Gray Divorce – The Simply Retirement Podcast

Should You Keep the House After Divorce? A Smarter Way to Decide (Ep. 99)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | April 8, 2026

When divorce puts the future of your home into question, the biggest risk is making decisions before you fully understand your options.

In this episode, I sit down with Stacey Ellison, Certified Divorce Lending Professional and Divorce Mortgage Planner at Divorce Mortgage Solutions, to walk through how mortgage planning, settlement language, and income rules can shape what is actually possible when it comes to keeping a home.

We talk through how assets, support payments, and loan strategies factor into qualification, especially for women navigating this transition later in life. We also address the emotional pull of the family home and how to balance that with long-term financial stability.

Key takeaways:

Why divorce mortgage planning should happen before the settlement agreement is finalized
How settlement language can affect whether support, assets, or other funds count as qualifying income
What options may be available when someone wants to keep the house, including loan assumptions, FHA, and asset depletion strategies
Why emotions around the marital home can lead to costly decisions if long-term affordability is not considered
How women going through gray divorce can use retirement income, Social Security, and other assets to qualify more effectively
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Stacey Ellison:

About our Guest:

Stacey Ellison, CDLP®, is a Certified Divorce Lending Professional and Divorce Mortgage Planner with a deep understanding of the financial complexities that arise during and after divorce. With over 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Stacey brings a unique blend of technical knowledge and compassionate guidance to individuals navigating one of life’s most challenging transitions.

Since earning her CDLP® designation in 2020, Stacey has worked closely with family law attorneys, mediators, financial planners, and other divorce professionals to provide strategic mortgage guidance tailored to each client’s needs. Her role is to ensure that both parties in a divorce understand their options when it comes to home equity, mortgage qualification, and long-term housing goals. Whether helping a client determine if they can keep the marital home, qualify for a new mortgage, or explore equitable buyout solutions, Stacey provides clarity, structure, and confidence in the decision-making process. Her goal is to help divorcing homeowners make sound financial choices that support both their immediate needs and long-term stability.

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Divorce, Identity, and Financial Clarity After 50 With Mardi Winder (Ep. 90)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | February 4, 2026

Divorce later in life is not just a legal event; it is an emotional and financial turning point that reshapes identity, confidence, and long-term planning.

In this episode, I sit down with Mardi Winder, a strategic divorce consultant and founder of Positive Communication Systems, to discuss what really happens before, during, and after a gray divorce.

We explore why so many women feel stuck in fear, how financial uncertainty can drive costly decisions, and why clarity must come before action. I also share how retirement planning and divorce strategy need to work together so women can move forward with confidence, not confusion.

Key Takeaways:

Why high-conflict divorces often create a loss of identity after the process ends
How fear around money keeps women stuck or leads to poor settlement decisions
Where strategic divorce coaching fits alongside legal and financial professionals
Why financial clarity should come before hiring attorneys
How early guidance can prevent costly mistakes in the first months of divorce
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Mardi Winder:

About our Guest:

Mardi Winder is a Strategic Divorce Consultant and trusted authority for high-achieving individuals navigating separation and divorce. She is known for helping clients reduce the emotional and financial costs of the process by strengthening decision-making, communication, and conflict management during high-stakes transitions. With more than 30 years of experience, Mardi brings deep expertise in high-conflict, complex, and high-asset divorces. Her background spans mediation, executive and leadership coaching, conflict resolution and mediation, emotional intelligence, and strategic communication, allowing her to support clients in maintaining clarity, confidence, and control throughout divorce and beyond.

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Taking Control During Divorce: How Coaching Can Help You Make More Confident Decisions (Ep. 86)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | January 7, 2026

Divorce doesn’t have to be devastating.

It can be empowering when approached with clarity and the right support.

In this episode, I sit down with Karen Covy, divorce coach, attorney, and mediator, to explore how women can take control of the divorce process. We talk about choosing the right process for your situation, understanding your finances, and why preparation and strategy make all the difference in creating a smoother transition and stronger future.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of choosing the divorce process that best fits your goals and circumstances
Why most lawyers promote only the process they practice, and how coaching helps you find the right one for you
How planning early and understanding your financial picture can prevent years of regret
What it means to become the “CEO of your own divorce” and coordinate your full team
Practical first steps to start regaining confidence and clarity if you feel stuck or afraid to move forward
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Karen Covy:

About our Guest:

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach, Lawyer, Mediator, Author, Speaker, and Podcaster. She coaches busy professionals and business owners all over the world to make clear, confident decisions about their most important relationships. She also helps them navigate through divorce with less conflict, unnecessary expense, and needless drama so that they can create the life they truly desire sooner rather than later. Karen is the author of When Happily Ever After Ends: How to Survive Your Divorce Emotionally, Financially, and Legally. She is also the creator of the online divorce programs, The Divorce Road Map 3.0 and How to Successfully Mediate Your Divorce, as well as the host of the podcast, Off the Fence: Mastering Decision-Making Divorce and More.

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Gray Divorce and Retirement: How Collaborative Divorce May Protect Your Financial Future with Jill Lowe (Ep. 62)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | July 23, 2025

Gray divorce can significantly impact your retirement plans and emotional well-being.

How do you protect your financial future when love fades later in life? What pitfalls should you avoid to stay financially sound?

In this episode, I sit down with Jill Lowe, Collaborative Divorce Attorney at J Lowe Law, LLC, to discuss the financial and emotional layers of gray divorce. Together, we explore why more women are choosing divorce later in life and how preparation and informed decisions can lead to financial confidence.

Jill discusses:

How education becomes a crucial tool for women considering or going through divorce
The growing trend of gray divorce and why more women are initiating the split
The danger of letting emotions drive decisions around keeping the marital home
How collaborative divorce offers a less combative, more goal-focused approach
The essential role financial planners play in mapping out a stable future post-divorce
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Jill Lowe:

About our Guest:

Jill Lowe is a Collaborative Divorce Attorney and founder of J Lowe Law, LLC. With over 20 years of legal experience—18 of those focused exclusively on family law—Jill brings a unique combination of legal expertise and personal insight to her work.

She is licensed to practice law in both Texas and Florida and has been representing clients in collaborative divorces for more than 15 years. She’s also a trained collaborative professional in both states and has spent the past three years speaking publicly on the collaborative process.

Jill’s commitment to peaceful resolution stems from her own experience as a child of divorced parents and her decision—after facing serious health challenges—to step away from litigation in favor of helping families resolve conflict with compassion. She believes divorce doesn’t have to be a battle, and her work focuses on healing and collaboration instead of confrontation.

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Taking Control During Divorce: How Coaching Can Help You Make More Confident Decisions (Ep. 86)

By The Simply Retirement Podcast | January 7, 2025

Divorce doesn’t have to be devastating.

It can be empowering when approached with clarity and the right support.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of choosing the divorce process that best fits your goals and circumstances
Why most lawyers promote only the process they practice, and how coaching helps you find the right one for you
How planning early and understanding your financial picture can prevent years of regret
What it means to become the “CEO of your own divorce” and coordinate your full team
Practical first steps to start regaining confidence and clarity if you feel stuck or afraid to move forward
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake:

Connect with Karen Covy:

About our Guest:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More