Queer Money®: How Gay People Do Money

Do you have a unique perspective on gay culture? Would you like to share your experiences with a community online? For Jacob Michael, creating a YouTube channel is about having a voice, and he uses the platform to share his take on issues in the LGBTQ community that no one else is talking about.

Jacob Michael is a popular gay YouTube star and social media influencer with nearly 22K subscribers and hundreds of thousands of video views. He got his start doing vlogs for fun, but his channel evolved into a space for exploring his own experiences the queer community. Today, he films videos on key LGBTQ social issues like body shaming, dating culture and mental health.

On this episode of Queer Money, Jacob Michael joins us to explain what inspired him to start a YouTube channel and walk us through the logistics of getting started as a creator on the platform. He shares how much time and money he’s invested in his channel, describing the different ways influencers can monetize once they’ve grown a following. Listen in for Jacob Michael’s insight on withstanding criticism online and learn what steps to take to share YOUR unique voice on social media!

Raise your hand if you want to be happy, healthy and rich! You CAN change for the better, and it starts with making simple changes in your daily life. So, what habits do you need to practice each day to reduce stress, feel better and get on the road to financial independence?

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re discussing 10 habits that will make you happier, healthier and wealthier. We begin by explaining why habits are crucial in making positive change, describing how practicing gratitude and showing kindness to others will attract more joy into your life.

We go on to share our top three habits for improving your wellbeing and challenge you to do little things that will better your mental and physical health. Listen in for advice on implementing simple money habits that will build wealth over time and learn what you can do TODAY to be a happier, healthier member of the queer community—well on your way to financial freedom!

💸 Are you using your pink dollars for the highest good? If you want to help build a strong LGBTQ community with the resources to push for progress, there are several things you can do to make that happen.

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing strategies to help you get more value from your pink dollars. We begin with a challenge to spend more of your money within the queer community, sharing ideas on how to shift your expenses to LGBTQ-owned and operated businesses, and much more.

🏳️‍🌈 Get the complete show notes here. 🏳️‍🌈

A bad credit score can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime. In fact, when the two of us were carrying $51K in credit card debt, we were spending $10K per year in credit card interest alone. So, how much is your credit score costing you?

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re uncovering the shocking truth about how much your debt is really costing you. We begin with a review of the credit score ranges from exceptional to very poor and discuss the five factors that impact your credit score.

We go on to explain how much interest a borrower in each credit score range pays on a credit card (on average), calculating how many thousands of dollars you could save each year with a better credit score. Listen in for insight on how your credit score impacts the amount of interest you pay on mortgage debt and find out how much your score is costing YOU—and what to do about it!

The Supreme Court made history on Monday, June 15, 2020, ruling that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. What does the decision mean for the LGBTQ community? And what steps can we take to make sure our employers follow the law?

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re discussing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling protecting LGBTQ workers. We cover LGBTQ workers’ rights in the US prior to June 15th, explaining how we could be terminated based on sexual orientation or gender identity in up to 30 states prior to the decision.

We walk you through the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Civil Rights Act, describing how we now have legal recourse in all 50 states if any part of our termination is related to our LGBTQ status. Listen in for insight on how this decision might impact workplace discrimination and learn how to document your experiences at work (both positive and negative) should you ever need to prove your case in a court of law.

Full show notes and our favorite secured cards here: https://debtfreeguys.com/secured-credit-cards-bad-credit/

Let’s say you’re paying off a significant amount of credit card debt with the help of a debt settlement company, and you’re looking for ways to improve your credit score. Is it a good idea to apply for a secured credit card?

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re explaining how secured credit cards work and what you need to think about BEFORE you apply for one. We discuss the top three factors that impact your credit score, weighing in on just how much payment history, credit mix and credit utilization matter.

We walk you through three important questions to ask yourself before you get a secured credit card, exploring the habits you need to put in place to make good decisions. Listen in to understand how garnishment works (and how it applies to the deposit on a secured credit card) and find out if a secured credit card might help YOU build your credit score.

When the Coronavirus triggered a stock market crash, a lot of investors panicked. Others saw the dip as an opportunity to buy. So, what if you want to invest, but you don’t want to live on an emotional roller coaster? Is there an approach to investing that lends to calm, even when markets are volatile?

Stephanie and Gillian are the Canadian expat couple behind Our Freedom Years, a blog that follows their path to financial independence and early retirement. Experts in DIY investing, they gave up their corporate careers in October of 2019 for a life of slow travel. Stephanie and Gillian also share their adventures (and money advice) on the Our Freedom Years YouTube channel.

On this episode of Queer Money, Stephanie and Gillian join us to explain what inspired them to pursue early retirement and describe the role investing played in achieving financial independence. They discuss the creative ways they saved money (without feeling deprived) and walk us through their four principles of investing. Listen in for insight on developing a strategy that takes the emotion out of investing and learn how to get started on your own journey to financial freedom!

We’re so excited, and we just can’t hide it! Our signature system for paying off credit card debt has its own dedicated site at DebtLasso.com. So, what inspired us to build a platform separate from Debt Free Guys? And what will you find on the new site?

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re announcing the launch of DebtLasso.com, explaining how our recent appearance on Good Morning America accelerated the creation of the site. We discuss how the platform can support you in paying off your credit card debt faster than other methods, providing all of the tools you need in one convenient place.

We go on to walk you through the five steps of our method, describing how it helps you lasso all of your debt into as few locations as possible—at the lowest interest rate possible. Listen in for insight on how our Credit Card Pay Off Plan (now available year-round!) and our Debt Lasso method work together and learn how YOU can use the site to be debt free, ASAP!

We could all use a Pride Parade right about now, but 2020 is just not cooperating. So, what can we do to make this June as much fun as those past? How can we show our pride and celebrate the LGBTQ community wherever we are?

On this episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing nine fabulous ideas for celebrating Pride at home. We challenge you to connect with friends virtually and offer our best ideas for showing off your pride wherever you are—displaying your rainbow flags and banners, sharing Pride photos on social, and maybe even staging your own one- or two-person Pride Parade!

We go on to encourage you to support others in the queer community during Pride by giving to LGBTQ organizations or showing a little love to an older LGBTQ person. Listen in for insight on how to make June 2020 the month you start taking pride in your money and learn what you can do to make this year’s Pride just as meaningful and fun as years past and those to come!

It’s hard enough to get two people on the same page when it comes to money. So, what do you do when there are three or more people involved?

What’s the best approach to money management for those of us in polyamorous relationships?

Michelle Waymire is the fiduciary financial advisor behind Young & Scrappy, a platform that offers financial coaching, financial planning and business coaching to young professionals, LGBTQ+ and polyamorous clients. Michelle holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee, and her work has been featured in US News & World Report, Bustle and on Credit.com.

On this episode of Queer Money, Michelle joins us to explain how she defines polyamory and what her own polyamorous relationship looks like. She walks us through the similarities and differences between polyamorous and traditional binary relationships, sharing the advice she gives both couples and polycules around money management. Listen in for Michelle’s insight on poly retirement planning and learn the best approach to initiating the money conversation in a polyamorous relationship.