Shreya Johri,a 30-year-old communications professional in Delhi, and Apoorv Murpana, a 29-year-old assistant director at a finance firm, echoed their views, saying the choice to not have children changed the way they navigated money and life by allowing them to prioritise travel, experiences, pets, and causes dear to them.

“Since we’re not planning for expenses like schooling, college or weddings, we’re more inclined to plan for an early retirement so that, if life permits, we can enjoy our later years in peace and comfort,” said Johri.

These aren’t isolated cases. Across urban India, child-free couples are intentionally reshaping their finances, prioritising flexibility, early retirement, experiences, and long-term self-reliance over traditional child-centric milestones and expenses.

Retiring without a support system

For couples without children, longevity risk isn’t simply about making sure the money doesn’t run out; it’s about knowing they will be on their own in old age, unlike conventional households in which children typically support their elderly parents.

Retirement itself is not a monolith and has several stages. While the early years can feel like an extension of active life, with work replaced by hobbies, the later years typically bring health issues and reduced mobility, requiring additional support. Investments need to mirror this reality.

So how does one invest for retirement?

Ajay Kumar Yadav, group CEO and chief investment officer at Wise Finserv, recommended a three-bucket approach.

• The first bucket, he said, focuses on growth and largely comprises equity investments that aim to protect the portfolio against long-term inflation.
• The second bucket brings stability and regular cash flows through a mix of hybrid funds, systematic withdrawals, debt funds, and bonds to meet ongoing expenses.
• The third bucket is reserved for advanced age and is built around guaranteed income streams such as annuities and pension products.

“This structure helps the portfolio last longer and ensures that even if health issues arise or decision-making becomes difficult, essential expenses continue to be met without the need for frequent financial choices. In later years, real independence comes from predictable and dependable income, not from chasing higher returns,” said Yadav.

Bhattacharyya and her husband consulted a financial adviser to find the right mix of investments, health coverage, and long-term care planning. “We are prioritising proactive planning, wellbeing, and the ability to age with dignity and autonomy,” said Bhattacharyya.

“Normally, health insurance cover must be at least 50-100% of annual income with a restoration option or a top up of equal amount,” said Vinit Rathi, CEO, Avisa Wealth Creators. He recommended buying health insurance as early as possible to avoid the exclusion of pre-existing diseases and keep the starting premium low. “Additionally, such couples must buy accidental and critical-illness cover,” he added.

He added that while child-free couples may not need life insurance to ensure income for dependents, it can still be useful for covering liabilities such as home loans, medical costs, or supporting the surviving partner and protecting planned legacies.

How to estimate future healthcare costs

All couples, but especially child-free ones, must have a healthcare fund for regular expenses that health insurance plans, which focus primarily on hospital expenses, don’t cover, experts said.

Swati Jain, CEO wealth, Arihant Capital Markets, said, “The inflation-adjusted expense framework starts by estimating current healthcare costs, including annual insurance of ₹20,000- ₹50,000, out-of-pocket expenses of ₹50,000- ₹1 lakh, and potential long-term care expenses of ₹3-6 lakh a year. These costs must then be projected forward using medical inflation of 12-15%. For example, a current ₹2 lakh annual expense translates to about ₹27.5 lakh in 20 years at 14% inflation.”

“Couples should plan for lifespans extending to 85-90 years and account for long-term care, which could involve expenses like home aides ( ₹25,000– ₹75,000 a month), assisted living ( ₹40,000– ₹1.5 lakh a month), or nursing care ( ₹60,000– ₹2 lakh a month),” said Jain, referring to prevailing rates in metros.

Delhi resident Johri said, “Financially, we plan to set aside enough to ensure we can hire good-quality assistance for daily needs or medical support when required. We’ve also thought about senior living communities where we could live independently, have access to healthcare and community, and still maintain a sense of belonging,” said Johri.

Estate planning for couples without children

For couples without direct heirs, estate planning becomes even more essential. The issue isn’t just about deciding who will receive the assets, it’s about choosing a person who will execute the plan with integrity and competence.

Amit Suri, a mutual fund distributor and founder of AUM Wealth, said, “The first step is choosing a trustworthy executor or a professional corporate trustee. Since longevity and impartiality matter, many couples prefer an institutional executor who can administer the estate without emotional or family conflicts.”

The second step is ensuring clarity in bequests. When beneficiaries include friends, godchildren, charities or social causes, the will must be unambiguous. Testamentary trusts, staggered distributions, and purpose-led charitable trusts are useful tools to ensure assets are distributed exactly as intended.

The final step is documenting everything, from digital assets and login credentials to financial accounts and liabilities. “This reduces the risk of disputes and makes execution smoother, especially when beneficiaries are outside the traditional family structure,” said Suri.

Bhattacharyya said, “Our assets will go to each other so long as one of us is alive. We’re aligned on leaving our assets to a charitable cause, most likely linked to education, which is something we both believe in deeply.”

Saurabh Bansal, founder, Finatwork Investment Advisor, a Sebi-registered investment adviser, said, “Since child-free couples may not have siblings or cousins to leave assets to, it is common for them to direct their estate toward nonprofits, charitable organisations, or other institutions they care about. The plan is structured in a clear and legally sound manner to ensure that these organisations benefit.”

He added, “Advisers often notice that child-free couples enjoy more flexibility in lifestyle spending but sometimes underestimate the higher level of paid support they may need later in life. This can lead to underfunding of long-term care or delayed estate planning, simply because the absence of dependents makes these issues feel less urgent.”