At 24 years old, Olivia Lane lost her mom and was immediately faced with grief and inheritance in equal measure. What set her experience apart was her mother’s detailed planning—an Excel spreadsheet for her memorial service, clearly titled accounts, even a deed transfer designed to make things easier. Those choices lifted some of the logistical burden, but they couldn’t lessen the weight of living minute by minute through the loss.

In this episode, Olivia joins Justin Weidenfeld to share how her mom’s foresight shaped the way she handled beneficiary IRAs, a surprise pension, and a family home—and how it changed her own relationship with money. She speaks candidly about the guilt, responsibility, and unexpected stability that come with inheriting at a young age, and why she now pushes her family to put plans in writing before it’s too late.

Her story raises questions for all of us: What does inheritance mean beyond money? How can careful, detailed planning protect loved ones in the hardest moments? And how do we keep living minute by minute while carrying someone else’s legacy forward?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Losing a Parent at 24: Olivia’s Story

05:03 Hospice Care and Final Days with Her Mom

17:02 Coping Mechanisms and Processing Grief

31:00 Estate Planning and Memorial Service Details

34:40 Inheritance Planning: Beneficiary Accounts Explained

41:12 The Surprise Pension and What It Means for Young Adults

45:25 Renting the Family Home and Small-Town Agreements

50:04 How Grief Reshaped Olivia’s Relationship with Money

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