EP25: Rebecca Feinglos: How Money Complicates Grief and Grief Complicates Money

When grief enters your life, money often follows close behind, and without financial agency, inheritance and responsibility can quickly become part of the loss.   Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, for a conversation about what happens when grief and money collide. Rebecca shares how losing her mother after a long illness, her father suddenly at the start of COVID, and later her marriage reshaped her relationship with responsibility, service, and financial decision-making. Her perspective challenges the pressure to turn grief into something productive and asks a quieter question instead: what if carrying it forward is enough?   Money, she explains, is never neutral after loss. Missed income, unpaid leave, medical bills, and inheritance decisions arrive fast, often before there is space to think clearly. The conversation explores how silence around money and death leaves families unprepared, especially women, and how limited financial education can undermine financial agency at the moment it matters most.   This episode is a call to service through honesty. Talking openly about inheritance, responsibility, and money does not remove grief, but it can reduce harm for those left behind. Through Grieve Leave and her podcast Grief’d Up, Rebecca works to change workplace culture and systems so people navigating loss are supported rather than left to figure it out alone.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Grief and Money: Why Death and Finances Are So Intertwined 02:03 Bereavement Leave and Workplace Grief: The Hidden Financial Costs 04:47 Rebecca Feinglos’ Grief Story: Losing Parents and Navigating Divorce 06:29 Sudden Loss During COVID: Losing a Parent While at Work 16:12 Divorce After Loss: Making Major Life Decisions While Grieving 26:02 Inheritance and Financial Responsibility After Death 32:06 Financial Agency After Divorce: Learning Money Skills From Scratch 39:27 Grief Spending and Inheritance Guilt: Emotional Money Decisions 42:53 Service and Philanthropy: Using Inherited Wealth With Intention 52:07 Talking About Inheritance Before Crisis Hits 01:01:48 Grieve Leave: Changing Workplace Policies Around Grief 01:05:28 Final Takeaway: Why Talking About Grief and Money Matters Connect with Rebecca Feinglos: Visit the Grieve Leave website Visit the Feinglos Fund website Tune in to Rebecca's podcast: Grief'd Up Follow Financial Feminist on Instagram Connect with Justin Weidenfeld: Visit Justin’s website bio 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 Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm