On this Queer Money, we discuss a topic that often brings up angst for many in the LGBTQ community; should I be out at work? An estimated 50% of LGBTQ individuals in the US are not out at work. Why does visibility matter? What can companies do to encourage self-identification? And how can businesses use this information to support queer employees and advocate for equality in the places where they operate? Todd Sears is a former investment banker and financial advisor turned entrepreneur for equality. He led pioneering LGBT+ inclusion initiatives at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse before founding Out Leadership in 2011. Todd originated the idea of a Return on Equality, and his global leadership initiatives seek to engage senior leaders around LGBT+ opportunities, develop talent, and impact business results. Today, Todd joins us to discuss the recently published <a href= "https://outleadership.com/content/uploads/2019/05/Vi

On this episode of Queer Money, we are continuing our series of highlighting stories of others who are on the path to becoming debt-free.  Ready to get out of debt once and for all? If so, you’d better be ready to take a deep dive into what got you there in the first place. As Nathan, a student in our Credit Card Pay Off Course will tell you, the first step in fixing your financial situation is developing an awareness of how and why you spend the way you do. On this episode of Queer Money, Nathan joins us to explain how his financial situation changed when his partner joined the military—but their spending didn’t. He describes how covering the bill for friends at restaurants and bars compounded his debt and explores how being a gay man influenced his spending. Nathan also shares how moving to Japan inspired him to fix his finances and why it’s crucial to understand the psychology of your spending. Listen in

Queer Money listeners and Facebook group members have told us several times that their #2 financial concern is saving for retirement. So this week on Queer Money, we are tackling a major question.  Are you throwing away free money? If you’re not taking advantage of the option to invest in a 401(k) or 403(b) at work, that’s EXACTLY what you’re doing. So, how do these employer-sponsored retirement accounts work? How much free money will the organization you work for contribute? And how can participating put you on the road to financial security? On today’s episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing the ins and outs of the most common employer-sponsored retirement accounts, the 401(k) and 403(b). We explain how employees make contributions to these accounts via a payroll deduction and what types of investments fund administrators put that money toward. We go on to discuss the simil

On this week's Queer Money we are joined by Thomas Tucker, another LGBTQ podcaster to discuss his journey as a podcaster. Are you tired of the ‘people suck’ narrative that seems to rule traditional media? Wish someone was telling the stories of cool people doing amazing things? Even better, what if someone was amplifying the diverse voices within the LGBTQ community, the kind voices we don’t usually get to hear? Thomas Tucker is the creator and host of the Uncensored Visionary, a podcast highlighting badass people in the queer community to explore what makes us so incredible and diverse. Beyond the podcast, he works full-time in finance, chairs a nonprofit group of young professionals, and does marketing for R&B singers that deserve to be heard. Today, Thomas joins us to define what it means to be an uncensored visionary and explain what inspired him to start the podcast. Thomas shares some of his favorite podcast

Beginning in May 2019, John and I set out on the very first Queer Money Live tour. On this episode of Queer Money, we talk about what we learned on that tour by talking with LGBTQ people from 7 different cities across the North East.  We need to start talking about money. To build a strong queer community with the financial resources to live our best lives and continue to push for equality, we’ve simply got to share what we know. So, how do we start the conversation and catch up with other communities? On today’s episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing the 3 themes that emerged from the first leg of the Queer Money Live Tour. We discuss the recurring idea around spending to make up for the past, explaining how we develop attachments to things to mask our pain and why we spend to prove we’re lovable. We go on to explore why the LGBTQ community seems to have accepted debt as a way of life, challenging you to look at whether you truly have an income problem or a spen

On this week's Queer Money we're talking about making more money! We often talk about how to cut expenses, but we also have to look at increasing income so we can thrive financially. The beauty of the sharing economy is that you can earn money from things you already own. Got a spare bedroom? A couch? A tent in the backyard? You might be surprised how much you can earn by listing your space on Airbnb, Mrb&b, or any other short-term rental site. You might even choose to expand this model and build a business around the vacation rental model. Zeona McIntyre is an Airbnb host, real estate investor and short-term rental consultant. In addition to her own six properties, Zeona manages another 20 listings and teaches aspiring STR hosts how to create their own automated businesses. She reached her financial independence number at the age of 28, and now Zeona has the freedom to travel the world and manage her vacation rentals from h

On this week's Queer Money we continue looking at the success stories coming out of the Credit Card Pay Off Course, which opens back up Sunday, September 8th, for 5 days only!  Karen and Dave were struggling. Unplanned expenses forced the couple to max out several credit cards, and they weren’t sure how to fix it on their own. That’s when they came across our Credit Card Pay Off Course and made the decision to invest in their future. On this episode of Queer Money, Karen and Dave join us to share their experience with the Credit Card Pay Off Course, explaining how family obligations, unexpected healthcare expenses and unconscious spending led to their serious credit card debt. They explain how they learned about the course and what makes it different from other programs in terms of flexibility and the detailed spending analysis. Karen and Dave also discuss the progress they’ve

On this week's Queer Money we are honored to host the 9 times New York best selling author David Bach.  “If you don’t know where you’re going, you may not like where you end up.” How do you make decisions about how to spend your money? Do you have a vision of what you want your life to look like that guides you? Do you spend with intention, based on your values? Or unconsciously, based on someone else’s idea of what’s important? David Bach is one of the most popular financial authors of our time. He has written nine consecutive New York Times bestsellers, including Start Late, Finish Rich, <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451499085/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=debt0a5-20&crea

On this week's Queer Money we talk with Alison & Ali about living their best lives.  Do you ever dream of retiring early and traveling the world with your partner? You can make that dream a reality, but it does require careful planning. Ali & Alison Walker are the creators of All Options Considered, a platform where they share their journey to financial independence and adventures in slow travel, most recently making their way through Southeast Asia. Today, they join us to explain what inspired them to retire early and what steps they took to achieve the financial freedom that makes their current lifestyle possible. Ali & Alison weigh in on the concept of geoarbitrage, discussing how they make decisions around where to travel based on the cost of living and LGBTQ discrimination. They also offer insight into how they are financing their travel, what strategies they use to stay on budget, and how they get routine me

Get this week's QUeer Money freebie here: www.debtfreeguys.com/159 Purchasing a home is a big emotional and financial decision for couples, LGBTQ or otherwise. How do you know if you and your partner are ready? And what steps can you take to save tens of thousands (or maybe even hundreds of thousands!) of dollars over time? On today’s episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing 5 tips for buying a home as a couple. We start by explaining how your credit scores impact the interest rate on your home loan and offering insight on how to improve your scores if necessary. We provide a list of questions to help you decide on your must-haves and set parameters to stay within your price range. We go on to discuss the value in reviewing your budget, addressing how to factor in the additional expenses associated with homeownership. Listen in for advice on getting an estimate from a lender, handling l

On this Queer Money, we're talking to Fred Norrell about his journey of discovery when it comes to credit card debt and paying it off.  According to a recent CNBC study, a full 75% of Americans admitted to winging it with their finances. Fred Norrell was among that 75% until he invested in our Credit Card Pay Off Course, and today, he is on the road to early retirement. So, how has the course helped Fred become more aware of his spending and develop a plan to achieve financial independence? On this episode of Queer Money, Fred joins us to share his experience with the Credit Card Pay Off Course, explaining what inspired him to take action now and why he chose our program in particular. He describes his shock in completing the Spending Analysis and discusses how unconscious spending contributed

On this week's Queer Money show we invite Josh Stoffregen, the VP of Global Communications & Workplace Solutions at Prudential Financial to join us to discuss the state of financial wellness for the LGBTQ community in America. He joined the team in 2009 and served as the project lead for the firm’s 2012 LGBT Financial Experience Survey. Josh was also the President of Prudential’s enterprise-wide LGBT organization from 2010 to 2014. Today, he joins us to share the findings of the company’s latest research, the 2018 Financial Wellness Census and its sub-study of diverse populations, The Cut. Josh walks us through the numbers, discussing the areas where the queer community has progressed in the last ten years as well as our remaining challenges when it comes to financial wellness. He reflects on what’s preventing the general population of the US—and the LGBTQ community specifically—from achieving financial security. Josh also offers insight into Prudential’s approach to r

Queer Money this week digs into some of the common questions that are asked about using and getting PrEP. If you’re nervous about contracting HIV, there is a new prevention strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. What does the drug do? Who should be taking PrEP? Does it have any side effects? How much does it cost? Megan Canon is the Biomedical Intervention Coordinator with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the director of the state’s Proud to be PrEPPED Campaign. Prior to CDPHE, Megan served as the PrEP Program Coordinator for the Houston Health Department and the Please PrEP Me Project Consultant for HIVE. A dedicated public health leader, Megan is committed to helping educate communities to make informed decisions about their health needs. Today, Megan joins us to discuss the fundamentals of pre-exposure prophylaxis, explaining who makes a good candidate for the HIV-prevention drug, TRUVADA, and how long it takes to start working. She addresses

On this episode of Queer Money, we get a bit personal and share some of our recent personal journey while we were house sitting in Columbia, PA. As a gay couple, this was a difficult and trying time for us in a small town that we felt uncomfortable being our true selves. We came into 2019 feeling #likeaboss. We were in talks with a bank to do a lucrative Queer Money Live tour and had the support of a number of corporate partners leading up to the launch of our Credit Card Pay Off Course. And then it all went south. Just a few weeks into 2019, the tour fell through and the course, which we had expected to cover our living expenses for the year, didn’t get us through the month of January. The depression that followed made it painfully clear that our self-worth and spiritual health were not as strong as we thought. Today on Queer Money, we’re pulling back the curtain on the challenges we’ve faced so far this year and explaining how house sitting in small-town Pennsylvania made us realize

On this Queer Money, we chat with Jenn T. Grace about her path to becoming and Queer Entrepreneur. Are you an LGBTQ entrepreneur looking to scale? Or a queer business leader driven to build your own thought leadership platform? Then sharing your story in a book may be the best way to position yourself as an authority and attract the opportunities you need to grow. But how, exactly, does the publishing process work? Known as the Professional Lesbian, Jenn T. Grace is a business strategist, keynote speaker and bestselling author specializing in the LGBTQ market. Jenn believes that social change happens first in the workplace, and her consulting work focuses on guiding corporate, small business and nonprofit clients in navigating LGBTQ issues. Committed to helping people share their stories of adversity, Jenn’s most recent venture is Publish Your Purpose, a firm working to discover and publish purpose-driven authors with a story to tell and a brand to build. Today, Jenn joins us to explai

On this Queer Money we talk about Financial Independence and the first step we took to achieve it. What’s most important to you? Impressing other people with the latest Prada shoes? Or giving back to the LGBTQ community? Financial independence IS achievable for each and every one of us, but the first step is getting clear on your hopes and dreams so that you can spend money in an intentional way on the things that matter most. On today’s episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing our definition of financial independence and explaining how we established our personal priorities around retirement, travel and giving back—and budgeted accordingly. We also offer insight on why many in the queer community struggle with financial independence and explore the difference between being rich versus being wealthy. Listen in to understand how financial independence allows us to live life on our terms—and learn how to make choices based on your values that guide you to financial independence!

Queer Money this week is all about the gay wedding. We've invited Aimee Palifroni of Prisma Events to share with us 7 Tips for an Affordable + Fabulous Gay Wedding. First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes the big, old bill for the expensive ceremony and reception! But it doesn’t have to be that way. LGBTQ couples can plan a beautiful experience that doesn’t require taking out a second mortgage. So, how do you plan gay wedding that is both fabulous AND affordable? Aimee Palifroni is the Owner and Lead Coordinator at Prisma Weddings & Events, a firm that offers innovative wedding and special event planning in Colorado and beyond. Aimee has nearly 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, ranging from restaurants to event venues to hotels, and she is proud to specialize in LGBTQ weddings. Prisma’s work has been featured in Colorado Gay Weddings, and Aimee’s team was responsible for planning the Debt Free Guys’ unique wedding experience! Today, Aimee joins us to share h

On this Queer Money, we invite Amanda Clayman to discuss the results from the Prudential 2018 Financial Wellness Census and The Cut as it pertains to our 🏳️‍🌈 community. Amanda Clayman is a leader in the field of financial therapy. She serves as a money coach in private practice and financial wellness advocate for Prudential Financial. Amanda has much experience working with LGBTQ clients, having spent 10 years running the Financial Wellness Program for The Actors Fund. Amanda’s fiercely committed to helping people move beyond shame and frustration with money to find opportunities for personal growth on the journey to financial wellness. Amanda joins us to discuss the impetus behind Prudential’s 2018 Financial Wellness Census and explore the findings specific to LGBTQ respondents. She shares advice around what we can do in our everyday lives to achieve financial wellness, discussing the risks associated with remaining in the closet financially. Listen in for Amanda’s insight on the f

Get financially organized with the Debt Free Guys 13-Week Leap: https://debtfreeguys.com/financially-organized-leap/ Same-sex couples are far more likely to adopt or foster a child than their straight counterparts, and many of those children are dealing with physical and emotional disabilities. It is obvious that we need to plan for the unique challenges of caring for a special needs child from day to day, but few stop to design a plan for the long term. How can we ensure that our children will be taken care of when we can no longer do it ourselves? Where can we go for support in creating a financial plan that provides for us AND our adult children with special needs? Minoti Rajput is the founder and principal advisor at Secure Planning Strategies, a nationally-recognized independent wealth management firm that specializes in supporting women, business owners, retirees and special needs families. Minoti is a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC) wit

Do you keep making the same mistakes around money? Have you tried to follow a budget, but didn’t have the willpower to stick with it long term? If so, it may be time to start exploring the unconscious beliefs that are at the root of your behavior and send a different vibration out in the world! Abundance Coach Leisa Peterson is the creator of Wealth Clinic, a platform and practice dedicated to helping entrepreneurs discover prosperity and joy in all aspects of life. She leverages her 20-plus years of experience as a financial advisor along with mindfulness training to support clients in attracting greater wealth, freedom and peace of mind. Leisa is also the architect of the iPROSPER Method and the host of the Art of Abundance Podcast. Today, Leisa joins us to offer insight around what she calls see-through beliefs, explaining where they come from and how they impact our financial lives. She shares several techniques for uncovering your negative money stories and creating alignment betw

Get more info here: www.debtfreeguys.com/147 You know the satisfaction you feel when your desk or your closet is totally organized? When you know you’re taking good care of your belongings and you have easy access to everything you might need? What if you could feel that same kind of confidence about your finances? On today’s episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing five steps to help you get financially organized. We discuss the importance of an emergency savings account, offering insight on how to put money away gradually to plan for unforeseen circumstances. We also explain how to create what we call a Happiness Budget, a financial plan that focuses your spending on aspirational goals that contribute to lasting happiness. We go on to address how getting banked can help you achieve your financial goals and why it’s crucial to save for retirement. Listen in to understand the types of insurance you might employ to protect against financial loss and learn how to ensure a secure future by g

This episode is brought to you by the Debt Free Guys Budget Buster Bundle, your guild to budgeting like a badass - get it here: https://debtfreeguys.com/budget-buster-bundle/ The world needs more LGBTQ entrepreneurs. But starting your own business is not easy. It takes inner strength and the desire to succeed. It means overcoming limiting beliefs and growing your enterprise one baby step at a time. But if you embrace your uniqueness, surround yourself with a supportive community, and put in the work, you CAN become a successful business leader—with the resources to give back! Terry Eaton is the President and Chief Curator at Eaton Fine Art, a full-service fine art consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. The Eaton Team serves as the premier innovative art resource for developers, brand leaders, interior designers and purchasing agents producing the art programs for hospitality and healthcare-related projects in the US and internationally. Terry’s prestigious portfolio includes The Cosmo

Get the Budget Buster Bundle here: https://debtfreeguys.com/budget-buster-bundle/ You might be under the impression that the terms fabulous and frugal are mutually exclusive. But in truth, frugality is not about eliminating the fun from your life. It’s about spending money on the things that matter most to you—and finding ways to do MORE with LESS. David Rae is a Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Investment Fiduciary based in Los Angeles. He has been helping clients achieve financial security for the last 17 years, building a reputation as a specialist in serving the LGBT community. David writes a regular column for Forbes, and his work has appeared in The Huffington Post, Investopedia and The Advocate. He has also been interviewed on Nightline, the Today Show and NBC Nightly News, among many other media outlets. Today, David joins us to discuss how to live a champagne lifestyle—on a beer budget. He offers his take on what it means to live frugally, exploring why the queer com

So, you’re at the bar and someone suggests a round of shots. You know that eventually, it will be your turn to buy, and you’d rather save the money for a trip you’re planning. But how do you say no to your friends? How do you overcome the peer pressure to spend? On today’s episode of Queer Money, we’re sharing five strategies to stand up to peer pressure and save money to pursue your hopes and dreams. We discuss the advantages of using cash as opposed to credit or debit cards and explain why it’s useful to have an entrance and exit strategy for enjoying a night out with friends. We go on to describe how Stephen Covey’s principle to begin with the end in mind applies in this situation, offering insight around how we prioritized our bigger goals in order to curb our margarita spending. Listen in to understand the value of an accountability partner and learn how to be up front with your friends about your money goals as you overcome the peer pressure to spend!

There is a great deal of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US right now, even among some in the queer community. But the fact is, the LGBTQ and immigrant communities have a lot in common. And if you happen to be both LGBTQ AND an immigrant, deportation back to a country where homosexuality isn’t tolerated can be a death sentence. Having the financial resources to fight for your rights is crucial for any marginalized community, but how does an immigrant learn to navigate our complex financial systems? Adina is an immigration attorney and personal finance blogger at Immigrant Finance, a platform that makes it easier for immigrants to develop stability, build wealth and thrive in a new country. When Adina’s husband moved to the US in 2013, they struggled to find information on simple things like opening a bank account or signing up for a fist-time credit card, and they created Immigrant Finance to share their years of research with others. Adina has been named one of Forbes 30 Under 30, and

Get the bundle here: debtfreeguys.com/142 Is your money situation stressing you out? Maybe you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, and you’re nervous that you couldn’t cover even a simple emergency. You know that following a budget is step one in improving your financial health, but you’re not sure where to start. Here’s the thing: You DON’T need to create a budget. That’s because we’ve done it for you! Today, we’re sharing the tools included in our plug-and-play Budget Buster Bundle. We discuss the current statistics around budgeting in the US and explain why it’s crucial to your financial wellbeing. We go on to describe the value in a dynamic budget that gives you the wiggle room to live a real life and allows for spending on the things that make you happy. Listen in for insight around automating your budget and find out if the Budget Buster Bundle is right for you! Get the bundle here: debtfreeguys.com/142

While the fundamentals of money are the same for all of us, our experiences, risks and concerns are all unique. In that way, queer money is different from straight money. And within the LGBT community, the degree of struggle varies. Our experience as cis, white, gay men is different from that of a transgender individual who may find it challenging to open a bank account because they don’t look like the picture on their driver’s license. So, what can we learn from listening to their stories? Brynne Conroy is a personal finance writer who started covering money when she didn’t have any. As she discovered ways to save and earn more, Brynne shared them on her blog, Femme Frugality. In October of 2018, she published the Amazon bestseller The Feminist Financial Handbook: A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Wealthy Life. One of the women featured in Brynne’s book is Nicole Lynn Perry, a transgender veteran and rainbow community advocate based in Seattle. Today, Brynne and Nicole join us to discuss Th

5 Unique Steps to Initiate the Money Conversation with Your Spouse Initiating a conversation about money is never easy. You may even feel a certain amount of shame around your financial situation and talking about it can be incredibly uncomfortable. On the other hand, you know how important it is to be on the same money page with your partner. So, how do you broach the subject with a significant other who is resistant to discussing money? Today, we’re sharing five unique tactics for initiating the money conversation with your partner. We explain how to soften the money discussion by blaming us or bringing it up in a quiet public place. We go on to offer insight into the value of exposing your own vulnerability first and focusing on how to achieve your shared hopes and dreams. Finally, we cover the strategy of sharing your feelings and concerns with the intent to find a solution for yourself. Listen in to understand the many benefits of having an open, honest conversation about money wi

Life Insurance When HIV+ with Sau El of Simply Insurance Life insurance is incredibly important. Not only does the death benefit cover funeral costs, the payout can provide long-term financial security for your loved ones. But what if you are HIV+? How challenging is it to secure a life insurance policy if you have the human immunodeficiency virus? Sau El is the Co-founder and CEO of Simply Insurance, a platform providing a simple and fast way to purchase insurance online. Sau is a licensed life and health insurance agent with 10-plus years of experience in the insurance industry. In addition to being an ambitious entrepreneur, Sau is an insurance educator and field underwriter on a mission to get one million families insured. Today, Sau joins us to explain the fundamentals of underwriting as well as the benefits of securing a no-exam policy. He offers a brief history of the no-exam option and discusses the difference between a group and individual policy. Sau walks us through the life

At the end of our lives, we tend to regret the things we didn’t do, the opportunities missed, the risks we didn’t take. Yet in the day-to-day, the familiar holds us back. We stop ourselves from pursuing ‘crazy ideas’ and chase the cultural idea of what it means to be successful. But what if success is less about wealth or fame—and more about living the life you want? What if taking a leap could help you discover the real you? Don’t you owe it to yourself to give it a shot? Justin McCarty was living in Denver, working 60 to 70 hours a week at a job he’d had for 12 years. He made a lot of money, but he was constantly connected to his phone and had very little free time. On a trip to Barcelona, he felt an overwhelming sense of liberation and got curious about making his vacation a little more permanent. Today, he is living and working in Spain, teaching English and experiencing a level of joy he never dreamed possible. On this episode of Queer Money, Justin joins us to explain how he made

How long have you wanted to be debt free? This is the year! The statistics are bleak: The average LGBTQ family has roughly $12K in credit card debt. We assume 17% more student loan debt than our straight peers—which translates to about $40K—and 79% of queer students have both credit card AND student loan debt prior to graduation. The financial burden of owing money also takes a toll on our mental and physical health, creating additional stress and diminishing our quality of life. So, it’s no wonder credit card debt is a leading concern of the LGBTQ community. Today on Queer Money, we’re addressing that concern with the Credit Card Pay Off Course available for a limited time through our website. We start by explaining how financial freedom serves as a way to RESIST, allowing us to spend money on education or organizations that support the queer community. We also share our objectives for the course, describing how removing the burden of debt can improve our outlook and allow us to work

Get full notes here: debtfreeguys.com/bad-with-money If someone approached you in a coffee shop and asked about your favorite sexual position, would you be willing to share? What if they wanted to know your bank balance? While most of us are open to the topic of sex, money is considered taboo. Talking about our financial situation is deemed ‘too personal,’ and most of us carry around a lot of embarrassment about our money situation. So, why are we more inclined to discuss sex than money? Why do so many of us continue to struggle with money despite all the advice that’s out there? And why do we feel so much shame around being ‘bad with money’? Gaby Dunn is the writer, actor and New York Times bestselling author behind the YouTube comedy channel Just Between Us, the novel, I Hate Everyone But You, and the nationally-recognized podcast Bad With Money, a finance show for ‘the rest of us.’ Gaby brings a queer, feminist point of view to the money conversation, and her new book, Bad With Mone

Would you like to be debt free by 2020? If financial security is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, we’ve got nine simple moves that will help you WIN the money game in 2019. We start with the concept of a Dinero Detox, explaining how to clean out your ‘money system’ by eliminating discretionary spending for a weekend—or longer! We go on to discuss retirement savings, sharing resources to help you track and grow your nest egg. We also cover credit scores, describing how our free tools can help you lower interest rates and ultimately pay off your debt more quickly. Finally, we talk about reducing your food spend, sharing the templates and apps we use to shop more efficiently and save thousands of dollars every year. Listen in for insight on planning your social calendar in advance and learn how to find freebies and discounts so you can have a fabulous life—for less—in 2019! Topics Covered Tip #1—Perform a Dinero Detox • Eliminate discretionary spending for the weekend Tip #2—Crunch

In the queer community, we still run the risk of losing a job or being denied services due to our sexual orientation or gender identity. In fact, there are 30 states where it is perfectly legal to discriminate against an individual because they identify as LGBTQ. And we know that such inequity impacts our quality of life. But have you ever stopped to consider how it might impact our financial health? Leslie Tayne is the founder and lead attorney at Tayne Law Group, a debt solutions law firm based in New York City. Leslie has 20 years of experience in the practice of consumer and business financial debt-related services, and her work has appeared in Inc. Magazine, Forbes and the Huffington Post, among many other media outlets. Tayne Law Group has been voted Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s best debt consolidation service four years in a row, and Leslie has twice been honored as one of Long Island Business News Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business. She is also the author of Life & De

Sometimes it's the simple changes that we make that have the biggest impact on our lives. When those changes become habits that we put into our daily or weekly lives, the impact can be dramatic. If you're looking to save some money and get ahead financially, look at the things you do every day or every week and ask, where can I make a small change that will have a bit impact? We did this with our grocery shopping and it saved us tens of thousands of dollars a year. Listen to this episode to hear our simple three-step strategy that not only saved us money but helped us pay off our debt fast! Get the menu and grocery list templates here: https://debtfreeguys.com/grocery-and-menu-templates/

What is the financial state of LGBTQ families? Are we as Queer people ready to retire? We invite Lisa Campbell and Stephen Brokaski of MassMutual on the show this week to share the data from two ground breaking studies that look at the state of LGBTQ families and the preparedness of LGBTQ retirees and pre-retirees. The data was pretty surprising, especially for a community that is often perceived by the media and masses as being fabulous and financially set. What we uncover in this podcast should give every Queer person pause when it comes to how and where we spend our money.

It doesn't matter if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, it seems like the travel bug and wunderlust seems to hit us all. Did you know that the LGBTQ community spends upwards of 10% of our income, no not disposable, all income, on travel. With that much being spent, there has to be a way to curb your travel costs. We've come up with a list of 9 gay travel apps and sites that will help you travel cheaper, safer and better. Check out the list.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. The LGBTQ community is more likely than the general population to be adoptive parents. The costs associated with adoption can range from foster care adoptions with many of the costs being covered by the local foster care system, to infant adoption with a birth mother, which can be much more. How can you prepare? We've invited Adrienne Elliott of Adoption Options to help explain the process and options for prospective LGBTQ parents.

There are currently over 100,000 children in the foster care system in the United States. These are children waiting to find a forever home with a mom a dad or maybe two of each. Have you ever considered foster care as the path to creating your family? On this week's Queer Money we kick off a two-week celebration of National Adoption Month. We've invited Jillian Johnsrud of MontanaMoneyAdventures.com to join us. She and her husband have adopted four children, the first when she was just 22. Here her story along with detail on how you can help the hundreds of thousands of children waiting for a parent to take them home. Get the full show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/lgbt-foster-parents/ ‎

Love a good holiday cocktail party? I thought so. We've thrown our fair share of parties over the years, some great, some not so great. We've learned that you don't need to spend a ton of money to have a great party. If you're planning a holiday party this year and want to stay within your budget we've got some great suggestions for you. In fact we've got 7 tips that will help you keep your budget under $100. We've also included a grocery list and menu, along with a couple of signature cocktail recipes. Get them here: www.debtfreeguys.com/128

This week on Queer Money, we focus on explaining the questions you've asked us about credit scores. When asked, you, our listeners and readers, told us that improving your credit score was your #3 financial goal, behind eliminating credit card debt and saving for retirement. We dive into questions like: 1. What’s the easiest way to find my credit score? 2. Why is my credit score different depending on where and when I get it? 3. How many points do hard inquiries take off my credit score? 4. Couldn’t I apply for more credit, thereby increasing my available credit, to lower my credit utilization? 5. What’s the best, most efficient way to improve my credit score? Queer Money is made possible by the support of MassMutual. Thank you for supporting this podcast. To learn more about MassMutual's work in the LGBTQ community, click here: www.debtfreeguys.com/go/massmutual

If you are a small business owner, the value of your business is something that can make or break your ability to stay in business, especially when it comes to getting loans. Your business valuation number will help with legacy planning and even how and who should manage your business when you're ready to take a back seat. On this episode of Queer Money we invite Tracy Shaw, AVP of Business and Market Development at MassMutual Financial Group, to talk with us about how MassMutual is helping small business owners determine their business valuation, the tools they use and offer as well as how their advisors include this important number in overall financial planning for their clients. Queer Money is made possible by the support of MassMutual. Check out how MassMutual supports the LGBTQ community at www.debtfreeguys.com/go/MassMutual

June 26, 2015, brought gay marriage to the land. June 27, 2015, brought gay divorce. Sadly LGBTQ unions are not impervious to irreconcilable differences. So what is a queer person to do to protect their finances if divorce seems to be looming on the horizon? How can we prevent it from being a colossal financial nightmare? We're joined by Kayla Sloan and Shanah Bell of CashWiseExwives.com to share their respective stories of divorce and how they are now equipping both women and men to be financially prepared for the undo of the "I do." Queer Money is made possible by the support of MassMutual. If you enjoy this podcast please thank MassMutual.

One of the biggest financial concerns of the LGBTQ community is healthcare. Many queer people worry about changes to the Affordable Care Act under the current administration. There is a lot of noise surrounding the Affordable Care Act, and that makes it difficult to distinguish what is true from partisan rhetoric. A recent Policygenius survey regarding the ACA reveals that literacy around the law—and health insurance in general—is distressingly low. So, where can we go for accurate information as open enrollment approaches? Join us, along with Myles Ma from Policygenius as we discuss changes and what you can do to be better prepared. Queer Money™ is made possible by the support of MassMutual. Please join us in thanking them for their continued support of the LGBTQ community. To learn more about MassMutual visit https://debtfreeguys.com/go/massmutual/

Queer Money™ this week is all about your questions. We've taken 3 questions from the Queer Money™ Facebook group and are sharing our thoughts with you on these 3 topics. They includ: How to choose a charity to give money to when I am finally done paying off my debt? How much do members of the group spend on dining out each week? How much should I be tipping when I am dining out or at a coffee shop? Queer Money™ is made possible by the support of MassMutual. Please join us in thanking them for their continued support of the LGBTQ community.

Many in the queer community, whether they be a transgender woman of color, a lesbian Latina, a bisexual Asian woman or a cis gay man, struggle with feelings of self-worth. All to often these feels of lack creep up in our lives and manifest themselves at the most in opportune time. Especially when we are writing our own annual reviews for work. If you want to write your best annual review ever, then check out this episode of Queer Money™, where we give 6 great tips as well as swipe copy that will allow you to write an amazing review and get a better bonus or merit increase, thus improving your chances at earning more. Queer Money™ is made possible by the support of MassMutual. Please join us in thanking them for their continued support of the LGBTQ community.

Matt Baume, a self-defined geek that is taking the queer community on a fun ride with his podcasts, videos, books and writing on publications both queer and accepting. Ready to get your queer gaming on? Love drag queens and D&D? He's got a fun mix. We also talk about his Sewers of Paris podcast and how he lassoed all of the things "he" loves and built them into a business that helps him live the life he wants. Which of course is the Debt Free Guys definition of a fabulous life. Join us in this fun romp with Matt Baume on Queer Money™ sponsored by MassMutual

The Pink Dollar is estimated to be $971 billion dollars in buying power. The power of LGBTQ businesses is even more. There are an estimated 1.4 million LGBT owned businesses in the United States alone. The place where many of them come together to learn best practices and connect with Fortune 500 companies that have a mission to include them in their supply chain is at the NGLCC International Business and Leadership conference. This year's conference was a first for the Debt Free Guys and Queer Money. Listen to this week's episode to learn more from attendees, both small business and supportive companies why this conference makes a difference and why we need these types of connections in the LGBT community. This podcast episode is sponsored by MassMutual

Two queer women working in the non-profit sector dreaming of traveling the world. Could it happen? What about the money? How would they travel? What would the do for income? How long could it last? Heck yeah! They've been at it since February 2018, with no end in sight at the moment. Find out how Liz and Rachel, a lesbian couple who dreamed of traveling the U.S. as adventure travelers are doing it and their tips on how you can do it too! This podcast episode is sponsored by MassMutual

Like many other gay men, Kerrie felt the need to live up to the expectations of his LGBTQ community. He also felt the need to match the lifestyle of the jobs he had. All of this, like your hosts, landed him in tens of thousands of debt. Fortunately for Kerrie, his story is one of success, although not before he had to go on national television and chat with Suze Orman. Which meant he couldn't hide his secret any more and was accountalbe to friends and family to pay it all off. Find out some of the keys to his success. What his life looks like now and why he is much happier today than he was with all the stuff needed to impress his gay friends.

Want to retire early? Chad Carson joins us on Queer Money to talk about he was able to retire early and support his family with real estate investments. He also shares with us the 5 keys to making it happen. For full show notes, check it out here: https://debtfreeguys.com/early-retirement-real-estate/

Does the queer community need it's on LGBT networking platform? That's the question that Dennis Velco of Outburo.com asked when he started the LGBT Professionals group on LinkedIn. After a massive 45K+ LinkedIn users joined his group and began networking he launched the site OutBuro.com and changed the name of the group to OutBuro on LinkedIn. OutBuro's mission is to help LGBT professionals network and provide them with a place to not only connect but rate the companies they work for the business policies and the enforcement of those policies that are most important to the queer community. This podcast is sponsored by MassMutual.

What is it like for a gay man in college sports? Can LGBT players at both the college and pro level successfully be themselves or does the stigma of being queer still weigh heavily on players. Landon Foster, the former punter for the University of Kentucky, is on Queer Money to share his story, why he didn't come out when he was in college and what he hopes for other young players. This episode of Queer Money is being brought to you by MassMutual.

There's no doubt about it. The LGBTQ community spends a fair chunk on dining out. Yours truly are no exception. We used to spend $400/wk dining out and still spend hundreds per week on gourmet groceries. It was part of our path to $51k in credit card debt. If you're trying to pay off debt, save money for something special or load up your retirement accounts, then you'll love the 5 unique ways we've come up with to cut your dining out spend. Give them a try and let us know which work for you.

On this Queer Money™ we uncover a topic that could impact hundreds of thousands of LGBT teachers and government workers across the U.S. Kimberly Shockley & David Freitag of MassMutual join us to discuss the two rarely discussed sections of the tax code that could literally ruin your retirement if you don't plan ahead. For complete detail head over to the show notes page: https://debtfreeguys.com/social-security-offsets

Gay taxes don't have to be difficult If you are a same-sex married spouse, the IRS may owe you money! A recent Credit Karma LGBTQ tax study found that 35% of same-sex married couples are unsure about their filing status. If you are among the 35% and you filed as single, head of household or married filing separately, you may not have received all the tax breaks and benefits you deserve. But the good news is, can file and amended return and get that cash back! Christina Taylor is the Senior Manager of Tax Operations for Credit Karma, the online platform working to make financial growth possible for everyone. Credit Karma is on a mission to give its 75M members free access to the tools, education and opportunities necessary for making real, meaningful progress in their financial lives. Christina joins us to share the findings of the Credit Karma LGBTQ tax study. She explains why tax law is so confusing for same-sex married couples and walks us through the five potential filing statuses.

Queer Money hosts Lillian Karabaic and finds out how she uses Ziggy Stardust as her personal finance muse. A little glitter makes everything better—and that includes personal finance! Ziggy Stardust and kitten videos may not be the first things that come to mind when you think about getting educated on money matters, but that’s because you haven’t met Lillian Karabaic. Lillian is a personal finance coach for millennials, teaching workshops and hosting the weekly podcast, Oh My Dollar! Despite working in the nonprofit realm and earning a modest income, she has traveled to 31 countries and remains debt-free. Lillian is passionate about helping artists and freelancers feel comfortable making money decisions, and she is the author of Get Your Money Together, a purr-sonal finance workbook to help you budget your money and save for retirement. Lillian joins us to explain how she stumbled into personal finance and why David Bowie is a part of her approach. She shares her personal secrets to a

Queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans, we've all got concerns about money, especially as teens growing up in non-supporting families or communities. We were both the same way. This week we provide some advice to queer teens from a highsight is 20/20 perspective. Advice we would have given our younger selves when we were struggling with coming out. If you are a queer teen or know someone who is then please share this episode with them and help them prepare for a better life, both financially and more.

Resources: https://debtfreeguys.com/workplace-equality-index/ When you think of an activist, what comes to mind? Marching in the streets? Are there other ways to promote LGBT rights, advocating for workplace equality and social change? John Roberts is the creator of the Workplace Equality Index, an equal-weighted index of companies that support LGBT equality in the workplace. He also serves as partner and portfolio manager with Denver Investments, where he has managed portfolios screened for LGBT-inclusive policies since 1998. John writes and speaks extensively on the benefits of workplace equality and activist investing, and he was named Entrepreneurial Man of the Year by the Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. John joins us to explain how managing funds for the Kevin Mossier Foundation led to the creation of the Workplace Equality Index. He describes the process of identifying companies that support LGBT-inclusive policies as well as the progress we’ve made toward workplace equality.

Show notes: https://debtfreeguys.com/return-on-equality/ Todd Sears’ Return on Equality Out Leadership is on a mission to engage the world’s top corporations in implementing inclusive policies and advocating for LGBTQ leadership and equality. So, how can the LGBT community and our allies support those businesses that use their power for good, adopting diversity as a core business value? Todd Sears is a recovering investment banker turned LGBTQ equality entrepreneur. He established Out Leadership in 2011 with the intention of mobilizing LGBTQ leadership as a business voice and supporting organizations in tapping into the dividends of inclusion or Return on Equality. Todd created the first team of financial advisors on Wall Street to focus on the gay community and led pioneering equality initiatives for Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse. He serves on the nonprofit boards of the Williams Institute, The Palette Fund, the Global Equality Fund and Lambda Legal. Today, Todd offers insight aroun

Full show notes: https://debtfreeguys.com/mental-health-and-money/ Is there a connection between mental health and money? Do you worry about money? A recent survey of our community revealed that 82% of LGBTQ couples worry about money at least once a month, with 58% of respondents admitting to feeling anxious at least once a week! So, what exactly is getting us down? How is the stress impacting our mental health? And what can we do to improve the situation? Is there a solution to better mental health and money? Sam Schultz is the co-founder of Honeyfi, a budget app that helps couples manage their money together. The company recently completed a ‘Love and Money Survey’ with 300 couples in the LGBTQ community to identify their unique challenges and top goals. Sam returns to Queer Money to cover the struggles LGBTQ couples face when it comes to money, beginning with a lack of emergency savings and ongoing worry about money—despite earning more than the median household income. He offers in

Show Notes Here: https://debtfreeguys.com/nglcc/ We Are #LGBTBIZ Family with Jonathan Lovitz Being an entrepreneur is hard enough. You need a solid business plan as well as access to capital and connections with potential partners. A lot of things need to go right to make a new venture successful. Unfortunately, the LGBT-owned businesses who need the collective strength of the community most tend to live in places where there is little access to services. That’s where the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) comes in, providing a network of support through the #LGBTBIZ family. Jonathan Lovitz serves as Senior Vice President of the NGLCC, an advocacy group aimed at expanding economic opportunities and advancing the LGBT business community. He is responsible for coordinating media and communications, strategic partnerships, and government policy work for the organization. Jonathan appears regularly on MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, The Advocate and Out Magazine, among others, and he was recently

Full Show Notes Here: https://debtfreeguys.com/live-debt-free/ Live Debt Free was the Obvious Choice Why did we choose to live debt free over making more money? For some, this seems like the stupid mistake but listen to the podcast this week and find out why. Our First Choice More, more, more. Buy, buy, buy! It’s the American dream, right? It’s in all the pictures we see on Instagram, Facebook and Tumbler. Everyone wants that social medial picture-perfect life. The one that seems to breed envy. The one that makes the rest of us TGIF once a week for 50 weeks a year, while saying, “Ugh! I can’t take another Monday” 50 weeks more. To be honest, it was partly seeing and hearing our FB friends complain about the jobs they hate but felt chained to, each Monday morning that kept us motivated to follow through. You see we were both headed up the pay scale and up the corporate ranks when we had our fateful visit to Winter Park, Colorado. The one that locked us in the car for 90 minutes and forc

🏳️‍🌈 Show notes: https://debtfreeguys.com/money-confidence/ 🏳️‍🌈 Does the LGBTQ community lack money confidence? Are you following all the traditional advice on money, but you still feel stuck? The missing piece may be money confidence, a mindset critical to financial success. So, how do you develop money confidence? What is the connection between financial confidence and your ability to earn? And how might a money confidence coach serve us in the LGBTQ community? Jen Hemphill is an Accredited Financial Counselor and host of the Her Money Matters podcast, a show dedicated to practical money insights. Jenn works with clients as a money confidence coach, helping them do the inner work necessary to spend more consciously and reclaim ownership of their financial lives. She is also the author of Her Money Matters: The Missing Truths from Traditional Money Advice. Today, Jen explains what sets her apart as a money confidence coach, sharing her holistic approach to supporting clients in t

Complete show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/lgbtq-teen-entrepreneurs/ A place for LGBTQ teen entrepreneurs Forty-two percent of students, including LGBTQ student, in grades 5-12 plan to start their own businesses one day and 3% are entrepreneurs already. Is there a place for these LGBTQ teen entrepreneurs to connect and build community with other teenpreneurs? Where can aspiring LGBTQ teen entrepreneurs (and their parents) go for guidance? Meet Eva Baker, the Teenpreneur Conference founder Eva Baker is the founder and CEO of TeensGotCents, a personal finance website devoted to teenagers. The platform is designed to help teens and college students learn to budget their money, stay debt free, shop smart and find a great part-time job. The site has been recognized by The Plutus Awards as the Best Blog for Teens, College Students and Young Adults in 2014 and the Best Generational Finance Blog in 2016. Eva is also the host of the Teenpreneur Conference, a place where business-owning

🤑 Get full show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/debt-freedom-challenge/

📱 Get full show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/gay-facebook-ads/ Helping LGBTQ Entrepreneurs Flourish with Facebook Ads Facebook has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately. But even with the #DeleteFacebook movement, the platform still has more than two billion active users worldwide. And the same data that was used for evil in the Cambridge Analytica scandal can be used for good to help entrepreneurs find their ideal customers. In fact, for LGBTQ solopreneurs and small business owners, there is no more affordable way to drive targeted traffic to your website—or physical store. Monica Louie is an online business strategist and Facebook ads consultant who works with ambitious online entrepreneurs to help them grow site traffic, build an email list and increase profits! After she and her husband paid off $120K in debt in two years on a single middle-class income, Monica began blogging about their journey. To monetize the blog, she created a webinar and set out to market the

Get the Fabulous Social Life Planner Here: https://debtfreeguys.com/100 Make your great gay life greater Living fabulously for gay men means having a great gay social life, but a fabulously gay life can mean a fantastically small bank account! Have a great gay life and a thick bank account with the Fabulous Social Life Planner.

🏳️‍🌈 Full Show Notes Here: https://debtfreeguys.com/lgbtq-advocacy/ LGBTQ advocacy with Tim Gill As a member of the queer community, should you focus on business or LGBTQ advocacy? Should you first ‘make it’ in your career to have the means to give back later? Or, is it best to put your efforts into LGBTQ activism today? Tim Gill on career and LGBTQ advocacy Tim Gill is a software entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Denver. He created the Gill Foundation in 1994 to advance equality and support nonprofits that serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Since its inception, the foundation has invested more than $335M in programs across the country. Tim is also the founder and former chair of Quark, Inc., a company that revolutionized desktop publishing with innovative page-layout software. Today, he works in the artificial intelligence space, co-founding the smart home technology startup JStar in 2015. Tim shares the story of Quark, discussing the challenges he fa

🏳️‍🌈 Get the full show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/better-gay-sex/ Want better gay sex? ‘Talk dirty to me’ may take on a new meaning when you learn that discussing money with your partner leads to a stronger relationship, a better gay sex life (and lesbian, and transgender and straight sex) and greater happiness. How to have better gay sex? We partnered with Honeyfi for a recent survey that revealed that queer couples who track and discuss a shared budget were 81% more likely to report being extremely happy and 54% more likely to report having a great sex life! Want better sex? Talk about your money. How Honeyfi can help you have better gay sex Sam Schultz is the co-founder of Honeyfi, a budget app that helps couples manage their money together. Today, Sam shares the fundamentals of the Honeyfi app, explaining how it facilitates collaboration between partners. We discuss the key takeaways from our comprehensive LGBT and money study. Sam shares his take on the correlation bet

🦄 Get your FREE journal here: www.debtfreeguys.com/97 🦄 Living fabulously every day Are you tired of getting the same results day in and day out, year in and year out? Today, on Queer Money™, we’re sharing the five mental and spiritual exercises that we practice for living fabulously every single day. For help, click here to get your free Living Fabulously Daily Journal. 5 daily habits for living fabulously every day Meditate on living fabulously Every successful person Tim Ferriss knows meditates and journals John’s boss said, “Find out what successful people do, and do that.” Warm lemon water with ginger, cayenne and turmeric Meditate for eight to 20 minutes Meditating will change your life for two reasons It gives you space for calm, reducing stress and lowering cortisol Meditating challenges limiting beliefs Recite affirmations about living fabulously Recite aloud, emphatically and in first-person daily affirmations Affirmations create an audible imprint on our brains Recite pers

LGBTQ student loan debt There’s a student loan debt crisis in our country. In fact, the $1.4 TRILLION in outstanding student loans has officials worried about significant economic consequences. Sadly, the LGBTQ student loan debt crisis is more severe. Miranda Marquit and her colleagues at Student Loan Hero were curious about the LGBTQ student loan debt crisis, so they conducted an exhaustive study and shared it with us on Queer Money™. Miranda Marquit, Student Loan Hero and the LGBTQ student loan debt crisis Miranda is a long-time freelance journalist in the financial space and senior writer for Student Loan Hero. Her work can be found on several finance websites, including US News, Yahoo!Finance and Huffington Post. Miranda blogs at Planting Money Seeds, and is the author of Confessions of a Professional Blogger. Today, Miranda shares several must-know points from the Student Loan Hero LGBTQ study about the LGBTQ student loan debt crisis, including why the queer community has more stu

🏳️‍🌈 ✈️ We’ve known that gay travel is in in the gay man’s DNA, but you might be surprised by Grindr’s recent study that revealed 40% of its LGBTQ users travel four times a year and 24% plan a vacation every month. 🏳️‍🌈 ✈️ A whole lotta gay travel pixx While those stats may be great for Instagram pictures, how does our spending ($100 billion dollars in total) affect our financial security? And how can we use our tourism dollars to promote inclusiveness around the globe? Meet Zach Stafford of Grindr Zach Stafford is the editor-in-chief of Grindr’s online magazine, INTO. He leads a newsroom of more than 200 contributing writers with the intention of talking about the world ‘through a queer lens.’ Prior to joining Grindr, Zach served as a reporter and columnist for The Guardian and Out Magazine. Zach shares the WHY behind the Grindr travel study and several key takeaways. He offers his take on why the LGBTQ community is drawn to travel and how queer tourism can help drive inclusivenes

🦄 Show Notes Page: https://debtfreeguys.com/business-insurance/ 🦄 Business insurance for small business owners Even a blogger in their PJs has risk – it’s less risk than a landscaper, but an unhappy client or threat of copyright infringement are risks nonetheless. That’s why every entrepreneur needs business insurance. The new good news about business insurance Pogo Insurance is making it easy to secure business insurance coverage—and it’s a lot less messy than you think. Hannah and Jade Sullivan are the co-founders of Pogo, a commercial business insurance platform for small businesses that compares quotes from top business insurance companies to find customers the best price for the most appropriate coverage. With its simple online form, most entrepreneurs and freelancers can get insured in about an hour. Hannah and Jade met in the business program at the prestigious VCU Brandcenter Master’s program, and they’re driven to simplify the insurance process for the growing demographic of

Show notes page: https://debtfreeguys.com/earn-extra-money/ Conventional wisdom says that a steady paycheck is the safest to financial security. But, what if you have a low-paying W2 or you lose your W2? How can you earn extra money? Why LGBTQ people need to earn extra money It’s especially important for LGBTQ people to have a side hustle, a way to earn extra money as a safety net should something happen with your regular job, or denied housing or services because you're LGBTQ. Or, better yet, for the financial freedom to be able to walk away from that regular job should you choose. Nick Loper is the Chief Side Hustler at Side Hustle Nation, a growing community of entrepreneurs united by the common goal of financial freedom. Nick started his first side hustle to earn extra money in 2004, running an affiliate website that offered comparison shopping for shoes. He quit his corporate job with Ford Motor Company in 2008, and he has been exploring non-job income opportunities as a serial en

🏳️‍🌈 Show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/pink-dollar/ 🏳️‍🌈 Be empowered with your pink dollars ‘It’s the Super Bowl every day in the digital landscape world, and the brands that aren’t focused on creating an inspiring message to the LGBTQ audience—they’re missing a chance to shine.’ New research shows that your pink dollars are more powerful than ever. Sean Howell talks pink dollars and LGBTQ marketing Sean Howell is the Co-founder and President of Hornet, the world’s premiere gay social network. The platform recently released a research study in conjunction with Nielsen that explored the efficacy of LGBTQ-themed advertising on the queer consumer. The survey compared the effectiveness of inclusive marketing strategies with generic ads from the same brands, measuring engagement in terms of brand recall, familiarity, and affinity, as well as purchase and recommendation intent – the power source of your pink dollars. Sean shares the story of The Hornet, explaining how the networ

Show Notes Here: https://debtfreeguys.com/file-bankruptcy-on-student-loans/ Should you file bankruptcy on student loans? “I’m the only bankruptcy lawyer I know of who actively tells people not to file bankruptcy on student loans. I think that bankruptcy is a really good tool in the right situation, but it’s not the only tool out there,” says bankruptcy attorney, Jay Fleischman. File bankruptcy on student loans or something else? Why you might not want to file bankruptcy on student loans. If you’re one of the many collapsing under the crushing student loan debt, a little guidance is in order—and to file bankruptcy on student loan debt may not be the right option. Jay Fleischman is a bankruptcy attorney with 22 years of experience helping people get into a better financial space. Jay’s practice focuses on student loan resolution, and he serves clients through Consumer Help Central and the Student Loan Show podcast. Jay shares his take on the gravity of the student loan crisis and whether

Show notes and FREEBIES here: https://debtfreeguys.com/chaos-to-controlled-spending/ We buy hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries with good intentions of cooking at home, and then we get busy and spend as much eating out. It is possible, though, to go from this chaos to controlled spending. The school of Groner will take you from your chaos to controlled spending We know what we could do to save money, but the overwhelm of life gets in the way. This disorganization and chaos lead to more and more spending—and it’s like we can never get ahead. Rosemarie Groner of the BusyBudgeter.com has been there. She and her husband both worked as state troopers, and their demanding schedules coupled with chronic disorganization led to overspending. They needed a life overhaul. Using a methodical approach, the pair addressed one thing at a time and eventually reduced their spending by $23,000 a year. Now Rosemarie shares her expertise on her blog, helping others design their own fabulous lives, spe

Full show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/heterosexual-privilege/ Heterosexual Privilege & Money Does heterosexual privilege exist and does it impact your money? Our Queer Money guest this week thinks so and explains how she benefited, and ultimately how she and her husband embraced frugality and learned to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of less.  This is easier said than done is our culture of consumerism, where we are constantly bombarded by the idea that having MORE will provide the fulfillment we crave. Liz and Nate Thames spent nearly ten years working good corporate jobs, making a lot of money—and spending it on fabulous clothes, fabulous evenings out, fabulous cars… Despite having the means to pursue this Rumspringa of spending, the Thames were still waiting for happiness to kick in. Four years ago, Liz and Nate decided to step out of the consumer loop and reimagine their lives. They adopted frugality and shifted their focus to spending only on the things that they va

❤️Get full show notes: https://debtfreeguys.com/help-us-adopt/ ❤️ Meet Becky Fawcett, founder of Help Us Adopt Becky Fawcett’s 12-year-old son jokes by asking, “How many babies did you have this year?” Becky answers, “I had a lot of babies this year,” to which he replies, “You look good.” Such is the life of the founder of Help Us Adopt. The Start of Help Us Adopt In 2017 alone, Becky and her organization, Help Us Adopt, gave grants that helped 38 families adopt 41 children. Founded in 2007, Help Us Adopt is the nation’s only non-discriminatory adoption grant program. The nonprofit helps individuals and couples—regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, marital status or sexual orientation—with the adoption cost by awarding grants up to $15,000. Help Us Adopt supports domestic, international and foster care adoptions, and the organization doesn’t charge an application fee. In ten years, Help Us Adopt has awarded 230 grants totaling more than $2,000,000. Hear Becky explain the process of ap

Download our Credit Card Comparison Calculator here to see how the Debt Lasso will help you: https://debtfreeguys.lpages.co/credit-card-pay-off-calculator Wrangle your debt with the Debt Lasso You’ve heard of the Avalanche and the Snowball methods for paying off debt. But, you haven’t heard of the Debt Lasso to pay off credit card debt fast. Why we made the Debt Lasso When we were paying off our credit card debt, we saw that we could pay off our debt faster with our own strategy, now the Debt Lasso, then either the Avalanche or Snowball methods. Full show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/debt-lasso/

Get Full Show Notes Here: https://debtfreeguys.com/gordon-church/ On November 22, 1988, Gordon Church stopped at a gas station in Cedar City, Utah, where he met Mike Archuleta and Lance Wood. A few hours later, Church was dead because he was gay, his body dumped more than an hour north in Dog Valley. Why the Gordon Church murder you never heard of matters Targeted for being gay, Church had been raped, tortured, and bound with tire chains in the trunk of his own car before Archuleta and Wood drove him to a remote area of Millard County and brutally beat him to death with a tire iron. Writer and social worker Chad Anderson came across Church's story in his research of LGBT history in Utah. Having grown up gay and Mormon himself, Anderson felt a personal connection to Church and his story, and he resolved to make a documentary about the case. Today Anderson shares an overview of the Gordon Church story, explaining what is known about that night in 1988 and Archuleta and Wood's bizarre beh

Download the email copy to help end discrimination in Ohio here:https://debtfreeguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Ohio-Business-Competes-Swipe-Copy.doc LGBTQ Discrimination Didn't End June 26th, 2015 If you live in a place that affords legal protections to our community, you may not realize the extent of the LGBTQ discrimination that goes on in other areas of the country. There are 29 states that do not consider sexual orientation as a protected class, and three states go so far as to prohibit municipalities from passing non-discrimination protections. Not only do the LGBTQ members of these communities feel they cannot be themselves, they fear for their safety. Ending LGBTQ discrimination How do you convince a conservative legislature to introduce laws that would protect our community? The most effective strategy seems to be the economic argument—making the case that talent, opportunities, and billions of dollars are lost because of discriminatory state policies. And the best way to

Get complete show notes here: https://debtfreeguys.com/finding-elton-john-melissa-coach/ Finding Your Elton John If getting your money in order is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, having a reason – finding your Elton John – to be debt free makes all the difference. Finding Your Elton John and Finding Financial Freedom For Melissa Thomas, having the money to go to as many Elton John concerts as possible—and get front-row seats! — gave her the motivation to pay off the $43,000 in debt. Melissa and her husband were stuck in the ‘we can afford a payment’ mentality, buying new cars and a home on credit to keep up with Mr. & Mr. Jones. She became a stay-at-home mom by default after her sons were born, giving up her retail job because daycare cost more than she earned. Problem was, the family didn’t change their lifestyle despite the shift from two incomes to one. In December 2009, Melissa was shopping online for Christmas presents with the help of her friends Visa, Mastercard and Disc

Prelude to a Queer Money Kiss from a Rose Prelude to a Queer Money Kiss from a Rose makes absolutely no sense as a Queer Money™ episode title, but it’s the last day of 2017, I’m tired, I’ve had four margs and I’m headed to a NYE party in short order. But, Queer Money™ will be amazing in 2018. Hear why. Prelude to a Queer Money Kiss from a rose in 2018 First, happy new year, and happy 2018! 2018 is a big deal for the Debt Free Guys personally. By January 03, we’ll have sold our condo and moved into an apartment in downtown Denver. On 01/07, we go on the first of many business and personal trips, this one to Los Angeles and Palm Springs. We have several brand partnerships to announce this year. We’ll be in Puerto Vallarta in April, get married in June and travel to Ireland and Spain for five weeks around September 12.

Our favorite LGBT podcast episodes on Queer Money™ Year after year, we learn more and more about queer money in the LGBT community. These are our favorite LGBT podcast episodes in 2017 on Queer Money™ about queer money. Inspiring LGBT podcast episodes about queer money 2017 was a great year for Queer Money™. We had some amazing guests and learned so much about money and queer money. Here’s a highlight of some of the best of the best LGBT podcast episodes of Queer Money™ about queer money.

Get your Late-Stage Retirement Calculator & Checklist: https://debtfreeguys.lpages.co/magic-money-late-retirement-checklist-thank-you Late-stage retirement planning If you’re in your 40’s, 50’s, or 60’s and have yet to put money away for retirement, you’re probably feeling anxious and have a thousand questions. Get answers to all your late-stage retirement planning questions on this Queer Money™, and get the Late-Stage Retirement Calculator & Checklist. Will you need to work past 80? Are there alternate investment strategies you should try? What is the best way to start saving—today? Let Teresa help you with late-stage retirement planning. Late-stage retirement planning with Teresa Mears Teresa spent 30 years as a newspaper journalist before shifting to online publishing. She runs Living on the Cheap, a website for personal finance and lifestyle advice. Living on the Cheap is a city-specific network of sites to help residents have a good time without going broke.  Today, Teresa explore

Get the Early Retirement Checklist here: https://debtfreeguys.lpages.co/early-retirement-checklist/ Financial independence & retire early Imagine a life in which you work because you want to, not because you have to. A life that affords you the freedom to escape ‘cube life’ in pursuit of your passion. That’s FIRE—Financial Independence & Retire Early and what Queer Money™ is all about today. Get the Early Retirement Questionnaire & Checklist and follow along. Reach financial independence & retire early with Gwen & J Gwen and J are the hosts of FIRE Drill, a podcast on which they discuss a wide range of topics in the Financial Independence|Early Retirement (FIRE) space, from real estate to online entrepreneurship to writing romance novels to Airbnb. Both Gwen and J have lucrative careers in tech, and they have been making use of automated savings systems for several years now. J’s FIRE journey helped her and her husband get out from under $100,000 worth of debt and amass $100K in saving

Get your Super-Simple Investing Guide here: https://debtfreeguys.lpages.co/super-simple-investing-guide/ DIY.FUND and Newbie Ivestors Talking Wall Street feels intimidating, but Wendy and Eric Nissan of DIY.FUND, who have both worked on Wall Street, help us help you get started with investing. Who is DIY.FUND? We befriended Wendy and Eric Nissan at FinCon in San Diego in 2016. Both Wendy and Eric had careers on Wall Street where they learned the ins and outs of that world. The Nissans came on Queer Money to break investing down into simple terms to help you start investing. Someday you may be a DIY.FUND client. For now, download our Super-Simple Investing Guide here and listen to this Queer Money to learn everything you need to start investing today. Who are Wendy & Eric Nissan? After moving to Florida from New York, Wendy started asking questions about the management of their own portfolio, and Eric started writing programs to answer her questions. Eventually, they thought, ‘Everyone

Get the resources for this podcast here: https://debtfreeguys.com/postnuptial-agreements/ Postnuptial agreements for those without prenups Before ‘I do,’ have an honest conversation with your partner about money, children and prenuptial agreements should your relationship end. If ‘I do’ is already ‘I did,’ here’s what you should know about postnuptial agreements. Pre and postnuptial agreements & divorce with Jennie Wray Jennie Wray is a partner with Denver’s Harris Law. One of the firm’s most accomplished attorneys, Jennie has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for five years running. She was also nominated for Denver Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2016 and 2017. A graduate of Vermont Law School, Jennie gained valuable insight into family law and court proceedings externing for New Jersey’s Presiding Judge in the Civil Division and the Hudson County Superior Court, Family Division. She has been with The Harris Law Firm since October of 2008, providing legal representation to

Get the FREE Credit Score Checklist here: https://debtfreeguys.lpages.co/credit-score/ If you have yet to find a Sugar Daddy willing to pay off your debt, you may be forced to figure out your finances on your own—and knowing how to get the best credit score is the very first step. The best credit score and thick credit report Collin Brennan is a Senior Editor at Credit Karma. Today Collin covers the basics of credit scores and credit reports, explaining how scores are determined and why it’s important to check your scores regularly and how to improve them. He offers actionable advice on building a credit history if you have a ‘thin file’ and how to deal with potential data breaches. Listen and learn what qualifies as a ‘good’ score, the difference between a hard and soft inquiry, and the free tools available through Credit Karma. Get tips here to easily remember to pay your bills on time with our free checklist. Credit Karma is a free online service that affords you the tools, the educ

Setting goals, the Q.U.E.E.R. way Setting goals isn’t enough. Setting goals the Q.U.E.E.R. way is. On this week’s Queer Money™, we talk about setting goals the Q.U.E.E.R. way to help you reach your biggest goals. Setting goals for a successful queer life In Write the Best Annual Performance Review Ever, we shared our free swipe copy to literally copy and paste specific language to easily write the best annual performance review ever. This free tool will help you and get your next raise or promotion to help you live bigger. QUEER goals, as you’ll hear, will help you set next year’s professional and personal goals to help you go harder and achieve bigger. Hear all about setting goals the Q.U.E.E.R. way on Queer Money™: All about setting goals the Q.U.E.E.R. way We’re heading into a new year when our employers like us to write annual performance reviews for the past year and set new business goals for the upcoming year. Likewise, you often want a new year to mean a new you (and a new me,

Prudential’s LGBT Financial Experience Survey If you’ve ever wondered who makes up the Rock Star Research Team behind Prudential’s LGBT Financial Experience Survey or how they use their findings, today’s your lucky day! We’re diving deep into this LGBT information-dense study with two of its authors, Josh Stoffregen and Supriya Sanyal. The minds behind Prudential’s LGBT Financial Experience Survey If you’re a regular Queer Money™ listener, you know that Prudential’s LGBT Financial Experience Survey is an often-cited source of information. Who came up with this study, and what’s their take on the findings? Josh is the VP of Global Communications—Retirement at Prudential Financial. He has been with the firm since 2009, and he was the project lead for the 2012 inaugural study of Prudential’s LGBT Financial Experience Survey. Supriya joined Prudential Financial in February of 2014 and serves as Director of Audience Insights—Global Strategic Research. As a market research professional, her

Leading IM Creative Successfully IM Creative was named one of the fastest-growing privately-held companies by Inc. magazine in both 2015 and 2016. Today Scott Ihrig and Shannon Morrison talk about working together as a gay couple, the risk/reward proposition of owning a business and their take on digital versus analog life. Who is IM Creative? ‘Being together matters.’ This is the philosophy upon which IM Creative was founded. It also applies to the strong relationship between CEO and founder Scott and Chief Creative Officer Shannon, whose complementary skill makes them fabulous partners in both life and business. Scott and Shannon explain how having a successful company allows them to support the causes they believe in and the importance of retirement planning in the LGBTQ community. Listen and learn how IM Creative’s company values inform their business decisions and the daily habits that help Scott and Shannon improve personally and professionally. Scott spent two years as a lawyer

Meet Miss Dominique Jackson Transgender model, Dominique Jackson shares her story has taken her from the island of Tobago to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City to the reality show Strut to serving her LGBTQ community at Destination Tomorrow. Her story will inspire you. Model & Reality Show Star Dominique Jackson “It all began with a high five.” In an incredibly competitive industry, it’s easy to begrudge the success of another model or actor, to view a colleague’s achievement as if they’ve taken something away from you. But successful transgender model Dominique Jackson rejects such a scarcity mindset, celebrating the success of her colleagues. In fact, the simple gesture of a high five sent waves through the community—and led to the opportunity to do reality series Strut. Dominique grew up in privilege in Trinidad and Tobago but was ultimately rejected by her family over her gender identity. She moved to the US in 1990 and started school while she was transitioning. Dominique

in the wrong state can cause our community just as much trouble. Credit unions are financial cooperatives that serve the needs of a particular community, and Phillip is leveraging his 20-plus years in community development and organizational management to establish Equality Credit Union for the queer community. Currently, as president and founder of Equality Washington, Phillip has enlisted the help of industry leader Cisco Smith, president and CEO of Florist Federal Credit Union, to design and build Equality Credit Union help the LGBTQ community help itself. Together, Phillip and Cisco are raising the necessary resources to get Equality Credit Union on its feet. Today Phillip shares his inspiration for initiating the project, the products and services and LGBTQ credit union would provide, and how an institution like Equality Credit Union will reinvest in the community. Cisco shares why an aggressive fundraising campaign is necessary to start Equality Credit Union. Listen to understand

The need for long-term care insurance for LGBT people An alarming 36% of LGBT people say they’d rather spend for today than prepare for tomorrow. But what happens at the end of your life and you need medical or nursing-assistance, either in-home or in a nursing facility? The answer may be long-term care insurance for LGBT people. Ryan Taylor educates us on long-term care insurance for LGBT people According to AARP, the lifetime probability of becoming disabled and needing long-term care is a whopping 68% of people over the age of 65. The average cost of long-term care is currently about $6,000 per month. That’s a lot! Long-term care insurance for LGBT people provides the peace of mind that you’ll get the care you need to go out with the dignity you want. Ryan Taylor is the founder of LGBT Financial, the premier resource for LGBT financial services. After earning degrees in International Business, Finance, and Economics from Utah State University, Ryan lived and worked abroad for severa

Retraining your brain “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them,” said Albert Einstein. If you’re unhappy with your current condition, retraining your brain is the first step to change. Unlocking your full potential by retraining your brain That little voice in your head — the one saying you can’t, you shouldn’t, they wouldn’t — isn’t doing you any favors. In fact, the limiting beliefs fostered by that annoying little voice are holding you back from unlocking your full potential and getting the life you want. How, then, will retraining your brain change your mindset and your current condition? JR Badian works for NeuroGym, using emerging technologies to help people with creating opportunities for themselves in the areas of finance, health, wealth and personal development. NeuroGym applies scientifically-proven techniques for retraining your brain by expanding your mental and emotional powers to maximize your performance and potential. What JR kn

You can have a healthy relationship with money Your relationship with money will affect your relationship with your partner. We talk with one of our favorite guests about how to strengthen your relationship with money and your partner. Your relationship with money coach Megan Lathrop, Capital One Café’s Money Coach, returns for another episode of Queer Money™. Megan is back to talk about money and relationships and how couples can have a better relationship with money with a few simple tools that she shares today. Megan will be on a two-city tour to promote Capital One Café’s free Talk Money with Your Honey Workshops. On Wednesday, October 4, 2017, we join Megan at Denver’s Capital One Café for a Newlywed-style game called Money Matched, where we and a few other metro Denver area couples will show how much or how little we know our partner and their thoughts about money. Megan will then be at the Philadelphia Capital One Café on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, for a similar event. Don’t m

What’s the fastest way for most of us to get rich? By investing as much as we can as early as we can into a 401k. As a reader asks, though, what’s the best 401k for young adults? A Traditional 401k or a Roth 401k? Meet our young adult, Carter After listening to Queer Money™  episode 61, “5 Steps to Prepare for Financial Emergencies in Your Sleep,” Carter from Ohio emailed us a question. Carter wants to know, as a young gay man, which type of 401k offered to him by his employer is best? Should he invest in a Traditional 401K or a Roth 401K? There’s no blanket answer to this question. So, after we received Carter’s question, we asked him a few questions ourselves. Carter’s 27 years old and graduated college a few years ago. His current income is $43,000 a year and he has student loan debt financed at 3.5%. Carter has an emergency savings account set up per our instructions in Queer Money™  episode 61. He’s currently saving $40 a month in that emergency savings account and will have $500

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month. Lesbian, trans, bi and gay suicide and suicide attempts happen disproportionally more than the general population, and people who die by suicide are eight times more likely to have debt. Lesbian, Trans, Bi and Gay Suicide and Queer Money We partner with our friend, Melanie Lockert of Dear Debt, who’s bringing more attention to Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and highlighting the effects that debt has on those who become or are severely depressed. As suicide disproportionally affects the LGBT community and queer people have more financial struggles than the general population, we think it’s important to cover these important topics this month. Queer suicide September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. People who die by suicide are eight times more likely to be in debt. LGBTQ people disproportionately attempt suicide relative to the general population. The fifth leading cause of death of all men, queer or straight, is suicide. The p

The Deets of MassMutual’s LGBTQ Financial Security Study Between February 28 and March 14, 2017, MassMutual along with Greenwald & Associates, conducted an online survey of middle-income Americans over-weighted with LGBTQ people to “raise awareness of the threats and obstacles to middle-class workers’ [especially LGBTQ workers’] financial security.” LGBTQ people don’t feel secure and it may be our fault Nearly half of those in the survey described themselves as not too or not at all financially secure. This data doesn’t align with the perception that we’re all fabulous. Rather than being fabulous, we may just be fabulously broke. Based on MassMutual’s LGBTQ Financial Security Study, 80% of us say high debt levels or not having enough money make it hard to manage household money. What are we doing about it? We’re not helping ourselves, apparently. More than half of respondents said that spending for today is more important than saving for tomorrow. The lack of saving for tomorrow is ref

It’s hard for any artist, including gay artists, to stand out in saturated cities such as L.A. and New York. That’s why these gay artists moved to Denver, an alternative city, to stand out from the crowd and avoid high production costs. Gay Artists in Denver “It really comes back to the story… You get to tell people’s stories—that don’t usually get to be told.” Listen to Gay Artists Thriving in Denver Gay Artists Summary Rachel Herring Finley is the lead actor in Carlos Daniel Flores’ short film I Stand Still, an abstract piece built around an original poem that explores the love between two women. Part of Denver’s own CinemaQ Film Festival this past July that highlighted local and national gay artists, the short pays tribute to the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, reminding us to “allow ourselves some joy and respect our truth, whatever that may be.” Born in Puerto Rico, Carlos was exposed to music and the arts from a young age. Film direction satisfies his “desperate need to

Navigating the online space to market your business can feel a little like the Wild West. There aren’t any hard and fast rules, and everyone is still trying to figure out what works best. If your business caters to the LGBT community, you may have encountered the added challenge of trying to find your audience. Where exactly is the gay community hanging out online? Matt Skallerud is the President of Pink Banana Media, a company that helps businesses target the LGBT community online and grow with social media. Matt began his career in online marketing in 1995 with GayWired.com, one of the top LGBT websites worldwide. Today he is focused on the most cutting-edge innovations in programmatic ad buying, social networking, and Web 2.0 technologies. Matt is passionate about helping businesses large and small reach the LGBT consumer. Today Matt shares his 20-plus years of experience in the LGBT online marketing space, discussing the evolution of the online ad space, Pink Banana’s decision to n

You can dance if you want to. And wear a tutu, too! Robert Carter is a dancer with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male drag ballet company that pays tribute to – and pokes fun at – the classical Russian stars of dance. The male dancers portray ballerinas (with great names like Ida Nevaseyneva), using their incredible athleticism to dance on pointe and exaggerate traditional choreography for comic effect. Robert was one of four dancers in the company featured in the documentary Rebels on Pointe, a Bobbi Jo Hart film revealing the history of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Robert Carter’s story runs parallel to that of the fictional Billy Elliot. He grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, in a working-class family. His mother made sure that he and his sisters were exposed to the arts, and Robert was involved in community theatre at a very early age. The man who would become his dance teacher noticed him singing a solo at the Spoleto Festival and approached Robert’s m

The LGBTQ population in every community deserves local access to medical and legal services – and a safe space to meet up. When Sean Coleman saw that the South Bronx was lacking, he cashed out his 401K and founded the non-profit Destination Tomorrow, an organization that serves LGBTQ youth 13 to 24 years of age, with a focus on the transgender community. When Sean established the agency in 2009, he was the sole employee. (Well, perhaps ‘volunteer’ is a more accurate term since he did without any income whatsoever for the first two years!) Despite a number of struggles – including the loss of his condo – Sean knew that Destination Tomorrow was his purpose, so he persevered. Today Sean serves as the Executive Director of a growing organization, leading a staff of eight salaried employees who served more than 300 individuals in 2016. Today Sean discusses the services offered at Destination Tomorrow, how he approaches financial literacy with a population that distrusts the banking system,

This simple, five-step guide from our Queer Money podcast will prepare for financial emergencies with your eyes closed. Dealing with an emergency is difficult enough, but add to that the stress of not being able to cover your bills afterward. An unexpected accident, illness or car repair can leave you in a lot of financial pain long after the initial crisis. According to a recent MassMutual study, half of our community would be in real financial trouble if faced with an unexpected expense of $5,000. If you’re stressed just thinking about it, listen in as David and John cover the five steps to getting prepared for a financial emergency. Today the Debt Free Guys address emergency savings goals, the importance of having a separate account for this money, and the value of direct deposit in gradually building enough savings to cover six months of living expenses. Learn why it’s essential to build your emergency savings before you deal with other financial goals and when ‘out of sight, out o

‘Certain blocks [in Harlem], you may wanna watch that twist… But the truth is, I don’t have to un-code anymore. We know there’s still hate out and about and all around, but I don’t feel that fear anymore.’ Today’s guest is prepared to get you out of that shame spiral and help you see life through a lens of possibilities and positivity, sharing his journey as a successful gay black man in the public eye. Patrick Riley is an independent personality and writer in the New York City area. He made his name as a field producer for Oprah from 1998 through 2012, and he continues to do freelance assignments for OWN, as well as independent projects in the areas of pop culture, entertainment and human interest. Patrick learned the fundamentals of working both sides of the camera while studying mass communication at Morehouse College, and worked in local media outlets before moving to the national stage. He has had the opportunity to produce stories on a number of American icons, including Diana Ro

‘There is a boat load of money to be made in real estate investing if you do it right.’ If you are interested in retiring early – and who isn’t? – then it’s in your best interest to focus less on retirement savings accounts and more on a developing a CASHFLOW strategy. (Thank you, Robert Kiyosaki.) A recent Queer Money guest, Todd Tresidder of Financial Mentor, suggested incorporating real estate investment into your portfolio, and the Debt Free Guys’ inbox blew up with questions about how to get started. Enter Mindy Jensen, real estate investor extraordinaire. In addition to being Mrs. 1500, the better half of the 1500 Days to Freedom blog, and the lead story on CNBC Money, Mindy is the Community Manager for BiggerPockets, an online real estate networking platform that just reached the 800,000-member mark. BiggerPockets functions as a resource for real estate professionals, investors, and homeowners, and its associated podcast is the top real estate show on iTunes. Mindy has been inve

It is important to celebrate the older generation of the LGBT community for their strength and resilience. Their willingness to stand up and fight got us where we are today, and the best way to say thank you is to ensure that LGBT seniors have a place to call their own, where they can receive the care they need. Tony Ramos is the executive director of Alta Prime Assisted Living, a unique senior residential care facility in Aurora, Colorado. Alta Prime is LGBT-friendly, and its model of converting single-family homes into care facilities for four to five seniors allows for customized one-on-one care. Tony is a Colorado native with ten-plus years in financial services and a Master’s in business administration. This background coupled with a growing interest in real estate and experience caring for his grandparents led Tony down the path to entrepreneurship in the senior housing industry. Today Tony explains the difference between assisted living facilities and nursing homes, the costs as

Navigating Student Loan Debt with PT Grad and Podcaster Will Boyd Most college students don’t understand what they’re getting into when they take on student loan debt. It is easier to remain blissfully ignorant of compounding interest while you enjoy the university experience, but that lack of knowledge may cost you the ability to live the life you want later on. Will Boyd recently earned his doctorate in physical therapy from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, but his journey to a degree in healthcare was not a straightforward one. His Bachelor’s was in international studies, and Will’s original intent was to become a human rights lawyer. But while teaching English in Spain and studying for the LSAT in preparation for law school, he realized that his health was suffering from extended periods sitting behind a desk. Will sought guidance from Google about his future, and eventually landed on PT as his chosen field. Will is the host of two podcasts: The Knowbodies, a show that features le

This daughter of two moms will challenge every negative stereotype you've heard about children growing up with same-sex parents. Meet Cinara Foor, Financial Planner and Daughter of Two Lesbians How many 21-year-olds do you know who have invested in a Roth IRA and own their own home? Today you’ll meet an asp

Today Caleb and Matthew chat with the Debt Free Guys about their area of expertise as coaches, what to expect in an Increase Your Income strategy session, and why they include a one-on-one component with every offering at LGBTQ Entrepreneur. Listen and learn why Caleb and Matthew chose to focus on serving the LGBTQ community, the trends specific to LGBTQ clients, and their take on how the community can raise its game!

Why Should You and Your Gay Partner Get Married Now? Did you know that 71% of LGBT people are scared they won’t have enough money to live out a happy retirement? It’s scary think we could run out of money as we age. What can you do to be better prepared? What can you do to have a better LGBT retirement? When you find out, you and your queer partner will want to get married now.

We need more LGBT leaders to share their stories of successful LGBT living and leadership to have more successful LGBT leaders. For this show, we invited back one of our first guests from our very first Queer Money show. Throughout his life, Jay Allen has been a mentor and leader in being out and proud. Once one of the highest ranking out LGBT people in a Fortune 500 company, Jay has wisdom on successful LGBT living and leadership for us all.

Your gay retirement dreams tomorrow depend on your LGBT financial experience today. Flash forward to Palm Springs CA 20 years into the future, and a once young, vivacious and muscly disco boy turned impressively in shape and well-groomed retiree. The air is hot, the sky blue, the boys tan, the drinks strong. Is this your life in retirement or the trip of a lifetime? Are you loving your golden years or getting a taste of what might have been?

We all love a good trick. Tricks give us the treats we need when we need it and then we can move onto the next trick. Today, we’re sharing 15 social media tricks to give more and get more. Hey, download the FREE Debt Free Guys’ 15 Social Media Dos & Don’ts Checklist!

Debt Free Guys readers and listeners tell us that their number two financial concern is retirement planning. Many listeners seek our help with retirement planning when they’re in their 40s and 50s, which is serious crunch time. Today’s Queer Money guest shares his path to early retirement that late retirement planners can use before it’s too late.

Comfort is the enemy of progress. You sometimes have to go outside your norm, maybe become a little uncomfortable, to achieve your goals. That’s why we came up with these 17 semi-hard and creative ways to keep your money to yourself.

We’re Getting What We Really Want and You Can, Too We’re riding a high off of a fantastic week, and we’re excited to share it all with you. We just returned from a week in Ohio where we had our own little, Debt Free Guys’ speaking tour. We’re not Madonna, but she’s not me. It’s been a goal of ours for a while to get into the speaking arena. For one, it’ll help us achieve the ultimate goal of what we really want, and that’s to spend more time together. For another, it’ll help us build a stronger, louder voice in LGBT finance. Find out how we got here.

Sure, you may have a lot of stuff, but is it stuff you even want? Are you happy with what you have or does the happiness dissipate as soon as you get something? Dr. Dimartini’s quote inspired today's Queer Money on purpose driven spending, and we’ll paraphrase, “Fill your life with the important things because, if you don’t, it’ll automatically be filled with the unimportant things.” If you’re feeling unfulfilled, it may be that your life is full of the unimportant things and purpose driven spending will get you what you want.

Our friends, Jonathan and Christopher have been going through the adoption process for the last two years. On this Queer Money, they share how they prepared for the adoption process, what the adoption process has been like, and what they would tell other queer people who want to start their own queer family through adoption.

You thought when you came out as queer to your friends and family you were done? Um, no! You’re about as finished as Meryl Streep’s career, which is to say you’re not even close to your final act, which is to say you’re about as done with shocking people like Madonna, which is to say . . . you get the diva-inspired point! On this week’s Queer Money, we talk about how and why you need to take a few more steps out of that closet.

Our good friend, Shannon, gave it to us good so we gave it right back to her. That’s a podcast interview, gurl with her mind in a gutter! Shannon McLay is the brainchild, owner, and master trainer at The Financial Gym. The Financial Gym is where you lose debt (weight) and gain financial independence (muscle). Over some bottles glasses of wine, Shannon gives us all the ins, outs, tips, and tricks that make hers the gym of choice for anyone needing cushion in their back pocket. To join The Financial Gym and get your money in shape with one-on-one help, click here and get started today. Tell Shannon the Debt Free Guys sent you. If you sign up by May 1, 2017, you’ll get 50% off the Kickstarter Package.

We’re following up on last week’s Queer Money on which a listener asked for advice on how to talk to his partner about his partner’s money troubles. We recommended completing our Hopes & Dreams and Financial Blockers exercises. This week’s exercise gives us the opportunity to uncover what we’re willing to do to attract more money into our lives. Get the download here: http://debtfreeguys.com/2017/03/attract-more-money/

We received an email from a Queer Money listener who asked us to share our thoughts on how to talk about money with your partner when it’s hard to talk about money with your partner.

On this Queer Money, we interview teenpreneur Eva Baker of TeensGotCents.com. Schools aren’t adequately teaching today’s students about money. Enter Eva Baker. Eva only recently lost her teenager-card, but is teaching teenagers and others too young to enter a bar about money. What started as a home-school project assigned by her mother, Eva has turned into a full-time job and a company with four employees.

One of the many reasons we love doing what we do is because we meet amazing people and businesses who are doing amazing things. It’s for this reason that we were excited to talk with Megan Lathrop, Capital One’s leading money coach. Capital One believes “that banking needs to be reimagined – not only to meet customers’ current needs – but to empower and encourage them with tools, services, and an environment that fits into their lives.”

Our FinCon friend, Sarah Li of High Fiving Dollar, is on a mad mission to appear on 100 podcasts in 2017 to talk about living the authentic life. When she told us, we said, “Come on Queer Money, gurl!” She obliged and helped us create one of our best podcasts about being yourself and living an authentic life. Living an authentic life is something with which many queer people struggle. So, don’t miss this show!

On today’s Queer Money, we sorta celebrate Valentine’s Day in a unique kinda way. We’re joined by Dr. Jennelle to talk about love and money and how if you’re in love you should talk about money to protect your family financially. Dr. Jennelle is a Ph.D. Psychologist and Relationship Advisor. She specializes in non-traditional relationships, specifically those who transition from straight marriages to same-sex marriages because, well, that’s what she did. It’s like how we talk to queer people about money because, well, that’s who we are.

“It’s not about being comfortable. It’s about the discomfort and finding your way through the discomfort,” says Emil Wilbekin, journalist, editor and multimedia guru. To call Emil Wilbekin a gay man today in these times is not the same as calling him a gay man in 1990s in the world of hip-hop. That’s thanks to Wilbekin’s courage and the courage of others like him. We invited Emil Wilbekin onto Queer Money to talk about how he worked up the courage and overcame the challenges of being an editor for hip-hop’s Vibe Magazine at a time and place when it wasn’t necessarily okay to be gay.

It’s been less than two weeks since Trumpocalypse descended upon our nation. If the last 13 days of Trumpocalypse are any sign of what the next 1,438 days will be, we’re in for a long four years. Though the queer community hasn’t felt the wrath of Trump, there’s great concern that we’re on the hit list. Whether we are or we aren’t, we must prepare to continue our fight for equality. On this Queer Money, we discuss between each other eight ways we can prepare for the possible and possibly probable Trumpocalypse on the queer community. Gay Money, Gay Rights, LGBT Finances.

This is the fourth and final week of our month-long Four Principles of a Debt Free Life Series! Throughout the month of January 2016, we covered each of the four principles we wrote about in 4: The Four Principles of a Debt Free Life. On this week’s Queer Money we discuss the fourth principle of a debt free life, have a financial plan. This week’s free tool is the #MoneyConscious Financial Planning Guide: 12 Steps to a Richer You. Get your free copy of #MoneyConscious Financial Planning Guide: 12 Steps to a Richer You here: http://debtfreeguys.com/2017/01/financial-plan/ ‎

This is week three of our month-long Four Principles of a Debt Free Life Series! Throughout the month of January 2016, we’ll cover each of the four principles we wrote about in 4: The Four Principles of a Debt Free Life. Today’s Queer Money covers the third principle of living a debt free life, cash is king. This week we’re promoting the Mvelopes, as a tool to help you master the cash is king principle. When we paid of $51,000 in credit card debt we used actual envelopes to manage our money from pay check to pay check. Mvelopes put a modern, technological twist on this tried and true strategy. Mvelopes is a Debt Free Guys’ affiliate. We make money when you use our affiliates. However, Mvelopes' basic package is free to you. Regardless of which package you chose, this link will take you to Mvelopes’ free Debt Analysis application that we know you need. From there you can choose Mvelopes’ Basic Plan (free to you), Premium without Coaching Plan or Premium with Coaching Plan. We only recom

This is week two of our month-long Four Principles of a Debt Free Life Series! Throughout the month of January 2016, we’re covering each of the four principles we wrote about in 4: The Four Principles of a Debt Free Life. On today’s Queer Money, we’re discussing the second principle of living a debt free life, live below your means. Get the show notes here: http://debtfreeguys.com/2017/01/live-means/

We’re excited today to kick off our month-long Four Principles of a Debt Free Life Series! Throughout the money of January 2016, we’ll cover each of the four principles we wrote about in 4: The Four Principles of a Debt Free Life. Today we’re talking about the first principle, be money conscious. Get the free download at http://debtfreeguys.com/2017/01/money-conscious/

This week Queer Money brings back Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Brian Thompson of BT Financial. Brian was our featured guest on Season 1, Episode 11: 4 Keys to Winning the MidLife Career Change, on which Brian talked about his transition from tax attorney to CFP. This week Brian shares three surprises, three ah-has and an awesome LGBT money quote, as we discuss his participation in Betterment’s Wealth Management for the LGBT community event in New York City earlier this month.

Is the cost of your dates going north while your love life is going south? Are you down to your last dollar? On this Queer Money, we host two good friends, one gay and one straight, to talk about the financial costs of both the queer and the straight dating scenes. Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and, yes, Grindr, are making the world smaller. The costs to dating someone we meet on these apps for dinner, long-term or sex are higher because travel expenses are taking your last dollar.

Since same-sex marriage was passed by The Supreme Court of the United States in June 2015, queer equality has been achieved, right? Wrong! The fight for queer equality has migrated to the state level and many discriminatory rules, regulations and precedence have yet to be updated. One woman is helping to change all of this. Show notes can be found here: http://debtfreeguys.com/2016/12/fight-queer-equality-gone-closet/

Is money the root of all evil? Is your gender, race, religion or sexual orientation keeping you from financial success? Who’s to blame for your financial struggles? On this Queer Money, we talk with our friend and colleague, Bob Wheeler of The Money Nerve and Funny Money podcast about big money mistakes and limiting money beliefs.

On today’s Queer Money, we talk with motivational speaker, life and career coach, Megan Watt. Megan is the author of the prescriptive book Discover. Act. Engage., which helps people turn seemingly unachievable life goals, or Someday Goals, into reality. Megan is now turning her successful book into a docuseries to help even more people.

On this episode of Queer Money, we talk with co-founder and CEO of Policy Genius, Jennifer Fitzgerald. Jennifer shares with us her insights about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as it stands today, what everyone should know during open enrollment and her insights as to where the ACA may go under the new presidential administration. As Jennifer shares, research shows consumers spend more time choosing a phone plan than choosing their healthcare plan. Listen to this informative Queer Money to help choose the best healthcare plan for you.

We bring back one of our favorite CFPs, David Rae of FinancialPlannerLA.com, to finish our Queer Money series on generational retirement planning. You can find our show on Millennials here and GenXers here. Today’s focus is on gay boomers and all queer people in the boomer age group.

This is a Queer Money first! On today’s show, we host not one, but two guests. On today’s show we talk about the unique considerations for LGBT financial planning. Olivia Hamilton, who represents one of our affiliates, GuideVine, connected us with Cathy Pareto, a financial advisor from Miami FL with a compelling personal story of her own and valuable advice for our queer listeners.

On this Queer Money, we talk with Betsy Codding. Betsy is the Social Media Manager for MassMutual and was a key player in producing MassMutual’s beautiful and powerful “Vow to Protect” video campaign. “Vow to Protect” was a big investment and a bold statement of support for the LGBT community and same-sex marriage even for a company that historically supports our community.

Today’s Queer Money closes out Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is a topic not much discussed in our society. If it wasn’t for our friend and guest for today’s Queer Money, Brynne of Femme Frugality, we wouldn’t have known that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. When domestic abuse is talked about, it often excludes LGBT people. That’s the topic we discuss today.

DJ is the founder and CEO of Doran Multimedia that serves the queer community. He and his husband, Joe, have gone from rags to riches and rags to riches, again, and are on their fourth round of riches with their foray into media. We learn how they lived in Circus Circus in Las Vegas for $600 a month, how they fought a former Hell’s Angel over a sailing magazine and what it was like being in the military and coming out to his Italian Catholic mother.

Andi Tremonte, a female to male trans person, joins us on this episode of Queer Money to talk about being transgender and the financial costs of gender reassignment. Andi explains to us his process of coming out as transgender. He first found support through his friends and then found a gender-affirming therapist who helped him navigate his coming out.

On this Queer Money, we talk about how today’s life insurance is not your father’s life insurance and why all queer people need it. We’re joined by Mark Sayre, Underwriting Product Manager for HavenLife, who gives us all we need to know to get the right life insurance. He, also, shares how his company is making great strides to serve their trans clients.

On this Queer Money, we meet Curtis Wong, Senior Editor of The Huffington Post Queer Voices. We highlight other successful members of the queer community on Queer Money. To become the senior editor of such a ubiquitous publication is a great success. This episode is for anyone thinking of getting into journalism and those who want to make a childhood dream come true. Curtis Wong shares that it was reading a 1992 Vanity Fair article on Madonna that inspired him to become a journalist. Let's talk Queer Money. Let's talk LGBT Finances.

We bring back Queer Money Lifestyle Newsletter, Elite Personal Trainer and body builder Aaron Guy for this week’s Queer Money to talk about fitness for 40-year-olds and older. We’re in our 40s. In fact, John turned 43 shortly after we recorded this episode. So, fitness is a concern that near and dear to us. Would you believe that Aaron’s top two favorite exercises for abs are squats and dead lifts? Aaron, also, shares the number one mistake you’re making! When you learn this, you’ll be liberated.

We decided to shake Queer Money up a bit, bust out our wine and talk about one of our favorite topics, success. We love watching motivational videos and listening to motivational podcasts about success and the law of attraction. These topics motivate and inspire us to do more and be more ourselves. The goal of Queer Money is to help the queer community do more and be more, so we share with our queer tribe what has worked for our lives and what we think will help others in our queer tribe with their lives. Let's talk gay money! Let's talk LGBTQ finances!

On this episode of Queer Money, we talk with Adrian from Tel Aviv, Israel. Adrian shares with us his experience navigating the international waters of queer family planning. With same-sex marriage still new in the U.S., the queer community is considering family planning at record levels. This Queer Money shares an example of what international surrogacy looks like outside the United States for same-sex couples and six considerations queer couples shouldn't forget when planning their family. Let's talk Queer Money! Let's talk LGBTQ Finances!

On this Queer Money, we talk with philanthropist, Steve Bolinger, about how he created Development in Gardening (DIG), which is helping to fight AIDS in Africa. To learn how Steve traveled the world for nine months and then created such an impactful organization, listen to or watch this Queer Money. Let's talk Gay Money! Let's talk Queer Money!

On this Queer Money, we continue our series on generational career and retirement planning. This episode focuses on GenXers, also considered the sandwich generation because we often get lost between Baby Booms and Millennials in terms of marketing and media attention. Let's talk Gay Money! Let's talk LGBT Finances!

Are you buying a home or investment property? On this Queer Money, we talk with real estate pro, William Matthews, about home buying tips you need to know. Let's talk gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money.

It seems every generation wants a midlife career change earlier than the generation before them. A recent study shows that 73 percent of the 30-somethings want a new career, up from 64 percent in 2013. Another study shows that 80 percent of 20-somethings already want a new career. What should these job hoppers know? We talk with recent midlife career changer, Brian Thompson, about his switch from being a successful tax attorney to becoming a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) for LGBTQ couples. Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

Today’s job and investment markets are scary. However, the technological opportunities available to millennials position them well for the pursuit of their passions. This makes millennials career and retirement planning unique and exciting. On this Queer Money, we'll guide you to maximize these opportunities. Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

In the ever changing landscape of equality, one thing is now certain; we can get married. Now who's gonna pay for it? Is it a generational thing? Should or will your straight parents pitch in to help? What can you do to keep the costs down if you are funding it yourself? This episode of Queer Money, along with guest William Matthews, answers the questions many of us have been waiting years to be able to ponder.

Denver's Queer Cinema is thriving, thanks to the Denver Film Society. Do you like seeing movies with gay, bisexual and transgender characters living normal and some not so normal lives? The Denver Film Society dishes up a does on a regular basis each month as well as it's annual CinemaQ film festival each year in July. Patrick O'Brien, director at DFS, talks with us about the success and history of this great addition to Denver's entertainment, as well as the impact it is having on our community. Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

In this episode of Queer Money, we chat with Bed Buddies Director, Reid Waterer about success and working an over 20 year career with Queer Cinema. #LGBT #Queer

Will you do it? Will you ask the one question that will lay the yellow brick road to your success? It was this one question that allowed us to squash the wicked witch of debt and hail the rise of our own emerald city. We did it. So can you! Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

Wish you could travel for 2 years straight? Our guest this week has done just that. On Queer Money Episode 5, we talk with serial entrepreneur and author of The Lion in the Cubicle, Chad Nash. Chad shares insight and tips for successful living. Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

How did we become The Debt Free Guys? How did we climb out of $51,000 in credit card debt? When did our lives turn around and what started it all? Find out more on this episode of Queer Money. Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

On this episode we are joined by financial advisor David Rae, CFP, of Los Angeles, CA. We talk about the fabulousness of PRIDE and the not so fabulousness of the financial state of our community. Who's keeping up with Mr. & Mr. Jones? What can we do to do it better and we give 3 or 4 ways to stand out and save money over the PRIDE holidays. #QueerMoney Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

On this Queer Money, we are joined by Emma Johnson of WealthySingleMommy.com and Karen Raforth of Boulder, Colorado's KGNU show Outsources. We talk about whether or not the gay wealth disparity is real. Does the LGBT community have more wealth? Are gay men better off financially than our queer peers? Enjoy the show. Feel free to drop us a comment on the Debt Free Guys Facebook wall or on DebtFreeGuys.com Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!

On the inaugural episode of the Queer Money podcast, we're joined by a former EVP of a Fortune 500 company and the Director of One-Colorado to discuss the risks and rewards of coming out at work.  Find out more at http://www.Queer.Money Lets talk gay money, gay finances. Let's talk Queer Money!