Beyond the Will: Leaving Your Family Clarity, Not Chaos with Rachel Donnelly

In this episode of Money & Meaning, host Jeff Bernier is joined by Rachel Donnelly, founder and CEO of AfterLight and author of Late to Your Own Funeral: How to Leave a Legacy and Not a Log Jam. Rachel shares the personal losses that led her to build a business around helping overwhelmed executors, and she and Jeff dig into why estate planning is about far more than a will or a trust. They discuss what families really inherit after a death, why organization matters as much as love, the added complexity of digital assets, and how planning ahead can be one of the greatest gifts you leave behind.

Topics covered:

Rachel's personal story: losing both parents young and settling two estates while raising small children

Why she started AfterLight to be "air traffic control" for death and dying

The story and meaning behind the title Late to Your Own Funeral

Why Rachel avoids calling people's estate gaps "mistakes"

Redefining legacy as a "thumbprint" left behind, not just assets

Why families suffer from a lack of organization, not a lack of love

Common feelings executors face: decision paralysis, guilt, and fear of doing something wrong

The added complexity of digital assets, passwords, and online accounts

Why Rachel recommends an asset and liability inventory instead of a password list

Why we procrastinate conversations about death and how to normalize them