Childfree Life by Design

Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, founder of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, built a nationwide fiduciary solution for people without traditional next of kin. He explains the four critical estate roles and why decisions while you are alive matter. The conversation covers when temporary decision-makers step in, why professional fiduciaries protect everyone, and practical steps to get care and trust documents in place.

A behind-the-scenes look at the coolest and weirdest tech spotted at CES, from age-tech innovations to robot dogs and voice-cloning photo frames. Team booth stories reveal surprising visitor reactions and media moments. Practical tips for showing up and running a booth mix with highlights of Vegas nightlife and a community dinner that sparked meaningful connections.

Drew Blickensderfer, two-time Daytona 500-winning crew chief turned Competition Director, shares leadership lessons from nearly 20 years in NASCAR. He talks about how being childfree extended his career, reframing identity with the obituary question, mentoring others, adapting leadership for different generations, and celebrating small wins to sustain teams during adversity.

Maddy Roche and Bri Conn discuss the importance of building a strong professional team for those living childfree. They highlight the value of working with certified financial planners who understand the unique needs of childfree individuals. The conversation covers essential roles like medical and financial power of attorney, as well as the benefits of Childfree Trust as a fiduciary solution. They also touch on the need for therapists, personal trainers, and aging care managers to ensure a holistic approach to aging well.

In this enlightening discussion, Carl Richards, a renowned CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and creator of the Sketch Guy column, shares how his simple sketches clarify complex money concepts. He breaks down his famous Venn diagram illustrating the intersection of what matters and what you control. Carl emphasizes the importance of aligning financial goals with personal values, particularly for child-free individuals, and encourages talking candidly about money to strengthen relationships. Practical small changes, like choosing better trail shoes, can lead to significant improvements in life satisfaction.

In this insightful discussion, guests Dr. Jay Zigmont, a CFP® expert on adult learning, and Fiona Waller, a Childfree Wealth Specialist® and clinical social worker, explore how our mental habits shape financial success. They emphasize that 80% of personal finance relies on behavior, not just numbers. All-or-nothing thinking can hinder progress, while focusing on small, incremental improvements leads to sustainable change. Fiona highlights the importance of self-compassion and support systems in transforming financial habits for a fulfilling childfree life.

Welcome to a brand new era! After two and a half years as the Childfree Wealth® Podcast, we're excited to introduce Childfree Life By Design. This isn't just a rebrand; it's an expansion of our mission. While finances remain a cornerstone, we're now diving deeper into relationships, career decisions, and designing a life that works for you. In this special relaunch episode, hosts Bri Conn and Dr. Jay Zigmont introduce the expanded team. Key Takeaways:The rebrand expands the mission: Childfree Life By Design goes beyond financial planning to cover relationships, career pivots, healthcare navigation, community building, and finding meaning on your own terms.Traditional planning doesn't work for Childfree people: The financial planning industry is built around funding college educations and passing wealth to the next generation, leaving Childfree individuals without tailored resources.Childfree planning is actually more complex: End-of-life planning, long-term care, and determining who makes decisions when you can't advocate for yourself require more intentional planning without children.Meet the Team:Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® - Founder & CEO of Childfree Wealth®, Childfree Trust®, & Childfree Insights. Author of "The Childfree Guide to Life and Money."Bri Conn, CFP® - Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust® and co-host. Bri joined the Childfree space after connecting with Dr. Jay while studying to become a CFP® professional.Fiona Waller, MSW, LCSW, CFP® - Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®. Fiona 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.Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC - Associate Advisor at Childfree Wealth®. Scott is the go-to expert for long-term care strategies and tax planning questions.Maddy Roche - Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust® and responsible for all sales & marketing initiatives.Alli Gage - 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.

We've reached the final episode of the Childfree Wealth podcast hosted by Bri and Dr. Jay, CFP®!  It's been an incredible two-and-a-half-year run with 171 episodes published and over 100,000 downloads, and we couldn't be more grateful for this community.So, to celebrate all the amazing things that have happened, the whole Childfree Wealth team—Bri, Dr. Jay, Scott, and Fiona—joins us for a special episode to share wins, battle it out with some hilarious holiday finance trivia, and drop some major news about the future of the podcast.Note to Listeners: The podcast is NOT going away! It is simply changing names to Childfree Life by Design and launching with a new episode on January 1st. Stay subscribed!🔹 Celebrating Our Wins🔹 Holiday Finance Trivia🔹 Rapid-Fire Holiday Q&A🔹 Amazing Stats & Listener Impact🔹 The Future is Now! Stick around to the end as we reveal the exciting rebrand and relaunch — you won't want to miss what's next!

Caring for aging parents is a universal experience, but for the Childfree, the dynamics are completely unique. In this episode, Dr. Jay sits down with Beth Pinsker, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and retired MarketWatch columnist, to discuss her new book,My Mother's Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving. They share personal stories and professional insights on navigating the emotional and financial challenges of becoming a financial caregiver.Tune in to learn how to prepare for the unexpected and ensure you can care for the people you love without derailing your own financial future.Timestamps:🔹01:00 - Why being Childfree doesn't mean you're parent-free🔹02:00 - The surprising impact a parent's financial plan can have on yours🔹03:00 - The challenging question of how much help is too much🔹04:00 - Setting healthy boundaries with parents🔹06:00 - The emotional difficulty of the parent-child role reversal🔹08:00 - The stress of managing caregivers and staff🔹09:00 - Why you might want to hire a professional care team🔹11:00 - Why single women are often the best at planning ahead🔹13:00 - The hard decision of living with a parent🔹18:00 - The nightmare of dealing with banks and power of attorney🔹26:00 - Don't put your important papers in a safe deposit box🔹27:00 - The "death file" and where to put your important papers🔹29:00 - Beth's biggest takeaway from her bookConnect with Beth:🔹Beth’s website: https://bethpinsker.com/🔹Purchase her book:🔹Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethpinsker_ny/🔹LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpinsker/Mentioned in this episode:🔹How to add a legacy contact in Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102631🔹Google inactive account manager (Android): https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3036546?hl=en🔹Childfree Trust®: https://childfreetrust.com/

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Don, a disciplined saver who's embracing the "Die With Zero" philosophy but finding it hard to shift gears! We dive into his journey of planning generous gifts to family and charities now, rather than later, and the mental gymnastics required to actually spend the money he's so diligently saved. We also tackle the nitty-gritty of optimizing investments, navigating healthcare, and the unique estate planning considerations for those who are Childfree. Get ready for some honest talk, a few laughs, and actionable insights on truly living your best life with your wealth.🔹 1:35 Identifying key recipients: Veteran's causes, St. Jude's, and nieces🔹 3:15 Gifting to nieces: Monetary gifts without preconceived notions🔹 4:40 Exploring 529 plans vs. Roth for a grandniece's college fund🔹 8:44 Don's significant philanthropic goals: $100,000 to Tunnel to Towers🔹 12:07 Navigating healthcare: HSAs, high-deductible plans, and the VA🔹 17:40 The mental challenge of spending after years of saving🔹 20:35 Optimizing investments: HSA in stock, international exposure, and ditching high fees🔹 37:43 Estate planning for solo agers: Trustees, power of attorney, and avoiding single points of failureMentioned in this Episode:- Die with Zero by Bill Perkins https://bookshop.org/p/books/die-with-zero-getting-all-you-can-from-your-money-and-your-life-bill-perkins/15130122 - NokBox- The Purpose Code by Jordan Grummet, MD- Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers by Sara Zeff Geber, PhD- Living the Golden Life: Solo Aging Strategies with Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, Ep 130 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2002436/episodes/16368024