Retirement Isn’t Just for Chads & Karens

Let’s be honest—when most folks picture retirement, it’s usually a straight couple named Chad and Karen sipping Chardonnay in Scottsdale. Cute for them. But what about you—still fabulous at 67, maybe rocking a part-time gig at a queer-owned café because your bank account missed the memo that you were done working?

On this week’s Queer Money, we’re ditching the tired, hetero retirement fantasy and giving you the real tea on how queer folks can retire fabulously (and actually afford it). We’re serving up a 5-step no-BS framework to take you from “fabulously stressed” to “financially fierce.”

Whether you’re figuring out your retirement number, learning how to pay your future self first, or just trying to make peace with the word “budget,” we’ve got you. Because your golden years shouldn’t be basic—or broke.

Retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially for our community. So let’s stop trying to live someone else’s dream and start planning for yours. The goal? A future that fits you like your favorite pair of perfectly broken-in jeans. Or leather pants. We don’t judge.

🎯 5 Steps to Go From Fabulously Stressed to Financially Fabulous

1. Know Your Number 👛 - Guessing doesn’t cut it. Use the Happy Gay Retirement Calculator to figure out how much you need for the life you want.
2. Pay Your Future Self First 💸 - Even $25 a paycheck adds up. Start now so your 65-year-old self can sip cocktails, not stress.
3. Ditch Chad & Karen’s Plan ❌ - You’re not straight. Your retirement shouldn’t be either. Build a plan that fits your life.
4. Lasso Your Accounts 🤠 - Round up those stray 401(k)s. One place. One plan. So much easier to manage.
5. Pick Your Paradise 🏖️ - Palm Springs? Portugal? Start researching now so you can retire where you’ll live your best life.

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:04 - Step 1 - Know your retirement number
• 4:05 - Step 2 - Pay your future self first
• 6:22 - Step 3 - Skip the straight benchmarks
• 8:21 - Step 4 - Consolidate retirement accounts
• 9:22 - Step 5 - Pick your gay paradise
• 10:30 - Wrap up

Get your Happy Gay Retirement Calculator

• Download it here: queermoneypodcast.com/hgrcalc