Dave Hughes is the founder of Retire Fabulously!  He originally thought it would be just for LGBT retirement lifestyle, but found that retirement lifestyle issues are largely the same for everyone.

Retire Fabulously is a website that provides the knowledge, tools and inspiration you need to plan your ideal retirement lifestyle. He is the author of “Design Your Dream Retirement,” which will enable you to envision, plan for, and enjoy the best retirement possible. Dave writes regularly for his blog, Retire Fabulously!, and U.S. News. His articles have appeared on Yahoo Finance, AOL Money, lgbtSr.org, Top Retirements, and Tiny Buddha.

About four years ago Dave was looking for information to prepare him for his own retirement, but all he could find was financial information.

He soaked up that information like a sponge, but it just wasn’t enough, so he started a blog, RetireFabulously.com

Dave is part of the LGBT community, and started his blog with the intention that he would discuss LGBT retirement lifestyle.

It turns out that retirement issues are the same for everyone, and now only about 40% of his audience are LGBT.

He told me about how we need to start preparing several years in advance to figure out what we are going to DO in retirement. We need to consider our retirement lifestyle, not just money. Dave and I are kindred spirits in that regard, and I’m glad that I’m not alone in my quest to spread the word on this issue.

Dave explained that the issues in retirement are about 95% the same for everyone, whether they are in the LGBT community or not. I asked about the other 5% and it turns out, it’s HOUSING and COMMUNITY.

I never thought about this before, but the LGBT retirement lifestyle is similar, but they have fewer options. Even though only 30% of retirees actually move after retirement, we all like to dream right? I don’t know about you, but I’ve dreamed about moving to Ecuador. Living on the equator and never being too cold or too hot really appeals to me.

Members of the LGBT community might have to worry about moving to a foreign country…OK…WE have things to worry about in foreign countries like slow internet and slow service and slow lifestyles that we aren’t used to, but LGBT community members have much bigger issues (like for example being killed or jailed). So they wouldn’t move to certain countries, or even certain U.S. states that aren’t “gay friendly”.

Whether you are LGBT or not, your housing needs to be appropriate to your lifestyle and you need community that supports you.

Imagine that you don’t eat gluten. You check out a retirement community and the only thing to eat is pizza, bread, beer, etc. That community wouldn’t be a very good place for you, no matter how nice it is. Weird example, I know… but it’s the same with the LGBT crowd. It would be very difficult for them to move into a community with no understanding or compassion for the way they live.

I actually learned a little about this several months ago when someone from GSDBA spoke to The Caregiver’s Coalition, a group that I’m part of. GSDBA is dealing with the LGBT Retirement Lifestyle issue, and they have a certification program for people who work with this community to help them show compassion and understanding, especially when we get into the nursing home question.

Mentions on the show:

* Design Your Dream Retirement

* FountainGroveLodge

* CCRC