Episode Details

What does your financial plan look like when the traditional script doesn't apply to you? In this episode, I'm sitting down with Bri Conn, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and co-host of the Child-Free Life by Design podcast, to break down everything child-free people need to know about building wealth, planning for the future, and defining legacy on their own terms. If you've ever been asked "but who's going to take care of you when you're old?" — this episode is for you.

WE GET INTO:

0:00 – Welcome + Jannese's personal journey with child-free financial planning

0:57 – Introducing Bri Conn: CFP® serving the child-free community

1:11 – How Bri accidentally fell into child-free financial planning

4:04 – Who is actually seeking child-free financial planning (hint: it's not who you think)

5:14 – What traditional financial advice gets wrong for child-free people

7:09 – Redefining legacy when children aren't part of the equation

9:06 – Navigating cultural expectations around family obligation and caregiving

11:30 – Estate planning without default heirs — and why Child-Free Trust exists

13:56 – Busting the myth: do child-free people automatically have more money?

17:02 – Long-term care planning: who's actually going to take care of you?

20:42 – Life insurance: do child-free folks even need it?

22:29 – Building your "bench" of decision-makers (healthcare proxy + POA)

24:34 – How to find a financial planner who actually gets it

26:18 – What happens if you die or become incapacitated without an estate plan

29:05 – FIRE vs. FILE: Financial Independence Live Early

34:41 – Myth-busting: the worst financial advice child-free people always get

36:44 – The one traditional money milestone you have permission to skip

40:41 – What wealth actually means when you're child-free

43:01 – Permission to want freedom and happiness — fully and unapologetically

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• The single most important question child-free people need to answer: Do you care how much money you leave behind when you die? Your entire financial plan changes based on your answer.
• Legacy doesn't require children. It can look like a garden that inspires strangers, a community you've poured into, or friendships you've built with intention.
• You are NOT the default family ATM just because you don't have kids.
• Long-term care currently costs ~$129,000/year and is rising 5% annually. Women average 3.7 years of care. This is not a plan-later situation.
• If you don't have estate documents in place, the state decides who makes decisions for you — and that could be someone you're estranged from or have never met.
• FIRE = grind now, quit later. FILE (Financial Independence Live Early) = redesign work now so you can enjoy life sooner
• Homeownership is not a mandatory financial milestone, Renting can absolutely be a wealth-building strategy
• Build your "bench" early: medical professionals, estate planning decision-makers, and financial advisors who actually understand child-free planning.
• If your financial planner looks at you like you have three heads when you say you're not having kids — find a new one.

CONNECT WITH BRI:

• Instagram
• Website

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!

• Listen Now