Permission to Spend: Rethinking Legacy Planning for Child-Free Clients

About the Episode:

It’s easy to default to follow traditional planning frameworks that assume clients want to build generational wealth and leave substantial inheritances. But what happens when your clients don’t have children and genuinely don’t care about how much money they leave behind? This fundamental shift requires us to completely rethink our approach to wealth management and legacy planning.

Join host Kirsten Schlumbohm as she explores this underserved market with Bri Conn, CFP®, a Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth® who’s built her entire practice around child-free wealth planning. Bri shares how she accidentally discovered this niche and why it’s become her passion – along with the eye-opening question that starts every client relationship: “Do you care about how much money you leave behind when you die?”

Key Topics Discussed:

• Redefining Legacy Planning: How legacy extends beyond genetic inheritance to include community impact, charitable giving, and personal passion projects
• The Die With Zero Philosophy: Implementing Bill Perkins’ concepts to help clients spend down wealth strategically while living their best life
• Estate Planning Without Obvious Beneficiaries: Practical strategies for identifying meaningful charitable recipients and alternative legacy options
• Financial Independence, Live Early (FILE): Moving beyond traditional FIRE concepts to create flexible work arrangements that prioritize current life experiences
• Building Trust Through Active Listening: The “shut up and listen” approach that helps advisors truly understand child-free clients’ unique goals
• Avoiding Common Biases: Recognizing and addressing assumptions about family planning, inheritance goals, and traditional life scripts
• Practical Implementation Examples: Real-world case studies of clients who’ve transitioned to part-time work, passion-driven careers, and experience-focused spending
• Volunteer-to-Legacy Strategy: Using volunteer experiences to help clients discover their philanthropic passions and estate planning preferences

Explore how understanding this growing demographic can enhance your practice and help you serve clients who may have felt misunderstood by conventional financial planning approaches.

Resources:

• Book referenced: Die With Zero by Bill Perkins
• Podcast: Childfree Wealth Podcast
• Volunteer platform: Volunteer Match
• Child-Free Wealth website: childfreewealth.com