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Most people wait until a crisis to think about who should manage their money, and by then some of the best options may be harder to put in place. This episode breaks down why a corporate trustee might be the smartest name you never considered adding to your plan.   Justin Weidenfeld hosts this conversation with Trevor Youshak, J.D., LL.M., on The Currency of Grief. Trevor built his career as an estate attorney before moving to the other side of the table as a corporate fiduciary, where he now guides families through the probate process after a loss. He's a graduate of the University of Miami's Heckerling program in estate planning and has sat across the table from countless families at their hardest moments.   Trevor admits he used to warn clients away from naming a corporate trustee, calling it impersonal and expensive. Then he moved to the fiduciary side himself, and he explains exactly what changed his mind. He also breaks down the three lifetime documents everyone should have by eighteen, starting with power of attorney, and why waiting costs families far more than money.   Then he opens up about rewriting his own daughter's trust after her rare genetic mutation, building a path to a special needs trust that protects her future without anyone having to make that call under pressure.   Don't delay the conversation. Press play and find out who deserves a seat at the table before you need one.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Trevor Youshak, Estate Attorney Turned Fiduciary 04:17 From Law Firm Attorney To Corporate Trustee 07:47 Why Sixty Percent Of Families Skip Estate Planning 09:47 Power Of Attorney And The HIPAA Gap 14:07 What Actually Happens In That First Meeting 19:41 The First Two Weeks After A Death 32:40 Testate Versus Intestate, Explained Simply 46:56 Why Trevor Changed His Mind On Corporate Trustees 53:59 Building A Convertible Trust For His Daughter 1:04:09 Don't Delay, One Step At A Time   Connect with Trevor Youshak: Connect with Trevor on LinkedIn Email Trevor at [email protected]    Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What happens to your stuff, your accounts, and your family if you die without a will? Becky Robison returns with answers nobody wants to need.   Becky and Justin pick up their conversation on death and money by tackling the part nobody wants to think through in advance: what actually happens once someone dies. Becky offers practical advice on estate planning that goes well beyond a checklist, pairing the legal groundwork with an honest look at the emotional scarring that can follow when families skip these conversations. She lays out the three documents everyone should have before they need them, and explains why dying without a will hands your choices over to a court that follows rigid blood-relation rules, not your actual wishes. What happens to the people you love who aren't technically your next of kin?   From there the conversation gets into the unglamorous reality of settling an estate: the weeks-long wait for death certificates, the hunt for a lawyer you can actually stand to work with for a year, and the special frustration of convincing a bank that you're allowed to touch your dead parents’ money. Becky is refreshingly honest about the parts that feel absurd in the moment, like carrying around what she calls her "Uber Death Notebook" or negotiating with Netflix over a subscription nobody remembered to cancel.   Beneath the logistics runs a steadier question. How do you sort through a lifetime’s worth of someone’s belongings without confusing the objects for the person? Becky's answer draws on her training as a death doula as much as her own experience losing both parents, and it lands less on efficiency and more on grace. The paperwork will get done eventually. The grief deserves its own timeline too.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to The Currency of Grief with Becky Robison 02:19 The To-Die List: Estate Planning Documents Everyone Needs 09:10 Dying With a Will vs. Without a Will 16:15 What an Executor Does First: Death Certificates and Probate 32:52 Why Banks and Investment Firms Make Estate Access So Hard 51:15 What to Do (and Not Do) After an Unexpected Inheritance 1:00:05 Cleaning Out a Loved One's Home Without Losing Yourself 1:10:47 Avoiding Emotional Scarring While Settling an Estate   Connect with Becky Robison: Visit the My Parents Are Dead: What Now? website Get a copy of My Parents Are Dead: What Now?: A Panic-Free Guide to the Practicalities of Death Create your free will now Get a copy of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter (The Swedish Art of Living & Dying Series) National Make A Will Month   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You lose both parents. Then the legal paperwork starts, and no one hands you a manual. Becoming the executor of an estate after a parent dies feels like a job with no training. In this episode of The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Becky Robison, author of My Parents Are Dead, What Now? and co-host of the Bitching and Mourning podcast, who went through this herself and wrote the guide she needed.   Becky found her dad's will and living trust in a box under the Christmas decorations, then spent months guessing what came next. Her mom had died a few years earlier, so when her dad passed, the whole job landed on her with no roadmap. She learned the probate court process from scratch and explains how her dad’s lawyer failed to tell her that she needed to sign an acceptance of trust before acting as the successor trustee.   You hear how assets left outside her dad’s living trust sent her to probate court, turning a few gaps in the estate plan into a years-long legal detour. Then comes the human side. Losing a parent flattened her, yet friends showed up with a Twister mat and kept her standing while she handled the accounts. Becky stays honest about the fear of settling an estate alone and the mistakes she made along the way.   Nobody warns you what being the executor of an estate after a parent dies truly involves. If you are facing this road or want to spare your own family, press play. Becky gives you the plain, funny walkthrough no one handed her. Follow the show and start with the first real steps.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Accidental Death Expert Becky Robison, Author Of My Parents Are Dead, What Now? 04:46 Losing A Mother To Alcoholism And A Long Decline 07:55 Dad's Stage Four Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis 16:19 How To Write A Parent's Obituary 19:34 How Money Was Talked About Growing Up 24:06 Becoming the Executor Of an Estate After a Parent Dies With No Instructions 27:33 Best Help And Worst Advice During Estate Settlement 32:56 Telling Her Dad He Wasn't Leaving The Hospital 41:19 Assets Left Out Of The Living Trust 45:51 The Ghost Car Titling Nightmare 51:36 Feeling Alone As A Young Executor 1:00:20 Questions She Wishes She'd Asked Her Parents 1:06:42 Grief Mantras And Advice For New Executors 1:07:54 Where To Find Becky's Book And Resources   Connect with Becky Robison: Visit My Parents Are Dead: What Now? website Follow My Parents Are Dead: What Now? on Instagram Get a copy of My Parents Are Dead: What Now? A Panic-Free Guide to the Practicalities of Death book Listen to the Bitching & Mourning podcast   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Nobody prepares you to grieve a parent and manage their affairs at the same time. On The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Michael Lodato, a Brooklyn-based writer and owner of LiquorPermit.com, who became a co-executor of his mother’s estate in his early thirties after she passed away from melanoma just days before Christmas.    Michael and his sister stepped in as co-executors and got a crash course in everything no one talks about. A death certificate needs a raised seal or the DMV turns you away. A lender can repossess a car from the driveway as the estate paperwork sits in limbo. And a one-person consultancy can hold more value than anyone expects.   Michael shares what losing a parent at a young age taught him about support systems, from grief groups created for people in their twenties and thirties to the friend who dropped off bruschetta on a hard night. He also tells the story of inheriting a business that many people would have walked away from. Rather than selling his mother's domain and closing her files, he digitized her archive and continued building on the specialized work she had developed throughout her career.   Every estate executor faces choices that no checklist can fully cover. This conversation looks at those decisions through the experience of someone who made mistakes, kept the lessons, and found a way to carry his mother’s work forward. For anyone dealing with grief and financial responsibilities at the same time, Michael’s story offers an honest look at finding a way through.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Michael Lodato and His Mother's Story 03:24 Melanoma Diagnosis and the Rush to Hospice 04:42 Family and Friends Rally During Hospice Care 06:44 How Friends Show Up During Grief 10:42 Therapy and Grief Groups for Young Adults 13:28 Writing a Eulogy for a Beloved Mother 19:02 Taking On the Estate Executor Role 21:37 Gathering Death Certificates and DMV Roadblocks 25:03 The Car Repossession Ordeal 28:47 Inheriting His Mother's Liquor Permit Business 34:31 How Grief Reshaped Michael's Career Path 37:35 Financial Inheritance and Selling the House 40:45 Conversations Left Unspoken With His Mother 47:00 How Loss Changed His Approach to Planning 50:01 Inheriting a Dress Shop and Finding Humor in Grief 52:26 Advice for Anyone Facing a Similar Loss 55:56 Honoring His Mother's Legacy With a Park Bench Connect with Michael Lodato:  Visit Mike's website  Follow Michael on Instagram Visit the Liquor Permit website    Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

When your spouse dies abroad, nobody warns you that the paperwork battle might outlast the worst of the grief.   Nikki Sherman was living in the UK with her husband Scott and their daughter when Scott died suddenly at 52 from a pulmonary embolism. Settling an estate after a spouse dies is hard enough. Doing it across two countries, during a pandemic, while raising a teenager, is another thing entirely.   On The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld talks with Nikki about the side of widowhood that nobody prepares you for. Not the sadness, but the bureaucracy. The phone calls where you tell the same story over and over. The financial institutions with different requirements. The Medallion Signature Guarantee rabbit hole that took years to resolve. The guilt of not being able to work, while quietly being relieved you didn't have to.   Nikki's experience with death overseas and probate in two countries lasted nearly three years. What got her through it was life insurance that paid out immediately, joint accounts that transferred without a fight, and a will that was recognized on both sides of the Atlantic.   Her story is one of grief and growth in equal measure. She stayed in the UK, raised her daughter through it, built a new life, and came out the other side with hard-won clarity about what it really takes when a spouse dies abroad and leaves you holding everything.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 When a Spouse Dies Abroad: Nikki Sherman's Story 04:01 Scott Sherman: Life, Love, and 20 Years in the UK 09:31 What Is a Pulmonary Embolism and Why It's So Deadly 13:51 Making Decisions While Drowning in Grief 14:17 Funeral Planning Overseas and Celebrating a Life Well Lived 23:27 Traveling With Human Remains on an Airplane 25:46 Settling an Estate After Spouse Dies: The Financial Reality 27:45 UK vs. US Assets and How Joint Accounts Saved the Day 31:34 Why Having a Will Across Two Countries Matters 36:09 Life Insurance After Spouse Dies: The Emotional and Financial Truth 37:17 When Grief Makes It Impossible to Go Back to Work 41:37 Life Insurance as a Financial Lifeline for Widows 46:53 Probate in Two Countries: UK First, Then the US 47:23 The Medallion Signature Guarantee Nightmare for Expats 53:19 What Nikki Wishes She Had Done Differently 55:36 How This Experience Changed Her Relationship With Money 58:11 Honoring Scott's Legacy and Finding Life After Loss Links: Visit the Widowed and Young website Apply to the Experience Camps programs   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Losing a parent at 14 does not just change your childhood. It changes every version of you that comes after.   On The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Emily Bouchard, family dynamics expert, TEDx speaker, and host of the Wealth Coherence podcast. Emily was 14 when her mother died suddenly at 44 from a brain aneurysm. What followed was decades of grief that kept showing up, in new relationships, in major decisions, and in a single year that changed everything.   That year was the death year. The age Emily turned 44, the same age her mother was when she died. She did not see it coming, but her body did. It stopped her, reoriented her, and ultimately freed her to live by her values in a way she never had before.   Emily also shares her concept of “the slinky of grief”, and why loss does not arrive once and leave. It comes back around, hitting you at different points across your life, sometimes when you least expect it.   The conversation turns to families and the weight of what goes unsaid. What does it cost when parents and children never talk about the purpose of our wealth, about wishes, values, and what they want their legacy to mean? Emily has seen those costs up close, and she knows how to help families start talking before it is too late.   She leaves with two words that have carried her through it all. Grace and gratitude. Not as platitudes, but as a real practice.   If any of this feels familiar, this episode is for you.   Find Emily at emilybouchard.com or trustmoneyfamilies.com    Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Emily Bouchard: Family Dynamics Expert and TEDx Speaker 04:28 Losing Her Mother at 14: Emily's Story of Grief 09:50 Who Was Joan: Remembering a Mother's Kindness and Legacy 13:11 Finding Support After Loss: The Grief Cliff and Who Shows Up 16:14 Family Dynamics After Sudden Loss: Remarriage and Rebuilding 19:13 The Slinky of Grief: How Loss Resurfaces at Every Life Stage 23:00 The Death Year: What Happens When You Reach the Age Your Parent Died 29:26 No Plan, No Will, No Conversation: What Happened After the Funeral 33:32 How Families Fight Over Belongings and How to Prevent It 40:27 The Cost of Silence: Why Families Avoid Talking About Inheritance 46:52 Legacy Versus Estate Plans: Knowing What to Do With What You Inherit 49:15 How to Start Inheritance Conversations Without Talking About Numbers 57:35 Aligning Values and Purpose Before Making Estate Decisions 58:22 How Loss Changed Emily's Approach to Planning and Giving 1:02:50 Grace and Gratitude: Words of Wisdom for Anyone Carrying Grief Connect with Emily Bouchard Visit Emily's website Get a copy of The Little Book of Trust and Money Listen to The Wealth Coherence Podcast Watch Emily's TEDx talk about inheritance Visit the Enlightened Philanthropy website   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

He was trying to be present for his father’s final weeks while carrying the legal and financial responsibility of what would come next.   That's the reality Vincent Valeri faced in the winter of 2022, and on this episode of The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld gives him the space to tell it honestly. When Vincent's father Vincenzo was diagnosed with stage four bile duct cancer in December of that year and given six to eight weeks to live, Vincent had to hold two roles at once. He was the grieving son and the person legally responsible for closing out a complex, imperfectly planned estate.   Executor responsibilities after death don't wait for grief to pass. Vincent learned that quickly. In the weeks that followed, he was simultaneously updating beneficiaries, getting the matrimonial home properly titled, meeting with accountants about holding companies and crossing fiscal years, and making legal decisions on a timeline no one plans for. By the time his father passed in February 2023, Vincent was facing multiple tax filings and what became a 26-month probate process.   What makes this conversation so valuable is Vincent's candor about grief and estate planning from the inside. He talks about the invisible wall of cultural respect that made hard family conversations about death nearly impossible, the loneliness of being an executor, and the painful gap between what he knew professionally and what his father had actually put in place.   The practical lessons here are real. Update beneficiary designations. Get both names on accounts before it's too late. Know what a bank will and won't let you do when someone can't come in to sign. Understand that executor responsibilities after death include decisions you'll be making without the person who should have made them.   Vincent closes with something simple and true: It's going to be okay. Not as a platitude, but as something he had to find his way back to.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome to The Currency of Grief with Vincent Valeri 03:30 Vincenzo Valeri: An Italian Immigrant Who Built a Life in Canada 06:25 Getting a Terminal Diagnosis and Knowing the Estate Wasn't Ready 10:21 How Italian and Canadian Culture Shapes Family Conversations About Death 20:34 Executor Responsibilities After Death: What No One Tells You 30:16 The First Financial Steps to Take After a Terminal Diagnosis 34:36 Holding Companies, Blended Families, and Complex Estate Situations 47:15 When Siblings Have Unequal Information About the Estate 58:12 Why Family Meetings Are the Foundation of Good Legacy Planning 1:09:33 Words of Wisdom for Anyone Facing a Parent's Terminal Illness Connect with Vincent Valeri: Visit the Valeri Associates website Connect with Vincent on LinkedIn   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Grief after losing a child doesn't follow a script, and no one knows that better than Richard Wood.   Nearly 20 years ago, Richard's 22-year-old son Spencer died in a sudden unexpected loss that changed everything. There was no warning, no goodbye, and no roadmap for what came next. In this episode of The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Richard to talk about how a father carries that kind of loss forward, through marriage, through raising daughters, and into a season of life where seven grandchildren now grow up hearing Spencer stories.   Richard is a father who held his family together while quietly falling apart. His wife grieved through anger. Each of his daughters found their own painful path. Richard himself never went a single day without telling someone a Spencer story. He didn't move through the stages of grief in any tidy order, and he's honest about why that is. Grief after losing a child is shaped by the relationship you had, and no two relationships are the same.   The conversation gets into what people get wrong when supporting someone who is grieving. Richard has heard every well-meaning platitude and he handles them with patience. His advice is straightforward. Show up. Say you're sorry. Then stop talking and listen. Not just in the first week, but for months afterward when everyone else has moved on and the person grieving is left alone with it.   Faith played a quiet but significant role in Richard's journey. He didn't expect to find it the way he did, but losing Spencer revealed a depth of belief he hadn't known was there. It didn't erase the pain. It gave him somewhere to put it.   A fraternity brother once said that Spencer was not just someone people knew. He was someone who changed the way life felt when he was around. That comment became the foundation for something Richard has kept alive for two decades. Every year at Cal Poly, a student is anonymously nominated by peers for how they live and how they treat others. They never apply for it. They simply get chosen because of their kindness. Richard has watched that scholarship outlive an entire generation of Spencer's college friends because it stopped being about Spencer specifically and became about everything he represented.   This episode is for anyone who has experienced losing a son, a daughter, or any person they weren't ready to live without.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome to The Currency of Grief 02:22 Richard Wood's Story and Why He Shares It 06:40 Who Spencer Was and the Family He Left Behind 08:59 Grief After Losing a Child and Why Time Does Not Heal 16:23 How Every Family Member Grieves Differently 19:05 What Not to Say to Someone Who Is Grieving 22:28 The Grief Cliff and What Happens When Support Disappears 23:32 The Lifestyle Scholarship and Honoring Spencer's Memory 42:14 Financial and Practical Advice for the First Year of Grief 47:28 Faith, Hope, and Love as Pillars of the Grief Journey Connect with Richard Wood: Visit The Compassionate Friends Org Website   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Estate settlement after death is one of the most overlooked burdens grieving families face, and on this episode of The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Davis Wilkinson, CEO and founder of Heirloom, to talk about why that burden exists and what it actually costs families to carry it alone.   Davis's story starts with sibling loss and grief. His older brother Adam died of a methadone overdose in 2009, when Davis was just 14. He spent the next decade in emotional repression, not out of indifference but out of sheer incapacity. It wasn't until his mid-twenties, after leaving the Mormon church and losing the theological certainty that he'd see Adam again, that the grief finally caught up with him. What followed was years of intensive therapy and a hard-won understanding of what it means to grieve on your own timeline.   The conversation moves naturally into grief and money when Davis describes watching his mother navigate the estate administration process after Adam's passing. That experience became the foundation for Heirloom, a platform designed to support executors through one of the most logistically overwhelming roles a person can be asked to fill while also managing loss.   Davis talks about asset discovery, the staggering volume of unclaimed assets in the United States, and the systemic gaps that leave families without clear guidance at the worst possible time. Right now, there are no enforced standards for how banks treat executors during estate settlement after death, and he makes a clear case that this gap is costing grieving families more than just time.   This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered why handling a loved one's affairs feels so impossible, and for anyone who needs to know they are not alone in finding it that way.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to The Currency of Grief 02:02 Davis Wilkinson and the Story Behind Heirloom 03:45 Sibling Loss Grief: Losing a Brother to Drug Overdose 09:54 Childhood Grief and Emotional Repression 17:29 Finding Support and Coping After Loss 19:55 Leaving the Mormon Church and Facing Grief for the First Time 21:57 Estate Settlement After Death: What Davis's Mother Faced 45:04 How to Fix the Estate Administration System 49:16 Unclaimed Assets and What Families Are Missing 51:44 What Executors Need and How Heirloom Helps 55:50 How Loss Changes Your Approach to Life and Planning 58:35 Words of Wisdom for Anyone Navigating Grief Connect with Davis Wilkinson: Visit the Heirloom website Connect with Davis on LinkedIn   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Most people spend more time planning a vacation than choosing who will manage their estate.   In this solo episode of The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld, your grief financial officer, walks through the roles that shape what happens to your estate, your medical and financial decisions, and your family dynamics when life changes without warning. This episode is about the people you put in charge and what saying yes to that role means.   Justin breaks down each role on your planning team. The executor who carries out your wishes after death. The trustee who manages assets over time. The POA who steps in during incapacity. He is also clear about something people often avoid. The right person for each role is rarely the person you love most.   You will hear why naming co-executors often creates delays and conflict, why emotional closeness does not always mean someone is equipped to make hard decisions, and why putting every role on one person can lead to burnout. Understanding the difference between an executor, a trustee, and a POA can change the way you think about estate planning.   Justin also gets into the part people do not talk about enough. How to start the conversation. Whether you are a parent trying to prepare your heirs or an adult child trying to bring this up without making it feel threatening, he shares practical language you can use.   These roles do not fill themselves after loss. The people who love you deserve more than guesswork. If you want your estate plan to feel clear, thoughtful, and easier for the people you love, this episode is a strong place to start.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Estate Planning Basics and Why Roles Matter After Loss 02:21 Medical Power of Attorney and End-of-Life Healthcare Decisions 04:48 Financial Power of Attorney, POA Types, and Incapacity Planning 07:08 Executor Responsibilities in Estate Administration After Death 09:29 Trustee Duties, Successor Trustee Roles, and Trust Management 16:43 Guardian Selection and Estate Planning for Minor Children 21:34 Common Estate Planning Mistakes That Create Family Conflict 31:10 Why Families Avoid Estate Planning Conversations 35:46 How to Talk to Heirs About Estate Roles and Wishes 45:05 How Adult Children Can Ask Parents About an Estate Plan   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Please note this episode discusses drug use and domestic violence.   Sibling inheritance conflict rarely starts with money. It often begins in the space where grief, silence, and unspoken expectations live. On The Currency of Grief, host Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Peter Johnson to share what unfolded after his mother’s brain cancer loss and how that experience shaped his work at the intersection of grief and money and the human side of legacy.   This conversation challenges a common belief that family estate planning will keep families aligned. Peter explains why documents alone are not enough. Without shared understanding and trust, sibling inheritance conflict can still surface, even in families that believe they are prepared. His story brings attention to the real gap, which is the absence of family legacy conversations that clarify values, expectations, and how decisions are meant to be understood.   Peter introduces the idea that connection after loss is something people can actively build, not something that happens on its own. That shift matters for anyone dealing with caregiving, inheritance decisions, or strained relationships. If you want a clearer perspective on what helps families stay connected, this episode offers a place to start. It also reinforces that preventing sibling inheritance conflict begins well before any legal plan is put in place.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome to The Currency of Grief With Justin Weidenfeld and Peter Johnson 03:22 Why Connection Is the Real Currency in Grief 08:58 Grief Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Emotional Survival After Loss 11:16 Men’s Groups, Therapy, and Finding Support After Grief 17:30 The Three Turning Points That Shaped Peter Johnson’s Legacy Work 23:18 Brain Cancer Loss, Estate Administration, and Sibling Inheritance Conflict 30:21 Receiving Inheritance at 21 and the Emotional Side of Money 34:28 Why Family Estate Planning Fails Without Mentoring and Communication 43:30 Family Legacy Conversations That Could Prevent Estrangement 49:38 The Human Side of Estate Planning and How Families Avoid Court 1:04:21 Grief Advice for Sibling Conflict, Loss, and Connection After Loss Connect with Peter Johnson: Get a copy of “The Little Book of Family Treasure” Visit Peter's website Visit the Family Nature Treats website Visit the Collaborative Practice website Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Loss can place unexpected responsibility on someone overnight, especially when legacy and family wealth are part of the story.   Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Kristen Heaney, founder of In3Generations and host of The Family Wealth Edge Podcast, to talk about the reality of navigating grief and inheritance at a young age. When Kristen lost her father during college, she suddenly faced young inheritor responsibility while still trying to figure out her path. The experience created a powerful identity shift as she moved from student to someone responsible for decisions tied to legacy and family wealth.   Kristen reflects on the challenge of stepping into legacy and family wealth before feeling ready. The responsibility extends far beyond financial decisions. It raises questions about purpose, relationships, and how to carry forward the values behind the wealth. Those early experiences shaped the work she does today helping families prepare for next-generation wealth stewardship so future inheritors have guidance and community.   The conversation also touches on something people rarely discuss openly. Even during loss, there can be beauty in grief when families create space for connection, reflection, and support. Kristen explains how those moments influenced her outlook on leadership, family responsibility, and the meaning behind legacy and family wealth.   For anyone navigating grief and inheritance, building a family legacy, or preparing the next generation to carry responsibility well, this episode offers a perspective on how loss can reshape identity and deepen the understanding of stewardship.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Money and Mortality, The Mission of The Currency of Grief 01:05 Meet Kristen Heaney and the Reality of Grief and Inheritance 03:58 Losing a Father at 21 and the Start of Young Inheritor Responsibility 08:33 The Beauty in Grief and What Community Support Can Look Like 13:52 Anticipatory Grief and Alzheimer’s Caregiving Trauma 19:10 Identity Shift After Inheritance and Finding Purpose in Work 25:21 Legacy and Family Wealth, Stewardship, Foundations, and Values 38:46 Next-Generation Wealth Stewardship and Teaching Kids Money and Loss 53:22 Marriage and Inheritance, Communication and Power Dynamics 01:08:29 “You’ve Got This” and the Mountain Metaphor for Grief Recovery Connect with Kristen Heane: Connect with Legacy Consultant on LinkedIn  Visit the In3Generations website  Listen to The Family Wealth Edge Podcast    Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Money and grief have a way of colliding when you are least equipped to handle either. In this episode of The Currency of Grief, Justin Weidenfeld sits down with financial advisor Kay Pfleghardt to unpack what happens when money and grief stretch across years of illness, responsibility, and complicated family dynamics. Kay lived through eleven years of her father’s decline from diabetes, navigating anticipatory grief long before his death. She speaks candidly about caregiver guilt, the emotional whiplash of hospital calls, and the regret that can linger after the process is over. If you have ever wondered whether you did enough, showed up enough, or handled it the right way, this episode will resonate with you.   Justin and Kay dig into the reality of sibling estate decisions and how even close families can feel strained when assets, timelines, and expectations collide. They openly say conflict is usually not about greed. It is often about exhaustion, old roles, and the emotional weight attached to small financial details. You will hear how Kay’s family protected their relationships and what she sees differently now as a financial advisor guiding others through similar moments.   They also delve into a topic rarely discussed, a breakup during a time of loss and the unexpected clarity that can arise when the parent you once sought guidance from transforms into an internal guide. Kay shares how money and grief reshaped her career decisions, her boundaries, and the way she counsels clients today. If money and grief are showing up in your life, whether through illness, estate questions, or family tension, this episode offers perspective based on lived experience. Money and grief are powerful forces. With the right conversations, they can shape growth instead of division.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Grief and Money: Why Grief and Finances Collide 03:41 Estate Chaos and a $347,000 Tax Lien Lesson 07:28 Type 2 Diabetes, Denial, and a Slow Medical Decline 17:04 Caregiver Guilt and Anticipatory Grief During Dialysis 18:22 Choosing to Stop Dialysis and the Hospice Goodbye 32:40 What Actually Needs to Happen Financially After a Death 38:33 Sibling Estate Decisions, Disclaimers, and Protecting Family Relationships 49:12 How Money Changes People During Estate Settlements 01:03:21 Regret, Isolation, and What She Wishes She Had Done Differently 01:22:44 “It Gets Better”: Growth, Legacy, and Life After Loss   Links: Listen to Leaving Behind a Legacy with Kay Pfleghardt Listen to Terrible Thanks for Asking Get the No Longer Awkward book   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Losing a parent is devastating. Being named an executor at 25 meant grief and responsibility arrived at the same time, with no warning.   After the sudden death of her father, Cassidie Bates faced loss and grief as an only child while also carrying full legal responsibility for his estate. With divorced parents and no siblings to share decisions with, she shouldered the weight all alone, making important choices while still in shock.   The conversation reflected on what happens when grief and obligation overlap. It touched on how family dynamics can shift after loss, how heavy executorship can feel for someone so young, and how little support exists for people navigating both emotional and practical demands at once. At its heart, it was about honoring a parent and finding steadiness when responsibility arrived before there was space to grieve.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 When Grief And Money Collide 03:19 Becoming An Executor At 25 After A Sudden Parent Death As An Only Child 07:33 The Shock Of Sudden Cardiac Death 15:13 Grief With Divorced Parents And Family Dynamics 22:24 Compartmentalizing Grief To Survive Executorship 34:47 Funeral And Cremation Decisions In Early Grief 40:41 Estate Planning That Helped Avoid Probate 46:20 Bereavement Leave In America And Why Time Matters 48:57 Turning Personal Loss Into Executorship Advocacy 01:06:55 Honoring A Parent’s Legacy And Living With Grief Connect with Cassidie Bates: Visit Cassidie's portfolio Follow Cassidie's Instagram Connect with Cassidie on LinkedIn Follow Cassidie on Tiktok Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

When a parent’s “we have time” suddenly becomes five months, what actually deserves your attention first? The paperwork. The passwords. Or the care conversations that shape every decision that follows?   Angie Ingraham joins Justin Weidenfeld to talk through what it looks like when grief collides with healthcare in real time. An independent patient advocate and trauma surgeon, Angie brings both professional insight and personal experience to the conversation. After Angie’s father was diagnosed with glioblastoma in the fall of 2020 and died just months later, her family was forced to navigate complex care decisions during the pandemic while trying to stay present with the person they were about to lose. Even with her background as a trauma surgeon, Angie finds herself overwhelmed by how fragmented and demanding the system feels from the patient side. This episode centers on patient advocacy and the conversations families often postpone until choices narrow. Angie shares how a brief window before surgery allowed her family to clarify what mattered most to her father and how that clarity became a guide when he could no longer speak for himself. The discussion also pulls back the curtain on how families are expected to navigate healthcare systems while emotionally depleted. Who is responsible for communication when patients cannot advocate for themselves? How do you reduce chaos without trying to control outcomes? And what changes when care conversations happen early rather than under pressure? This episode offers a clear examination of how preparation, advocacy, and direct dialogue shape both the care experience and what families carry with them afterward.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Death, Money, And Why Care Conversations Matter 02:28 A Glioblastoma Diagnosis And Five Months Of Rapid Loss 09:49 Healthcare Planning Under Pressure: Power Of Attorney And Access 14:12 Care Conversations That Guide Medical Decisions 20:32 Healthcare System Barriers: Communication And Prior Authorization 33:43 Building A Care Team: Long-Term Care And Family Support 40:46 Patient Advocacy Explained: Navigating Healthcare Systems 49:10 Grief And Humor: Finding Meaning In Small Moments 53:18 A Grief Mantra About Love, Loss, And Living Fully Connect with Angie Ingraham: Visit the True North Patient Advocates website Connect with Angie on LinkedIn Visit the Dollars for Scholars website Dead People Suck Survivors Departed Book   Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn  Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram  Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok  Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube Visit Justin’s website bio Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm