Financial Wellness and Older LGBTQ+ People

May 2023 | Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, National Center on Elder Abuse and SAGE

Senior Rainbow

Senior Rainbow Assistance Program’s mission to provide temporary assistance for LGBTQ seniors experiencing temporary hardships due to medical or financial concerns to ensure they can maintain their current living arrangements that safe, warm and healthy.

November 2019

SAGE's National LGBT Elder Hotline............... 877-360-LGBT

SAGE's National LGBT Elder Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can request to speak with someone in English or Spanish by calling 877-360-LGBT.

August 2019

Enhancing Health, Wealth, and Community for older LGBT adults

This article explores latest research and programs that support LGBT older people.

April 2019 | The Journal of Active Aging, article by Marilynn Larkin, MA

Older Women & Poverty

This three-part special report takes a closer look at the lives of older women to better understand the challenges they face and how we can address them.

December 2018 | Justice in Aging - Amber Christ, Senior Staff Attorney, and Tracey Gronniger, Directing Attorney

5 Tips for LGBT Older People to Avoid Fraud

This article provides tips to help LGBT older people avoid fraud.

October 2018 | William Chalkley, with Top10VPN

How Can Legal Services Better Meet the Needs of Low-Income LGBT Seniors?

This special report addresses specifically how legal services can best meet the unique legal needs of low-income LGBT older adults.

June 2018 | Justice in Aging

Connecting Diverse Elders with Programs to Help with Costs of Living

This article provides information on a valuable tool from the National Council on Aging called BenefitsCheckUp®.

April 2017 | National Council on Aging (NCOA) article first appeared in Diverse Elders Coalition Blog

New Guidance from SSA on Spousal & Survivors Benefits for Married LGBT Couples

This guidance can help individuals in same-sex marriages who were denied benefits because their marriage to a spouse of the same sex wasn’t properly recognized.

April 2017 | Justice in Aging

Oklahoma Women Become Brave for Marriage Equality - A Q&A with Sharon Bishop-Baldwin, author of Becoming Brave

Oklahoma Women Become Brave for Marriage Equality is a Q&A with Sharon Bishop-Baldwin, author of Becoming Brave. Sharon tells of the fight for Marriage Equality in Oklahoma and how she and her wife became brave as LGBT advocates along the way.

March 2017 | Sharon Bishop-Baldwin

Health Care Scams

Information from the Federal Trade Commission on recognizing and reporting Health Care Scams.

February 2017 | Federal Trade Commission

How Does Marriage Change Your Finances?

SAGE and CitiCommunity Development partnered to create a series of infographics based on the "Talk Before You Walk: Considerations for LGBT Older Couples Before Getting Married" toolkit. Learn about finances at a glance for LGBT older adults.

July 2016 | SAGE and Citi Community Development

Marriage and Finances: Planning for the Unexpected

There are many benefits to being an active participant in managing the household finances when you are married. One of those benefits, while not easy to think about, is being better prepared to deal with some of life’s unexpected events.

June 2016 | WISER and SAGE's National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

Protecting Your Finances during a Divorce

Going through a divorce can be a very emotional and difficult situation to navigate, which can leave individuals financially vulnerable as well.

June 2016 | WISER and SAGE's National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

Managing the Financial Impact of Widowhood

The emotional impact of widowhood can be overwhelming, but the financial impact can hit just as hard. There is often a decline in standard of living for the surviving spouse; household income can decline due to changes in Social Security benefits and the possible loss of the deceased spouse’s retirement income and earnings.

June 2016 | WISER and SAGE's National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

Talk Before You Walk: Considerations for LGBT Older Couples Before Getting Married

When the Supreme Court decided Obergefell, the freedom to marry became the law of the land all across the United States. This victory forever changed financial planning and legal relationships for LGBT families.

April 2016 | SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders)

Looking for Love? First Look Out for You!

Tips on How LGBT Elders Can Avoid the Infamous Sweetheart Scam

February 2016 | National Center on Elder Abuse and SAGE's National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

Out & Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of LGBT Older Adults (Infographic)

This infographic highlights a few key findings from SAGE's report "Out and Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of LGBT Older Adults."

October 2014 | SAGE

Out & Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of LGBT Older Adults (Exec. Summary)

The Executive Summary of "Out and Visible" details highlights from SAGE's uniquely comprehensive, nationally representative quantitative study on aging among LGBT people. The study was conducted in March 2014 by Harris Poll.

October 2014 | SAGE

Out & Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of LGBT Older Adults, Ages 45-75

Out and Visible explores the aging realities of LGBT people, as well as their fears, beliefs, behaviors and aspirations in areas such as healthcare, finance and retirement, support systems, housing and sources of information.

October 2014 | SAGE

New Tax Benefits for Same-Sex Married Couples After the DOMA Ruling

This article describes some of the tax benefits to help same-sex couples feel more confident to easily and accurately file your own taxes this year and beyond.

April 2014 | David Williams, Chief Tax Officer at Intuit

The Need for LGBT-Inclusive Housing

Though LGBT-specific housing exist for older adults, there are not nearly enough for all the seniors who need them. This article discusses the needs for safe and inclusive housing for LGBT older adults.

April 2014 | SAGE

Guide to Benefits Programs for Seniors

This guide is designed to help seniors and their caregivers learn about benefit programs that are available to assist seniors in meeting their costs of daily living.

April 2014 | National Council on Aging and n4a

The Freedom to Serve & The Freedom to Work

This report documents disparities for LGBT Service Members and Veterans in the United States.

February 2014 | Center for American Progress

Take the Power: Tools for Life and Financial Planning

Lambda Legal has prepared this toolkit, with information on creating wills, protecting your medical and end-of-life decisions, and more, so that you can take the power and create a more secure future for yourself and your family.

January 2014 | Lambda Legal

Benefits for Same-Sex Couples Post DOMA

This December 2013 webinar looks at the implications of the June 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Section 3 the Defense of Marriage Act on benefits for same-sex couples.

December 2013

A Broken Bargain for LGBT Workers of Color

This report examines how LGBT workers of color face unique challenges related to their race and ethnicity and their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. In particular, LGBT workers of color are hindered by three major barriers: educational barriers; hiring bias and on-the-job discrimination; and unequal pay, benefits, and taxation. As a result, LGBT people of color are some of the most disadvantaged workers in the United States—and face extraordinarily high rates of unemployment and poverty.

October 2013 | Movement Advancement Project, the Center for American Progress and its FIRE Initiative, Freedom to Work, the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Black Justice Coalition

A Broken Bargain: Discrimination, Fewer Benefits and More Taxes for LGBT Workers

This report examines the myriad injustices facing LGBT workers in the American workforce—and highlights how these injustices negatively impact both workers and employers. It outlines how LGBT employees who work just as hard as their non-LGBT counterparts face multiple barriers to fair and equal treatment.

June 2013 | Movement Advancement Project; Center for American Progress; Human Rights Campaign

A Broken Bargain: Discrimination, Fewer Benefits and More Taxes for LGBT Workers (Condensed Version)

This condensed version of the full report examines the myriad injustices facing LGBT workers in the American workforce.

June 2013 | Movement Advancement Project; Center for American Progress; Human Rights Campaign

A Broken Bargain: Discrimination, Fewer Benefits and More Taxes for LGBT Workers (Executive Summary)

This five-page executive summary of the full report examines the myriad injustices facing LGBT workers in the American workforce.

June 2013

Living Outside the Safety Net: LGBT Families and Social Security

This publication highlights the lack of full Social Security benefits that are created by lack of relationship and family recognition.

February 2013 | Human Rights Campaign, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Foundation

Caught in the Budget Battle: How the 'Fiscal Showdown' Impacts Gay & Transgender Americans

How the 'Fiscal Showdown' Impacts Gay and Transgender Americans

November 2012 | Center for American Progress and The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Social Security Benefits and DOMA: Can I do Anything Now to Preserve My Rights?

This document summarizes how to preserve seniors' rights to Social Security benefits until the day the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is gone.

October 2012 | GLAD Equal Justice Under the Law

One-Sheet: Social Security Benefits and DOMA

This document, written prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June 2013 overturning Section 3 of DOMA, summarized how to preserve seniors' rights to Social Security benefits.

October 2012 | GLAD Equal Justice Under the Law

A Timetable Round up of Recent LGBT Research

A recap of the latest LGBT research in the U.S. over the past 2 years.

July 2011 | Robert Espinoza

NYS Marriage Equality: Focus on Estate Planning

Trusts and Estates attorney, Tom Sciacca, Esq., details the importance of estate planning in relation to New York State's passage of marriage equality.

July 2011 | Tom Sciacca, Esq.

Tom Sciacca, Esq. Explains the Importance of Marriage Equality in New York State

Tom Sciacca, Trusts and Estates attorney, discusses the importance of marriage equality in New York State pertaining to end-of-life decisions and estate planning.

July 2011 | Tom Sciacca, Esq..

Senior Citizens’ Law Office: Pride in Aging Project

The Project provides  legal representation, advocacy, and outreach to older LGBT individuals in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia counties.  Staff help with advance directives, financial powers of attorney,  estate planning, Medicare and Medicaid, long term care options, and housing issues.

June 2011

Creating an Estate Plan: A Legal Perspective

Proper planning will ensure that your property is distributed upon your death as you wish. It makes dealing with the issue of your death easier for your partner and your family. Furthermore, proper planning can save on taxes, allowing more property to be passed to your loved ones.

June 2011 | Ray Koenig, III, Esq.

Medicaid and the LGBT Community: Paying for Long-Term Care

The eligibility rules for Medicaid are complicated, and can contain traps for the unwary. This article provides an overview of the rules that apply to those in the LGBT community who might need Medicaid, particularly those who might need long-term care in a nursing home. Note: This publication was created before the June 2013 US Supreme Court decision overturning Section 3 of DOMA, so some information contained herein may no longer be applicable.

June 2011 | Arlene Zarembka

What Every LGBT Older Adult Needs to Know About Wills

A will is an essential part of any estate plan, but this is especially true for LGBT people. An estimated two-thirds of all people die without a will (i.e., “intestate”), but dying intestate can have devastating consequences for LGBT people because, in the majority of instances, the law does not recognize our chosen families – our partners, friends, and caregivers.

June 2011 | Nancy J. Knauer

Lo Que Todas las Personas LGBT de Más Edad Deben Saber Sobre los Testamentos

Aunque el testamento es parte esencial de cualquier planificación del patrimonio, es especialmente importante para las personas LGBT. En un testamento, tú designas quién recibirá tus bienes al tú morir. También nombras a una persona para que tome decisiones importantes acerca de tu patrimonio, la cual es denominada tu "representante personal" o "albacea".

June 2011

El Medicaid y la Comunidad LGBT: Cómo Pagar por el Cuidado a Largo Plazo

Las reglas de elegibilidad para el Medicaid son complicadas y pueden resultar problemáticas para quienes no están bien informados. Este artículo ofrece un panorama general sobre las reglas que aplican a las personas LGBT que podrían necesitar Medicaid, particularmente aquéllas que podrían necesitar cuidado a largo plazo en un hogar de envejecientes. Las reglas de Medicaid son bastante distintas para personas individuales y para las parejas del mismo sexo que para las parejas heterosexuales casadas.

June 2011 | Arlene Zarembka

Creación y Protección de Derechos Legales Personales y Financieros

La planificación del patrimonio correcta te ayudará a garantizar que la persona de tu elección pueda cumplir tus deseos en caso de tú quedar discapacitado. Sin la planificación debida, podría designarse a alguien para que tome decisiones médicas y financieras en tu nombre que no cumpla con tus deseos.