New Survey Finds Nearly 6 in 10 Childfree Adults Say Financial Advice Focused on Building Future Wealth, Not Enjoying Life Today
New Survey from Childfree Trust reveals a planning industry mismatch with a growing Childfree population, a near-tie
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MOUNT JULIET, Tenn., July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nearly one-quarter of U.S. adults are Childfree or permanently childless, and a new national survey from Childfree Trust® shows the financial planning industry has yet to catch up. Fifty-nine percent of Childfree adults say the financial advice they have encountered focused on building wealth for the future rather than helping them enjoy life today. Nearly a third (31%) say they have received financial advice that assumed they had, or would eventually have, children.
Those mismatches matter because Childfree adults are planning differently. More than 8 in 10 (84%) say they would rather spend most of their money during their lifetime than preserve it for heirs. And when asked where they do plan to leave money, respondents named charitable organizations (61%) almost as often as family members (64%), a near-tie that upends a core assumption of conventional inheritance planning. Pets (31%) outpaced schools and alumni organizations (9%) by more than three to one.
“Today’s financial planning conversations still often assume clients are building wealth to pass on to children,” said Dr. Jay Zigmont, Founder of Childfree Trust® and creator of the Childfree financial planning category. “But millions of Americans are living different lives with different priorities. They’re asking different questions about retirement, legacy and caregiving, not simply who will inherit their money. Financial planning should reflect the life someone is actually living, not the one others assume they’ll have.”
Women are redefining what wealth means
Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents were women, and their answers point to a broader rethinking of retirement, legacy and financial independence outside traditional family structures. Women in the survey were as likely to name charity as a destination for their wealth as they were to name family. They were also the most vocal about wanting financial planning to reflect their actual lives.
“Women have been told for decades that financial security means saving to take care of someone else, a spouse, children, an aging parent,” said Maddy Roche, Chief Growth Officer of Childfree Trust®. “What we are seeing in this data is a generation of women asking a different question: what does wealth mean if it is not building the life I actually want to live? That question is reshaping how Childfree women think about retirement, charity and the people they choose to take care of.”
A preparedness gap with real consequences
The survey also surfaced a planning vulnerability that grows more acute for the unpartnered. Fifty-three percent of respondents do not have a documented plan for who would handle their finances or medical decisions if they became unable to do so themselves. Among single Childfree respondents, more than one in four (27%) say they do not know who would step in at all.
“For Childfree adults, especially those without a spouse or close relative nearby, the question of who handles your affairs if you can’t is not theoretical, it is a legal vacuum,” Roche added. “Without documentation, decisions default to whomever a court appoints. That is not a plan.”
An industry slow to catch up
The survey also helps explain why so many Childfree adults remain outside the traditional advisory relationship. Fifty-six percent cite cost as a reason to avoid working with a financial advisor, 33% say they did not know where to find the right advisor, and 21% say they did not think an advisor would understand their life.
“As more Americans choose not to have children, the financial services industry has an opportunity to better serve clients whose goals extend beyond traditional inheritance planning,” Zigmont added. “The question is no longer whether financial planning should evolve, it is how quickly the industry can adapt.”
To access the full study, please click here.
About the survey
The Childfree Trust survey was fielded among 337 U.S. adults, of whom 77% identified as women. Percentages are calculated against all 337 respondents. Full methodology available on request.
About Childfree Trust®
Childfree Trust® is the first nationwide fiduciary estate planning and next-of-kin solution designed specifically for Childfree and Permanently Childless adults. The platform combines comprehensive online legal document creation with 24/7 emergency response and access to a professional fiduciary partner—ensuring members’ wishes are protected in life and beyond. From naming medical and financial powers of attorney to creating detailed care and pet plans, the service provides peace of mind for those who value autonomy, security, and continuity.
Childfree Trust is part of the Childfree Enterprises ecosystem, alongside Childfree Wealth®, a fiduciary-only financial planning firm, and under parent company Childfree Insights™, a research and education hub advancing understanding of the Childfree experience. Together, these brands define a new model of Life and Legacy Stewardship™, helping Childfree people live intentionally and plan confidently for the future.
Media Contact:
KCSA Strategic Communications
cft@kcsa.com
