gatherings create the deeper "third vault" conversations that actually bond people together What it takes for an introvert to walk into a new community and get the most out of it, including why small, vetted, interest-based groups beat big networking-style events The 80-year Harvard finding that the quality of your midlife friendships predicts a long life more than diet or exercise, and why that reframes community as a health priority Episode Guests: Kari Cardinale is a partner and Chief Content Officer at MEA (Modern Elder Academy), a midlife wisdom school with campuses in Baja, Mexico, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, plus a digital campus and an alumni community of 8,000 people across 60 countries, all built around navigating midlife and building new friendships. MEA (Modern Elder Academy): meawisdom.com Florence Wlodarski is the co-founder of Parallel Social Club, a social wellness community in Los Angeles built for DINKs, SINKs, Childfree, and childless adults. Parallel hosts around ten small, curated in-person events a month, designed to remove the friction from adult friendship and help busy professionals actually connect. Parallel Social Club: parallelsocialclub.com Charlie and Ali Higgins are the co-founders of DINK Social, a social app built exclusively for Childfree couples to connect, discover events, and build real friendships. Launched in early 2026, the community-driven platform has already surpassed 2,500 couples. DINK Social: dinksocial.com Episode Host: Maddy Roche is the Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®, where she leads all sales, marketing, and partnership initiatives and brings sharp insight to estate planning, LGBTQ+ legacy considerations, and Childfree financial decision making. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights delivers education for financial and estate planning without children. It supports people with no kids in making informed decisions about retirement, legacy planning, beneficiaries, and long-term care. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#201
July 23 · 27 min
Finding Friendship and Community as a Childfree Adult | Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW, Maddy Roche, Bri Conn, CFP® & Alli Gage
Loneliness carries the same health toll as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and for Childfree adults there is no built-in carpool lane to friendship. You build your crew on purpose. In this episode, Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW, Maddy Roche, Bri Conn, CFP®, and Alli Gage trade honest stories about the moments that forced them to rebuild their circles, from divorce and sobriety to cross-country moves, and the practical ways they found their people again. They get into why intergenerational friendships are a quiet superpower when your life is not organized around school pickups and playgroups, how to take the pressure off by letting not every friend be a best friend, and the small, repeatable habits, showing up a second time, raising your hand to volunteer, casting a wide net, that turn strangers into a community that fits the life you designed. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why friendship is a health requirement rather than a nice-to-have, and what the research on loneliness, the friendship recession, and the emotional-support deficit reveals about how common it is to feel disconnected How major life changes like divorce, sobriety, and moving can signal that your crew needs to change, and how to rebuild intentionally by getting clear on how you want to spend your time and who you want around you Why intergenerational friendships are a particular advantage for Childfree adults, and how connecting across age groups brings perspective, mentorship, and a richer life How to take the pressure off friendship by connecting over one shared thing, since not every friend has to be a best friend for the relationship to be deeply satisfying The practical, repeatable moves for finding your people, from hobbies, classes, volunteering, and faith communities to apps like Bumble BFF and Meetup, plus why going back a second time changes everything Episode Hosts: Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW is a Senior Advisor at Childfree Trust® with three decades in social services across child welfare, public schools, and guardianship and probate. She is also one of the nation's first Certified Veterinary Social Workers, with deep expertise in the legal and emotional terrain that vulnerable individuals navigate. Maddy Roche is the Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®, where she leads all sales, marketing, and partnership initiatives and brings sharp insight to estate planning, LGBTQ+ legacy considerations, and Childfree financial decision making. Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education. Alli Gage is the Chief of Staff at Childfree Insights, the behind-the-scenes coordinator who keeps all the organizations running in an orderly fashion across the board. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights focuses on planning for solo aging and later life without children. It offers trusted education on financial planning, estate planning, and building support systems for people aging independently. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#200
July 16 · 29 min
Building a Small Business as a Childfree Entrepreneur | Bri Conn, CFP® with Jena Gribble & Huzefa Kapadia
Being Childfree changes how you build a business, from the money you can pour back in, to the hours you keep to the question of who it's all for. Jena Gribble of Blush Cactus and Huzefa Kapadia of Scalar Learning join Bri Conn, CFP® to talk about what that has actually looked like for them, the runway that lets them weather a slow season, the boundaries they set by choice, and how they think about a business's future when handing it down was never part of the plan. They get into the real trade-offs and the freedom underneath them, including why success on your own terms beats scaling for the sake of scaling every time. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How being Childfree can create real financial flexibility for a business owner, from reinvesting profits to building the runway that carries you through slower seasons. Why flexibility and availability are not the same as having unlimited time, and how both founders set boundaries around work that they chose rather than work that was imposed on them. How to think about the future of a business when passing it to children isn’t the goal. Why defining what success actually looks like matters so much for Childfree founders, and how to avoid the trap of scaling for the sake of scaling. What experienced founders wish more people understood before starting out. Episode Guests: Jena Gribble is the founder and brand strategist at Blush Cactus, a branding and marketing agency in Gilbert, Arizona, that helps businesses clarify who they are, communicate their value, and build brands people trust. What began as a freelance graphic design business grew into a full agency with a team, with strategy at the heart of everything they do. Connect with Jena: blushcactus.com Huzefa Kapadia is the founder of Scalar Learning, a Los Angeles based education company focused on math education. A former software engineer and patent attorney, he launched Scalar Learning solo in 2013 and grew it through word of mouth and a successful YouTube channel into a team of tutors, while still tutoring more than anyone on his team. Connect with Huzefa: scalarlearning.com Episode Host: Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#199
July 9 · 38 min
What Women Need to Know About Money and Starting a Business | Bri Conn, CFP® & Ilaria Rawlins
In this episode, Bri Conn, CFP® sits down with Ilaria Rawlins, CEO of Fortuna Bank, to talk about why female entrepreneurs are denied business loans three times more often than their male counterparts, what it actually took to build one of only 15 women-owned banks in the country, and what every woman building a business needs to know about finding a banking partner who is genuinely in their corner. Fortuna Bank is only the second bank in U.S. history ever intentionally created to be women-owned, and Ilaria spent 30 years in banking before making it happen. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why female entrepreneurs are denied commercial loans three times more often than men and what the network gap between male and female business owners actually looks like in practice What questions to ask when interviewing a banker, why community banks are often a better fit for startups than large national banks, and how to find a lender who will look at your business holistically rather than running your application through an AI underwriting system What it actually takes to start a bank from scratch, including raising $20 million in capital, navigating a 500-page regulatory application, and launching in the same month that SVB and First Republic failed Why Fortuna dropped its minimum shareholder investment from $50,000 to $10,000 and how 350 shareholders -- 75% of them women -- came together to build something that had almost no precedent in the industry Out of 4,300 banks in the United States, only 15 are women-owned -- and why that number tells you everything you need to know about where the gaps in capital access actually live Resources Mentioned: Building Your Bench with Maddy Roche and Bri Conn, CFP® https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-175/ Episode Guest: Ilaria Rawlins is the CEO of Fortuna Bank, a newly launched women-owned de novo bank dedicated to expanding access to capital, fostering community impact, and supporting entrepreneurs who have historically faced capital barriers. With over 30 years of banking experience and recognition as 2025 CEO of the Year by Columbus CEO magazine, she is a leading advocate for women in business and financial empowerment. Connect with Ilaria on her website: fortunabank.com Episode Host: Bri Conn, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®, and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#198
July 1 · 31 min
Solo Aging for Childfree Adults: How to Plan Before You Need To | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Carol Marak
Carol Marak spent years as a family caregiver before a single, sharp realization changed the course of her life: her parents had three daughters looking out for them, and she was navigating the road ahead solo. Rather than let that fear sit, she turned it into a decade of research, a widely followed community, and a body of work on how to age safely and securely as a soloist, without a spouse or kids. In this episode, she joins Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® to talk about what it actually takes to build that kind of independent life on purpose. Together they get into the three questions that surface the moment you land in a hospital bed, why finances sit at the center of a holistic aging plan, and how the soloists who end up with the most options are the ones who built their support system long before they needed it. The conversation reframes independence itself: not as doing everything alone, but as assembling the right people and structures around you while you still have the time and health to choose them. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why finances sit at the center of a holistic aging plan, how they connect to health, housing, and social support, and why "I have my finances set" is the place people wrongly stop instead of start The three questions that surface the instant you end up in a hospital bed: who can speak to your physicians, who can access your finances, and who will physically show up to advocate for you, plus the fourth one most soloists forget Why being single can cost you between $400,000 and a million dollars over a lifetime, what the single tax actually adds up to, and why soloists tend to land in one of two financial buckets with very little in between How creative housing models, from naturally occurring retirement communities to dorm-style shared living, can build a support system right outside your door without sacrificing your private space Why true independence means building the right structures with the right people rather than doing everything yourself, and how to take the first small step before a crisis makes the decision for you Resources: The Purpose Code by Jordan Grumet, MD: https://jordangrumet.com/books Episode Guest: Carol Marak is an aging-alone advocate, author, and educator who has spent over a decade helping people plan to live safely and securely as soloists, without a spouse or kids. After a wake-up call at 55 following her years as a family caregiver, she built her work around the realities of solo aging and founded the Elder Orphan Facebook group, a carefully moderated community of more than 11,000 members. She coaches and teaches on designing an independent later life, with finances, health, housing, and social connection treated as one connected system. Connect with Carol: Website: carolmarak.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carolmarak Independent Solo Peer Group for Independent Adults 60+ https://carolmarak.com/aging-solo-peer-group Life Plan Assessment: https://carolmarak.com/life-plan-assessment Elder Orphans Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/elderorphans Episode Host: Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping people simplify their finances so they can live an amazing Childfree life. Dr. Jay is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Childfree Wealth Specialist, and author of the book “The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.” About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#197
June 25 · 34 min
Small Business 101: Starting an AI-Proof Business After 50 | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Alli Gage
For Childfree adults over 50, the next wave of AI-driven job displacement does not have to be a crisis. It can be the push that finally makes starting something of your own feel not just possible but necessary. In this episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® and Alli Gage break down what it actually takes to launch a small business in the second half of life, from the two questions every founder needs to answer first, to how AI can make you a more efficient and resilient solopreneur from day one. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why the two most important questions before starting any business are who do you want to serve and how do you want to serve them -- and why the answers to those questions also happen to make your business more AI-resistant How to tell the difference between owning a job and building a business, why most people actually want the former, and why getting clear on that distinction early saves you from building the wrong thing Why Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® asks every client to double their prices before anything else, what happened when a dog walker raised her rates by 50%, and why setting boundaries around the clients you serve is the most important business decision you will make How to use AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement for your own expertise, why the first draft AI gives you will always be terrible, and why fighting with it upfront is exactly how you get value out of it later Why the business has to help you rather than hurt you, what limits to set before you start, and how to know when it is time to walk away from something that is no longer adding joy Episode Hosts: Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping people simplify their finances so they can live an amazing Childfree life. Dr. Jay is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Childfree Wealth Specialist, and author of the book “The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.” Alli Gage is the Chief of Staff at Childfree Insights. Alli is the behind-the-scenes coordinator who ensures all organizations operate in an orderly fashion across the board. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights focuses on planning for solo aging and later life without children. It offers trusted education on financial planning, estate planning, and building support systems for people aging independently. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#196
June 18 · 47 min
Dementia-Proofing Your Future | Bri Conn, CFP®, Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW & Jennifer Crowley
In this episode, Bri Conn, CFP® and Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW sit down with Jennifer Crowley, registered nurse, certified life care planner, and founder of The Life Care Experts, for a conversation about what it actually takes to plan for aging with intention. Jennifer has spent over 30 years walking alongside individuals through the most vulnerable chapters of their lives, and she brings a clear-eyed, practical framework for Childfree and solo aging adults who want to stay in the driver's seat of their own care -- even if their health or cognitive abilities change. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why hope is not a care plan and what the difference between reactive crisis management and proactive life care planning actually looks like in practice How Jennifer's seven-step U DECIDE framework helps solo agers and Childfree adults build a structured, values-aligned aging roadmap without feeling overwhelmed by where to start Why sharing your financial and healthcare information with a trusted person is not about losing control -- it is about preserving it -- and what someone needs to know to step in on your behalf if you cannot What dementia-proofing your future actually means, why rural aging requires earlier and more intentional planning than most people realize, and how to start building your care ecosystem before you need it Why your power of attorney document is only as useful as the conversation you have had with the person you named, and what it costs when that conversation never happens Episode Guest: Jennifer Crowley is a registered nurse of 32 years, dual certified life care planner and care manager, and founder of The Life Care Experts in northwest Montana. She is the author of 7 Steps to Long-Term Care Planning, The Life Care Management Handbook, and The Ultimate Care Plan Guide, and co-founder of the Life Care Management Institute, which offers over 30 online courses and do-it-yourself resources for aging and life care planning. Connect with Jennifer: 7 Steps to Long-Term Care Planning by Jennifer Crowley: available at https://thelifecareexperts.com Family Aging Life Care Planning online course: https://lifecareexperts.thrivecart.com/familyagingplan/ Instagram: @lifecaremanagementinstitute Facebook: @lifecaremanagementinstitute LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/lifecaremanagementinstitute Episode Hosts: Bri Conn, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®, and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and Doctor of Social Work with a background in probate court and guardianship. She brings a unique clinical perspective to the intersection of aging, legal planning, and intentional life design for Childfree adults. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights delivers education for financial and estate planning without children. It supports people with no kids in making informed decisions about retirement, legacy planning, beneficiaries, and long-term care. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#195
June 11 · 33 min
LGBTQ+ Solo Aging: What Childfree Adults Need to Know | Maddy Roche & Sherrill Wayland
In this episode, Maddy Roche sits down with Sherrill Wayland, Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships at SAGE, the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults. Sherrill brings over two decades of advocacy experience, a deeply personal connection to the community she serves, and a clear-eyed understanding of what it means to age as an LGBTQ+ adult in a world that was not always built to support you -- particularly when you are doing it without children. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why LGBTQ+ older adults face a unique set of aging challenges rooted in a lifetime of discrimination, family estrangement, and a legal system that was not designed with their relationships in mind -- and what SAGE is doing at the national level to change that What the Long-Term Care Equality Index is, how it helps LGBTQ+ older adults identify affirming housing and care communities, and what specific questions to ask when evaluating whether a provider is truly equipped to serve your community How SAGE Care's cultural competency training is equipping senior centers, assisted living facilities, and area agencies on aging across the country to serve LGBTQ+ older adults with dignity and respect What Sherrill's sabbatical to Antarctica with her mother taught her about the freedom that comes with being Childfree by choice, and why building a life on your own terms sometimes means spending it exactly the way you want Episode Guest: Sherrill Wayland (she/they) is the Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships at SAGE, the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults. With a career rooted in advocacy for marginalized communities, Sherrill oversees the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, SAGE Care, SAGE Collab, and SAGE U, and has spent over two decades working to ensure LGBTQ+ elders have access to affirming, dignified care and community. Learn more about SAGE on their website: https://www.sageusa.org/ And follow along on social media: https://www.instagram.com/sageusa https://www.facebook.com/SAGEUSA Episode Host: Maddy Roche (she/her) is Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®. She understands the challenges of being Childfree as it relates to estate planning and is passionate about educating her community about ways to prepare. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#194
June 4 · 37 min
Business Growth Without the Burnout | Bri Conn CFP® & Nikolai Blinow
In this episode, Bri Conn, CFP® sits down with Nikolai Blinow for a conversation about wise mind decision-making, the real definition of rest, and what calm hustle actually looks like when you are building a business on your own terms. Nikolai Blinow built her entire practice around one idea, that you should not have to burn your life down to build a successful business. As a licensed mental health counselor, life coach, and TEDx speaker specializing in professional burnout and adult ADHD, she brings both the clinical framework and the lived experience to back it up. In This Episode, You'll Learn: What the wise mind concept from Dialectical Behavior Therapy actually means and how applying it to business decisions helps you stop swinging between guilt-driven overwork and avoidance of the hard stuff. Why being entirely rational in business is just as problematic as being entirely emotional, and how finding the overlap between the two leads to more grounded, effective decisions. How to use a values inventory to identify whether you are building a business around what you actually care about or unconsciously chasing someone else's definition of success. Why the idea that productivity means being at your desk for 40 hours a week is a byproduct of technology, not human biology. Resources Mentioned: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari: https://stolenfocusbook.com/ Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski: https://www.burnoutbook.net/ Episode Guest: Nikolai Blinow is a licensed mental health counselor, life coach, and TEDx speaker. Her clinical specialties include professional burnout, adult ADHD, and the science of stress. She integrates mindfulness and holistic living with behavioral science in her virtual therapy and coaching practice, and her TEDx talk Yoga and Its Connection to Mental Health has over 300,000 views. Connect with Nikolai on her website: ompowermentpsych.com Request her Free burnout checklist: ompowermentpsych.com/checklist And request the values inventory by emailing: nikolai@ompowermentpsych.com Episode Host: Bri Conn, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®, and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#193
May 28 · 35 min
AI and the Future of Work: How Childfree Adults Can Prepare | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®
In this episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® brings his TED Conference takeaways directly to the Childfree community for a straight-talking look at what the AI economy actually means for people building a future without children. He does not sugarcoat it. The next recession will likely be the one that takes the jobs and does not bring them back, and the people who will be okay are not necessarily the ones who saw it coming, they are the ones who prepared before it arrived. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why the next recession is likely to be a structural job loss event rather than a temporary one, and why AI replacing 80% of desk jobs is not doom and gloom, it is just math Why being the expert in your field is no longer the competitive advantage it once was, and what the one skill is that will actually protect you in an AI economy How Childfree adults are uniquely positioned to navigate a post-work world, and why not having to worry about your children's job prospects is a genuine advantage when the economy shifts Why Dr. Jay is temporarily back on the hustle train and what he is doing personally to build his financial cushion before the window closes What the obituary exercise has to do with AI, why your second line will not say "Father of three," and why figuring out what it does say is the most important work you can do right now Resources Mentioned: Leadership Lessons from NASCAR with Drew Blickensderfer: https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-176/ The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist - Available on YouTube, Apple TV & Amazon Prime Want to talk more about this? Join us on June 3rd for Navigating the AI Economy a Real Talk with Dr. Jay: https://childfreeinsights.com/event/20260603-realtalk/ Can't make it on June 3rd? Check out our other free events here: https://childfreeinsights.com/events/ Episode Hosts: Dr. Jay Zigmont, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#192
May 21 · 31 min
Renting, Buying and Vacation Homes | Dr. Jay Zigmont CFP® & Fiona Waller, MSW, LCSW, CFP®
Buying a home has been sold as the responsible, obvious next step for so long that most people have never actually stopped to ask whether it fits their life. Dr. Jay Zigmont CFP® owned homes from age 21 to 45 and now rents. Fiona Waller CFP® works with clients who have spent years in properties they quietly resented. In this episode, they take apart the financial math, the family voices, the passive income myth, and the real cost of owning a vacation home to help Childfree adults make housing decisions based on what they actually want rather than what they have been told to want. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why the stock market returning seven to ten percent annually makes a stronger financial case than a mortgage at six percent interest on a home appreciating three to five percent per year. How to tell whether you should buy or rent based on your life first and your finances second, and why being unable to say where you will be in three years is the only answer you need Why rent is the most you will pay each month while a mortgage is the least, and what that difference means for a Childfree adult who values flexibility and simplicity Why rental properties are not passive income, what the 1031 exchange strategy assumes about passing wealth to children, and why that assumption does not work for Childfree people Why vacation homes are the worst of all worlds for Childfree adults, and why renting wherever you want to go beats owning a property you have to manage from a distance Resources Mentioned: What if your Parents Run out of Money | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Bri Conn, CFP® https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-136/ Inheriting Parent Care Responsibility | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Bri Conn, CFP® https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-137/ Episode Hosts: Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money. Fiona Waller, MSW, LCSW, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®. She brings a unique perspective as a former therapist, focusing on the intersection of mental health and money using a trauma-informed background to help clients align their financial and life plans with their values. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights delivers education for financial and estate planning without children. It supports people with no kids in making informed decisions about retirement, legacy planning, beneficiaries, and long-term care. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#191
May 14 · 35 min
What Longevity Science Means for Childfree Adults | Dr. Jay Zigmont CFP® & Joshua Herring
For Childfree adults building a future without a traditional family support structure, the quality of your later years matters as much as the quantity. In this episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont CFP® sat down with Joshua Herring, President and CEO of the Longevity Science Foundation, to talk about what it actually takes to fund the research that could extend not just how long you live, but how well. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why 85% of researchers spend the majority of their time looking for funding instead of doing research, and what the Longevity Science Foundation is doing to change that How 100% of every donation to the LSF goes directly to research, and why that is possible when most nonprofits allocate 10 to 20% to operational overhead Why women who go through menopause before 40 face a 43% higher risk of Alzheimer's, and how a menopause clock currently in development could become one of the most impactful predictive health tools ever built Resources Mentioned: Dr. Jyoti Patel | How medicine is failing women and what you can do to fix it | TEDxWilsonPark https://youtu.be/z8SXmSi0eGI?si=F20HYvyXOBUlQ0b7 The Diary Of A CEO Female Health Debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kizDk8idpT8 Episode Guest: Joshua Herring is the President and CEO of the Longevity Science Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funding research to expand the healthy human lifespan. Prior to joining the LSF, he managed over $2 billion in assets for ultra-high-net-worth clients at AllianceBernstein. Since taking the helm at LSF, he has launched funding for research at Oxford, Stanford, and the University of Copenhagen, and developed the LSF Education Bank to give everyday people agency in their own health journeys. Connect with Joshua on his website: https://longevity.foundation/ On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-herring-2a6099185/ Or send him an email: jh@longevity.foundation Episode Host: Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® (he/him) is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#190
May 7 · 38 min
What No One Tells You About Rental Properties | Bri Conn CFP® & Justin Brown-Woods
Rental properties, passive income, and long-distance real estate investing sound great on social media. The reality looks a lot more like what Justin Brown-Woods actually lived -- two properties across Michigan and Ohio, squatters, stolen copper pipes, three evictions in one year, and a net loss of $25,000 on the first property alone. Bri Conn, CFP® sits down with Justin Brow-Woods, Accredited Financial Counselor® and co-founder of Price of Avocado Toast, for an honest look at what small investors need to know before they buy. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why rental properties are rarely passive income, and how a single repair -- a sewer pipe, a roof, a set of stolen copper pipes -- can wipe out months of cash flow for a small investor with no cushion to absorb it What inheriting tenants actually means, why the deal that looks great on paper can come with problems that no inspection uncovers, and how three evictions in one year became Justin's reality Why out-of-state investing creates a specific set of risks around property management, oversight, and the gap between what you are paying for and what you are actually getting How social media turns real estate investing into a fantasy product, and why the person with 99 properties and a beach vacation is not the same person as the small investor trying to build long-term wealth Why having trusted people in your corner -- a real estate coach, a financial therapist, a straight-talking property manager -- made the difference between staying stuck and getting out with a plan Episode Guest: Justin Brown-Woods is an accredited financial counselor and co-founder of Price of Avocado Toast, a podcast and financial counseling service he runs with his wife Hailey. He helps people ditch shame, embrace mindful spending, and build a sustainable financial life aligned with their values, with a focus on progress over perfection. Learn more about Justin on his website: priceofavocadotoast.com And on Instagram: https://instagram.com/priceofavocadotoast Episode Host: Bri Conn, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®, and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. About Childfree Insights: Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#189
April 30 · 43 min
You Hit Your Financial Goals. Now What? | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Dr. Bill Yount
In this crossover episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® sat down with Dr. Bill Yount, host and founder of the Catching Up to FI podcast, for a conversation that starts where most financial conversations never go. Bill recently hit financial independence and found himself in what he calls the fog of FI -- that disorienting stretch after you reach the number and realize the number was never really the point. He and Dr. Jay compare notes on what it actually feels like to arrive at a goal you spent years building toward, what it takes to build a meaningful second chapter, and what legacy really means when you are not leaving it to children. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Reaching your goals is an identity shift, not a finish line. Dr. Bill calls it the "fog of FI." For Childfree people, legacy is not about lineage. Dr. Jay's second-line obituary exercise cuts to it: after your name and date, what does your life actually say? Lowercase p purpose is what keeps you from wandering. It's not a grand mission, it's knowing who you want to serve and how. Most retirement readiness has nothing to do with money. Fritz Gilbert's framework puts roughly 15 of 20 steps in the "soft" category: relationships, creativity, identity, and giving. The right financial planner is a thought partner. Both Dr. Jay and Dr. Bill make the case for flat-fee planners who focus on life and behavior, not portfolio management. Episode Host: Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money. Episode Guest: Dr. Bill Yount is a practicing Emergency Physician and the host and founder of Catching Up to FI, a podcast for late starters at any age on the journey to financial independence. A self-described late starter himself, his mission is to help others begin where they are. Learn more on the Catching Up to FI Website: https://catchinguptofi.com/ And find him on Catching up to FI: https://www.facebook.com/groups/catchinguptofi/ And the Financial Literacy Project: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371081386982173/ About Childfree Insights Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
#188
April 23 · 29 min
Preparing for Major Life Events | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Bri Conn, CFP®
Every major life change comes with a to-do list most people don't think about until they're already in the middle of it. The job switch that leaves you a month without a paycheck. The move that triggers a tax bill from a state you no longer live in. The divorce where nobody updated the beneficiary and the ex-spouse got the pension. Being Childfree means more flexibility to make bold moves. It also means more responsibility to plan them deliberately. In this episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® and Bri Conn, CFP® walk through the financial and legal checklist that should come with every major life transition, from career pivots and relocations to marriage, divorce, and everything in between. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why timing a job change can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. How to build a relocation plan that accounts for the costs most people miss. Why a prenup is really a financial conversation first, and how working through money values, spending habits, and what Jay calls compatible baggage. What gray divorce means for Childfree adults and why updating beneficiaries is non-negotiable. How to build a sinking fund for any major life transition, so that when the move, the career pivot, or the life change actually happens, your emergency fund stays untouched and the stress stays manageable. The episode referenced in this conversation can be heard here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2002436/episodes/18504425 Episode Hosts: Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of “The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.” Bri Conn, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®, and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. About Childfree Insights Childfree Insights focuses on planning for solo aging and later life without children. It offers trusted education on financial planning, estate planning, and building support systems for people aging independently. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®. Connect with Us: Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com. Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsights Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

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