Childfree Life by Design

In this episode, Maddy Roche sits down with Chris Dale, CFP®, CeFT®, founder of Life After Grief Financial Planning, to share the real-life story of helping a client navigate aging, medical emergencies, and end-of-life decisions.
From hospice-informed insights to a sudden car accident just weeks after estate documents were signed, Chris walks through what actually happens when someone declines, and why having the right team and paperwork in place makes all the difference.
This conversation is honest, practical, and grounded in lived experience. If you’ve ever wondered what planning for emergencies and end-of-life truly looks like without traditional next of kin, this episode will give you clarity.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why Childfree individuals need both estate planning documents and a coordinated financial services team before a medical emergency occurs
How powers of attorney and professional fiduciaries protect your healthcare decisions, financial accounts, and long-term care options
What can go wrong when there is no clear next of kin, and how the state may become involved in decision-making
How a financial advisor acting as a fiduciary helps manage insurance claims, hospital bills, and long-term care costs during crisis
Why building your aging plan early preserves autonomy, protects assets, and ensures your end-of-life wishes are honored.
Episode Host:
Maddy Roche - Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust® and responsible for all sales & marketing initiatives.
Episode Guest:
Chris Dale, CFP®, CeFT® is a financial advisor with 21 years of experience and the founder of Life After Grief Financial Planning™. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Financial Transitionist®, he specializes in guiding clients through the financial and emotional complexities of loss. His approach integrates technical planning with psychological insight rooted in his significant personal experience and 200+ hours of hospice volunteering.
A five-time "Top Financial Advisor" in Orlando (2019–2023), Christopher is a prominent speaker, author, and host of the podcast Real Talk With Life After Grief Chris. Beyond his clinical expertise, he is a dedicated advocate for addressing how racism and discrimination intersect with grief. Through Life After Grief Consulting™, he provides CE-approved training, earning the reputation of the "Advisor's Advisor."
He lives in Orlando with his wife and two sons.
Learn more about Chris: Lifeaftergrieffp.com 
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.

In this episode, Maddy Roche and Bri Conn, CFP®, explain why legal documents alone aren’t enough. Estate plans grant authority. Care plans provide direction. They spell out the details that make real-world care possible: where to find your mailbox key, your alarm code, how to feed your pets, what medical history your doctors should know, and what living with dignity truly means to you.
They also discuss documenting cultural or religious preferences and why these plans should be treated as living documents, updated as your life, relationships, and values evolve.
Key Takeaways:
Estate plans give the who, care plans give the how. Legal documents grant someone the power to make decisions. Care plans outline what those decisions should actually look like, from daily routines to end-of-life wishes.
Document the everyday details others wouldn't know. Alarm codes, mailbox locations, pet feeding routines, storage facilities, and where to find important items are all critical for someone stepping into your life.
Define what life with dignity means to you. Cultural preferences, religious practices, LGBTQ+ identity, and personal boundaries should be clearly stated so your wishes are honored, not someone else's assumptions.
Build a team to support you as you age. Financial planners, doctors, and aging care managers all play a role in ensuring your care plan can actually be executed when you need it.
Treat your care plan as a living document. Update it as your life changes. New pet, new home, new diagnosis, new preferences. The goal is to keep it current so it reflects who you are now.
Episode Hosts:
Maddy Roche - Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust® and responsible for all sales & marketing initiatives.
Bri Conn, CFP® - Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. Bri coaches clients through estate planning and care plan development, helping them document their wishes and build support teams.
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.

Who makes decisions for you when you can't? For Childfree people, the answer has never been straightforward. Dr. Jay Zigmont sits down with Robert Allan and John Steiner from Welon Trust to reveal how they spent two and a half years building something that didn't exist: a trust company designed specifically for the Childfree community.
This episode pulls back the curtain on creating Childfree Trust®. From a 752-page application to navigating banking regulators who'd never seen this model, John and Robert share why every other trust company said no, the social bias they faced raising capital, and how they're building a system that has to outlive everyone involved. If you've ever wondered what it takes to create something entirely new in a 200-year-old industry, this conversation delivers the unfiltered truth.
Key Takeaways:
Traditional trust companies refused to serve Childfree clients: Every company demanded $10,000-$20,000 annual minimums and wouldn't touch medical power of attorney. They just don't want to do it.
Banking oversight protects like the FDIC: If Welon fails, regulators step in seamlessly—the document doesn't die, the company may. To clients it looks like nothing happened.
Building to outlive the founders: This company has to bury Dr. Jay, John, and Robert. They're creating documented processes that ensure continuity for decades.
Social bias against Childfree investing: One investor loved Childfree Trust® but couldn't invest because "they can't go to church and say they invested in a Childfree company." Robert: "There's a market that needs to be served."
Episode Host:
Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® - Founder & CEO of Childfree Wealth®, Childfree Trust®, & Childfree Insights. Board member and investor in Welon Trust. Jay spent two and a half years partnering with John and Robert to create the first trust company designed specifically for the Childfree community.
Meet the Guests:
John Steiner, CFA® - a Founding Member and Managing Director of Welon Trust. He brings more than 35 years of investment management expertise to the firm working with both individuals and institutions. 
Robert Allan, CFP®, CFA®, CPA - a Founding Member and Managing Director of Welon Trust. With over a decade of financial, operational, and accounting experience, he brings a unique perspective that allows him to provide value to his client’s beyond managing their portfolio.
Learn more about Welon Trust:  https://welon.com
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.

What happens to your pets if you're suddenly unable to care for them? For Childfree people with animal companions, this isn't just about planning for after you're gone. It's about having a solid plan for emergencies, temporary disability, and ensuring your pets get the care they need when you can't provide it.
Bri Conn, CFP® and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® tackle pet protection planning, from 155-pound English Mastiffs with special dietary needs to orange cats with attitude problems. They break down the difference between temporary care (you're in the hospital for three days) and permanent arrangements (you pass away), the legal reality that pets are considered property, how pet trusts work differently than wills, and Childfree Trust®'s 24/7 emergency response system that activates care plans the moment someone is hospitalized.
Key Takeaways:
Temporary vs permanent care requires different plans: Emergency disability needs immediate pet care with existing sitters or facilities. Permanent arrangements require identifying long-term guardians willing to take animals with special needs.
Pet trusts protect animals beyond wills: Pet trusts ensure trustees oversee that guardians actually spend funds on your pet's benefit.
Care documents enable emergency response: Document feeding schedules, medical conditions, allergies, medications, veterinarian contacts, and house access information so caregivers know exactly what your pet needs.
The 3 C's framework: Caretaker, Communication, Critical information: Who takes responsibility, how they're reached in emergencies, and everything they need to know about food, medicine, behavior, and routines.
Mentioned in this episode:
Protecting pets emergency checklist - Download it here
Start your estate planning here - www.ChildfreeTrust.com
Episode Hosts:
Bri Conn, CFP® -  Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. Bri has multiple backup caretakers lined up for her dog and maintains a detailed "doggy resume" with all care information readily accessible
Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® - Founder & CEO of Childfree Wealth®, Childfree Trust®, & Childfree Insights. Jay's 155-pound English Mastiff has extensive special needs and a precise 5:00 PM dinner schedule, making detailed care planning essential.
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.

Who will make decisions for you when you can't? For Childfree people, that question has never had a good answer until now.
In this episode, Maddy Roche and Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® introduce Childfree Trust®, the first nationwide professional fiduciary solution designed specifically for Childfree individuals. After three and a half years of research and development, Childfree Trust® solves a problem that's plagued the Childfree community: who will act as your medical power of attorney, financial power of attorney, executor, and trustee when you don't have the traditional next of kin most estate planning assumes you have?
Jay and Maddy break down the four crucial estate planning roles every person needs to fill, what really happens if you don't have these documents in place, and why relying solely on friends and family can put everyone in a difficult position. 
Key Takeaways:
Estate planning is about decisions while you're alive: The four critical roles,  medical power of attorney, financial power of attorney, executor, and trustee, ensure someone can make decisions on your behalf during emergencies, cognitive decline, or after death. 
Childfree Trust® is the first nationwide professional fiduciary solution: Acting in all 50 states & DC, Childfree Trust® can serve as your medical power of attorney, financial power of attorney, executor, or trustee. 
Professional fiduciaries protect everyone involved: Even if you have someone willing to serve in estate planning roles, appointing Childfree Trust® as a backup gives your loved ones an out if circumstances become too challenging. 
Guarantees ensure lifelong protection: If you've been a client for 24 consecutive months and go on Medicaid, Childfree Trust® will continue making decisions on your behalf without billing you. Your decisions are protected even if you run out of assets.
Episode Hosts:
Maddy Roche - Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust® and responsible for all sales & marketing initiatives.
Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® - Founder & CEO of Childfree Wealth®, Childfree Trust®, & Childfree Insights. After spending three and a half years researching estate planning solutions for Childfree people, Jay created Childfree Trust® to solve a problem no one else would address.
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.