Fee-only financial advisors for LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
LGBTQ+ financial planning has specific complexities: estate planning for non-biological children, surrogacy and adoption costs, state-level marriage/partnership variations affecting benefits, healthcare access and gender-affirming care funding, Social Security spousal-benefit nuances for same-sex couples who married post-Obergefell, and higher-than
What our matched specialists handle
- Estate planning for a non-biological child — how do we lock it in?
- Surrogacy costs — how do we plan financially?
- Same-sex couple married in 2019 — Social Security spousal benefits?
- Gender-affirming care — how do I fund?
- Domestic partnership vs marriage — state tax and benefits differences?
- Chosen family beneficiaries — how to structure?
Tools & guides
LGBTQ+ Life Insurance Needs Calculator 2026
Standard life insurance calculators underestimate coverage for domestic-partner households because they ignore the Social Security survivor benefit gap — when a DP dies, the survivor gets $0 from their SS record vs. up to 100% for a married surviving spouse. This calculator adds that gap (capitalized at 4% SWR) to standard income-replacement needs and shows how much less a married couple in the same situation would need.
Social Security Survivor Benefit Gap Calculator
When a domestic partner dies, the surviving partner gets $0 in Social Security survivor benefits. A married surviving spouse gets up to 100% of the deceased's benefit. Enter your partner's FRA benefit and claiming strategy to see your annual income gap, lifetime shortfall, and the extra capital you need to self-fund it.
Same-Sex Couple Social Security Strategy
Model Social Security claiming for same-sex couples including survivor optimization — eligibility for pre-Obergefell relationships affects historical claims.
Surrogacy Cost Calculator
Estimate your total surrogacy budget by state tier, agency route, egg source, and IVF transfer attempts. Includes savings timeline and LGBTQ+-specific planning notes.
Marriage vs. Domestic Partnership Financial Calculator
Calculate the annual dollar impact of legal status: federal tax bonus or penalty, employer health imputed income savings, and Social Security spousal benefit gap. Enter your incomes and see the net figure.
Adoption Tax Credit Calculator 2026
Calculate your federal adoption tax credit (up to $17,670 per child), phaseout based on MAGI, the $5,120 refundable portion, non-refundable carryforward, and Section 137 employer adoption benefit. Includes LGBTQ+-specific notes on second-parent adoption and special needs.
Domestic Partner Inherited IRA Tax Calculator
See exactly how much more a domestic partner pays in federal taxes on an inherited IRA vs. a married surviving spouse. Enter your IRA balance, the survivor's income, and expected years to inheritance — the calculator models the 10-year forced distribution gap against a spousal rollover strategy.
Domestic Partner Imputed Income Tax Calculator 2026
Calculate the extra federal income tax, FICA, and state taxes you owe each year because your employer treats your domestic partner's health coverage as taxable income. A married spouse's coverage is completely tax-free under IRC §106 — this calculator shows your annual cost and 10-year total.
Gender-Affirming Care Cost Calculator 2026
Estimate your true out-of-pocket cost: insurance offset, HSA/FSA pre-tax savings, funding gap, monthly savings target, and recovery income gap. Works for hormone therapy, top surgery, bottom surgery, FFS, and more.
LGBTQ+ Medicare IRMAA Premium Calculator 2026
See how Medicare Part B surcharges differ for domestic partners (each files single, $109K threshold) vs. married same-sex couples ($218K MFJ threshold). The gap can be thousands per year — and it cuts both ways depending on how income is split.
LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide
Detailed framework — rules, tradeoffs, and common mistakes.
Estate Planning for Chosen Families
Protect non-biological children, chosen family beneficiaries, and unmarried partners. Core documents, second-parent adoption, and state portability issues.
Social Security for Same-Sex Couples
Spousal benefits, survivor strategy, pre-2015 retroactive claims, and what the WEP/GPO repeal means for households with government pensions.
How to Fund Gender-Affirming Care
HSA/FSA rules for gender-affirming care, insurance navigation, cost ranges for hormone therapy and surgery, leave planning, and funding strategies.
Life Insurance for LGBTQ+ Families
Insurable interest for domestic partners, non-biological parent coverage gaps, cross-owned policies, ILIT structures for chosen families, and affirming underwriting for trans individuals.
Domestic Partnership vs. Marriage: Financial Differences
Federal taxes, Social Security gaps, imputed income on employer health coverage, inherited retirement accounts, and the FMLA blind spot — with a decision framework for when the math tips toward marriage.
Retirement Planning for LGBTQ+ Households
Pre-65 healthcare, Social Security spousal strategy, the inherited IRA 10-year rule for domestic partners, Roth conversion windows, where to retire, and LTC facility discrimination risk.
Adoption Financial Planning for LGBTQ+ Families
Adoption type cost table, the 2026 adoption tax credit ($17,670), employer adoption assistance, second-parent adoption legal stakes, and funding gap strategies.
Same-Sex Divorce: Financial Planning Guide
The 10-year Social Security marriage rule, QDROs for retirement accounts, post-TCJA alimony math, 36-month COBRA rights at divorce, and second-parent adoption stakes in custody.
How to Find an LGBTQ+-Affirming Financial Advisor
What "affirming" means in practice: fee-only vs. commission, credentials that matter, questions to ask before hiring, and red flags that signal an advisor doesn't have real LGBTQ+ depth.
Transgender Financial Planning: A Complete Transition Checklist
Name change on every financial account, estate document updates, beneficiary designation review, insurance considerations during transition, and employment protections — sequenced in the order you need to do them.
LGBTQ+ Tax Planning: Filing Guide for Same-Sex Couples and Domestic Partners
MFJ vs. MFS, the marriage bonus and penalty with 2026 brackets, community property rules for domestic partners in CA/NV/WA, employer health imputed income, and year-end moves.
LGBTQ+ Homebuying & Real Estate Planning Guide
How to take title (JTWROS vs. TIC vs. community property with survivorship), the $250K capital gains exclusion for each co-owner, co-ownership agreements for unmarried partners, down payment gift rules, and fair housing rights in 2026.
LGBTQ+ Prenuptial & Cohabitation Agreements
How to protect pre-Obergefell assets, structure cohabitation agreements for domestic partners, navigate the ERISA retirement account trap, and what financial modeling you need before signing — with LGBTQ+-specific clauses most general prenup guides miss.
LGBTQ+ Employee Benefits: Open Enrollment Guide
How domestic partnership vs. marriage changes employer health insurance taxes, FSA and HSA eligibility for your partner's medical expenses, federal FMLA rights, and 401(k) survivor protections — with 2026 contribution limits.
LGBTQ+ Medicare & Long-Term Care Planning Guide
How Medicare works for same-sex couples and domestic partners, IRMAA cost planning, Medicare coverage for trans individuals, Medigap underwriting timing, LTC insurance, and the Medicaid spousal impoverishment gap that hits domestic partners hardest.
LGBTQ+ Inheritance & Estate Tax Planning
The marital deduction gap, the inherited IRA 10-year rule vs. spousal rollover, and gift tax asymmetry — how legal status creates real dollar differences when one partner dies, and what domestic partners can do about it.
Disability Insurance for LGBTQ+ Households
The SSDI spousal benefit gap for domestic partners, own-occupation definitions, transgender underwriting, FMLA rights for same-sex married vs. DP couples, and how to calculate income replacement without the married-couple safety net.
LGBTQ+ Interstate Relocation: Financial Planning Guide
What travels when you move states and what doesn't: domestic partnership portability gaps, estate document update timeline, tax filing changes out of community property states, state estate tax exposure for domestic partners, and a framework for evaluating retirement destinations.
Surrogacy Financial Planning for LGBTQ+ Families
The $150K–$220K cost reality: employer surrogacy benefits are taxable (unlike adoption's §137 exclusion), HSA covers your own IVF costs but not the surrogate's expenses, there's no federal tax credit, and pre-birth orders vs. second-parent adoption is a choice with lasting financial stakes.
IVF & Fertility Financial Planning for LGBTQ+ Families
IUI with donor sperm ($1,500–$5,000/cycle) vs. standard IVF ($15K–$30K) vs. reciprocal IVF ($20K–$35K+). What's tax-deductible under §213(d), which 8 states now mandate LGBTQ+-inclusive fertility coverage in 2026, HSA/FSA optimization, employer fertility benefit tax traps, and fertility preservation for transgender individuals.
LGBTQ+ Family Building: Surrogacy, IVF & Adoption Compared
Side-by-side comparison of every family formation path — costs, 2026 tax treatment (§23 adoption credit $17,670 with $5,120 refundable, §213(d) IVF deduction, zero deduction for surrogacy), employer benefit tax treatment, and a decision matrix by family type. Includes the second-parent adoption question that applies to almost every LGBTQ+ family regardless of how they built it.
LGBTQ+ Small Business Owner & Self-Employed Financial Planning
Retirement plans (Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA), the domestic partner health insurance deduction gap, QBI deduction differences for married vs. DP, buy-sell agreements for same-sex couple business partners, and community property business income rules — with 2026 limits.
LGBTQ+ Nonprofit & Government Employee Financial Planning
PSLF loan forgiveness strategy for same-sex couples (MFS vs. MFJ), 403(b) and 457(b) limits and the 15-year catch-up rule, the FEHB domestic partner coverage gap, and FERS/CSRS survivor annuity rights — with 2026 contribution limits.
LGBTQ+ College Savings & Education Financial Planning
How FAFSA treats same-sex couples vs. domestic partners, who owns the 529 when legal parentage isn't finalized, education tax credits for non-biological parents, the 2026 ABLE account expansion (disability onset before 46 now eligible), and the 529-to-Roth rollover escape valve for over-funded accounts.
LGBTQ+ Bi-National Couples: Financial Planning Guide
When one partner is not a U.S. citizen: the $194,000 non-citizen spouse gift exclusion (vs. $19,000 for domestic partners), QDOT trust mechanics for estate tax deferral, FBAR and FATCA foreign account reporting, Social Security spousal benefits for non-citizen spouses, and the citizenship timeline as an estate planning tool.
LGBTQ+ Investment Strategy & Portfolio Building
How legal status shapes your optimal account mix: the Roth tilt case for domestic partners facing the inherited IRA 10-year rule, capital gains harvesting differences for married vs. single filers, the single-filer IRMAA trap, ESG and values-aligned investing via the HRC Corporate Equality Index, and asset location strategy for LGBTQ+ households.
LGBTQ+ Equity Compensation: RSU, ISO & Deferred Comp Planning
How domestic partnership vs. marriage changes the tax cost of RSU vesting events (bracket compression, IRMAA, NIIT), ISO exercise timing and AMT exposure ($90,100 single vs. $140,200 MFJ exemption in 2026), NQDC beneficiary traps for domestic partners, the gift tax constraint on transferring concentrated stock to a DP partner — and QSBS exclusion planning under the OBBBA $15M limit.
LGBTQ+ Military & Veteran Financial Planning
VA benefits for same-sex spouses (DIC: $1,699/month in 2026), Survivor Benefit Plan elections and the widow's-tax fix, TRICARE for same-sex spouses vs. domestic partners, TSP spousal rollover rights, GI Bill transferability — and how veterans discharged under DADT can upgrade their character of discharge to access VA health care, disability compensation, and home loans.
Same-Sex Newlywed Financial Checklist
30 financial steps after your same-sex marriage — sequenced for same-sex couples: Social Security registration (starts the 1-year spousal-benefit clock), ERISA beneficiary updates, health insurance QLE window, estate document rewrites, MFJ vs. MFS tax decision, FMLA rights now in force, and the pre-Obergefell retroactive SS claims many couples miss.
Beneficiary Designations for LGBTQ+ Households
How your 401(k), IRA, life insurance, and bank accounts actually pass at death — and why your will doesn't control any of them. Covers the ERISA spousal default (domestic partners are not protected), the 10-year inherited-IRA rule vs. spousal rollover, naming non-biological children and chosen family, per stirpes vs. per capita, and the annual review triggers specific to LGBTQ+ households.
LGBTQ+ Blended Family Financial Planning
When one or both partners bring children from prior relationships: the ERISA 401(k) spousal-default conflict with biological children's inheritance, QTIP trusts for married same-sex couples, the adoption tax credit surprise (step-parent adoptions don't qualify but domestic-partner second-parent adoptions may), and Social Security survivor benefit coordination across complex family structures.
Powers of Attorney & Healthcare Proxies for LGBTQ+ Households
Without a healthcare proxy, hospitals default to biological next-of-kin — not your partner. Covers the five-document stack (financial DPOA, healthcare proxy, HIPAA authorization, advance directive, hospital visitation authorization), the 2010 CMS hospital visitation rule, choosing a chosen-family agent, multi-state recognition risks, and special considerations for transgender individuals.
LGBTQ+ Surviving Partner Financial Planning
When your same-sex spouse or domestic partner dies, your financial outcome depends on legal status at the time of death. Covers Social Security survivor benefits (zero for domestic partners), the inherited IRA spousal rollover vs. 10-year rule difference, ERISA 401(k) protections, estate administration without marital status, and the pre-planning checklist every LGBTQ+ couple needs now.
Financial Planning After Coming Out
Coming out triggers financial transitions that most financial guides don't address: building independence when family support is uncertain, leaving a mixed-orientation marriage (divorce, QDRO, COBRA, the 10-year Social Security ex-spouse rule), estate plan overhauls when you're 50+ with adult children and a new same-sex partner, and the universal financial safety net everyone needs. Covers every life stage from 22 to 65+.
LGBTQ+ Financial Resilience: Protection That Doesn't Depend on Legal Status
How to build a financial structure — beneficiary designations, JTWROS titling, revocable living trust, durable powers of attorney — that holds regardless of changes to marriage law or domestic partnership recognition. Covers the status-independent protection stack for every LGBTQ+ household type, plus specific hardening strategies for married same-sex couples and the built-in advantages domestic partners who planned without marriage rights already have.
LGBTQ+ Health Insurance Planning: ACA, COBRA & Open Enrollment Strategy
How legal status changes every major health insurance decision: domestic partners must apply for ACA coverage separately (not as a household), the 2026 return of the 400% FPL subsidy cliff, the imputed-income tax on employer-sponsored DP coverage, the federal COBRA gap for domestic partners, Section 1557 trans coverage after the 2025 federal court vacatur, HSA/FSA access for gender-affirming care, and the pre-65 Roth conversion strategy that keeps marketplace premiums manageable.
LGBTQ+ Financial Planning for Singles
Single LGBTQ+ individuals face a distinct financial landscape: no Social Security spousal or survivor benefit (making delay-to-70 even more valuable), no default partner caregiver for LTC planning, Medicaid spend-down to $2,000 without spousal protections, and the IRMAA Medicare surcharge hitting at $109,000 — half the married threshold. Covers estate planning for chosen families without the default-spouse safety net, retirement savings strategy, disability insurance sizing, and LGBTQ+-specific risks like hostile biological family override.
LGBTQ+ Trust Planning: Revocable Trusts, QTIP Trusts & Special Needs Trusts
Trusts are more valuable for LGBTQ+ households than for most married couples — because the law's probate and intestacy defaults don't protect chosen families or domestic partners. Covers revocable living trusts (probate avoidance for chosen families), QTIP trusts (married same-sex couples with blended families), special needs trusts for disabled partners (preserving Medicaid/SSI eligibility), ILITs for large life insurance policies, and how to fund a trust so it actually works.
Roth Conversion Strategy for LGBTQ+ Households
Why domestic partners need a more aggressive Roth conversion plan than married couples: the 10-year inherited IRA forced-distribution problem, how to size conversions to fill brackets without triggering IRMAA, the single-filer IRMAA trap at $109K (vs. $218K for MFJ), Roth 401(k) vs. traditional for DP households, and a decade-by-decade worked example for a domestic-partner couple approaching retirement.
LGBTQ+ FIRE Planning: Financial Independence & Early Retirement
Why the FIRE number for LGBTQ+ households is larger than standard projections assume: no Social Security spousal or survivor benefit for domestic partners, no Medicaid spousal protection floor, solo long-term care exposure, and ACA income management across the healthcare gap. Covers account access before 59½, DP vs. married same-sex FIRE differences, Social Security delay strategy for singles and DPs, IRMAA sequencing, and a pre-FIRE checklist.
LGBTQ+ FIRE Number Calculator 2026
Calculate your true financial independence target adjusted for LGBTQ+-specific gaps: no Social Security spousal benefit for domestic partners, pre-Medicare healthcare years, and LTC self-insurance without a partner caregiver. Shows the DP vs. married difference in dollar terms, with years-to-FI projection.
Roth Conversion Planner for LGBTQ+ Households 2026
Calculate how much to convert to Roth this year based on your filing status. Domestic partners face the 10-year inherited IRA rule with no spousal rollover; singles and DPs hit IRMAA at $109K — half the MFJ threshold. Shows bracket fill options, IRMAA headroom, and a DP-specific projection of how much of your partner's pre-tax balance will be forced out at the survivor's marginal rate.
Gender-Affirming Care Insurance Denied? Appeals, Rights & Financial Plan
An insurance denial for gender-affirming care is not final. Covers why claims get denied, the internal appeal process (180-day ERISA window, documentation that works), external independent review rights under ACA §2719, state insurance mandates, filing complaints with the DOL or state commissioner, and financial planning while you wait — HSA/FSA, financing options, and documenting for reimbursement.
Financial Planning for Polyamorous & Non-Monogamous Households
The legal and financial system is built around one recognized couple — which creates planning gaps for every additional partner. Covers health insurance (no pooling for non-legal partners), estate planning (trusts that name all partners), ERISA §205 beneficiary rules, Social Security gaps (zero benefit for non-married partners), co-ownership agreements for 3+ people, and the IRC §121 capital gains exclusion advantage for TIC co-owners.
LGBTQ+ Social Security Disability (SSDI) Planning Guide
SSDI rules diverge sharply between married same-sex couples and domestic partners — a married spouse can claim up to 50% of a disabled worker's benefit; a domestic partner gets zero. Covers the auxiliary benefit gap, work credit vulnerabilities from transition or caregiving breaks, trans-specific SSA name and gender considerations, the 24-month Medicare waiting period and health-coverage bridge, trial work period rules (2026: $1,690/month SGA, $1,210/month TWP threshold), and income planning during the 2–3-year claim process.
Charitable Giving for LGBTQ+ Donors: DAFs, QCDs & 2026 Tax Changes
The 2026 OBBBA changed the rules for every itemizing donor: a new 0.5% AGI floor, a cap on deductions for top-bracket taxpayers, and a modest above-the-line deduction for non-itemizers. Covers donor-advised fund privacy (grants can be anonymous — useful if you're not out everywhere), appreciated stock donations, QCDs from IRAs for 70½+ donors ($111,000 limit), bunching strategies, and bequest planning for LGBTQ+ nonprofits via IRA beneficiary designations.
How LGBTQ+ Couples Should Combine Finances
Merging finances as an LGBTQ+ couple involves rules married straight couples don't face: the ERISA 401(k) beneficiary trap for domestic partners (no automatic spousal default), the spousal IRA gap (only married couples can fund a non-working partner's IRA), account titling for non-married co-owners, the gift tax limit on large transfers between DPs, and tax filing changes. Covers the full combining sequence — bank accounts, retirement accounts, investment accounts, health insurance imputed income, community property for RDPs, and the five estate documents you need before you merge.
LGBTQ+ Pension & Defined Benefit Plan Guide
Domestic partners receive zero pension survivor income at most employers — ERISA §205 protects legally married spouses only. Learn how to evaluate the lump-sum vs. annuity decision when your partner isn't legally your spouse, which state and local pension systems voluntarily extend DP survivor benefits, and how to size life insurance to replace lost pension income. Covers FERS/CSRS for federal employees, private sector plans, and the pre-retirement planning checklist every LGBTQ+ household with a pension should complete before making an irrevocable election.
LGBTQ+ Advanced Estate Planning: GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs & High-Net-Worth Strategies
Married same-sex couples can use SLATs, portability elections, and the unlimited marital deduction. Domestic partners have none of those defaults — their primary tools are GRATs, installment sales to IDGTs, and QPRTs. This guide maps every advanced estate planning strategy to the household type that can actually use it, with LGBTQ+-specific risks, examples, and the HNW estate planning checklist.
California Registered Domestic Partner: Financial Planning Guide 2026
California RDPs have state-marriage status for CA purposes but remain single filers federally — a gap requiring Form 8958 to allocate community property income across two separate federal returns. Covers the 100% community property step-up in basis at death, Cal-COBRA rights, SB 729 IVF fertility mandate for large CA employers (effective Jan 2026), 8-week CA paid family leave for RDP partners, Medi-Cal spousal impoverishment protections ($162,660 CSRA in 2026 — unavailable in most other states to domestic partners), and when to convert your RDP to marriage.
New York LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
New York has no statewide domestic partnership registry — unmarried DP couples get far fewer automatic protections than California RDPs. For married same-sex couples, New York's estate tax creates a unique trap: the $7,350,000 exemption has a hard cliff (estates over ~$7.72M lose the entire exemption and are taxed from dollar one), and unlike federal law, New York has no portability. Covers pre-Obergefell SS claims from 2011 NY marriages, NY Paid Family Leave (12 weeks at 67% AWW, explicitly covering domestic partners), the NYC income tax layer, and the NY-specific estate planning checklist for both married and DP households.
Texas LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Texas is a community property state with no state income tax and no state estate tax — creating planning advantages (100% basis step-up at death, no NY-style cliff) that differ sharply from most states. But Texas has zero statewide domestic partner recognition, no state paid family leave, and same-sex marriage only became legal in 2015 (Obergefell). Covers the informal (common law) marriage opportunity for SS survivor claims, community property rules for same-sex married couples, the sharp DP protection gap, Medicaid spousal impoverishment for married vs. DP households, and financial planning for transgender Texans navigating the SB 14 environment.
Florida LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Florida offers no state income tax and no state estate tax — a compelling retirement destination — but its financial planning picture for LGBTQ+ households splits sharply by marital status. Legally married same-sex couples get Florida's powerful homestead creditor protection (unlimited value), tenancy by the entireties for bank and brokerage accounts, the 30% elective share, and Save Our Homes property tax portability. Domestic partners get none of these automatically. Florida also has no Medicaid expansion and no state paid family leave. Covers the 2026 ACA subsidy cliff ($62,600 per-person cliff vs. ~$84,120 for MFJ), Medicaid LTC CSRA gap ($162,660 for married spouses vs. $0 for DPs), the Doe v. Ladapo ruling permanently blocking SB 254 for transgender adults, and the FL-specific planning checklist for married, DP, and single LGBTQ+ households.
Illinois LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Illinois has a $4M estate tax with a cliff effect and no portability between spouses — the most consequential state-specific financial planning issue for wealthy LGBTQ+ households in Chicago. Illinois civil unions give full state-level rights (IL marital deduction, joint IL return, tenants by the entirety) but no federal recognition — no Social Security spousal benefits, no federal FMLA, no joint federal filing. Covers the credit shelter trust (essential for couples $4M–$8M), the civil union-to-marriage conversion decision, Chicago's domestic partner ordinance, property titling, and the leave law gap for civil union partners.
Washington State LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Washington offers community property for both married same-sex couples and state registered domestic partners — including the 100% basis step-up at death and WA Paid Family and Medical Leave covering RDPs as spouses. The catch: a $3M estate tax exemption with no portability (far lower than the $15M federal threshold), a unique two-tier capital gains tax (7% over ~$262K, 9.9% over $1M), and the mandatory Form 8958 filing for RDPs who must split community income on separate federal returns. Covers the credit shelter trust to recover both WA exemptions, Medicaid CSRA for RDPs ($162,660 vs. $2,000 for unregistered DPs), and the 62+ age rule for new RDP registrations.
Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage (May 17, 2004) — meaning couples who married that year have an 11-year head start on Social Security's 1-year spousal clock and 10-year divorced-spouse rule, and retroactive claims are available for benefits denied under DOMA. The financial planning traps: a $2M estate tax exemption with no portability (one of the lowest in the country), no statewide domestic partnership registry (only 8 municipalities offer limited DP registration), and a 5% flat income tax plus 4% surtax over $1.1M. MA PFML covers domestic partners ($1,230/week max in 2026). MassHealth Medicaid protects up to $162,660 for married community spouses — zero for non-married DPs. Covers the credit shelter trust, pre-Obergefell SS retroactive claims, the municipal DP gap, and the MA-specific checklist for married, DP, and single households.
New Jersey LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
New Jersey has the most layered LGBTQ+ legal landscape of any state — domestic partnerships (2004), civil unions (2007), and same-sex marriage (October 21, 2013) all exist simultaneously, each with different financial rights. NJ repealed its estate tax in 2018 (no estate tax cliff unlike NY or MA), but its inheritance tax charges non-registered partners up to 16% on every dollar inherited — while registered domestic partners and civil union partners are fully exempt as Class A beneficiaries. Civil union partners file joint NJ state returns but single federal returns (the federal gap). NJ Family Leave Insurance covers domestic partners at $1,119/week max (2026). Medicaid CSRA applies to married couples ($162,660) and likely civil union partners — zero for domestic partners. Covers the three-tier planning differences, the $28 DP registration ROI, Social Security gaps for civil union partners, and the NJ retirement income exclusion ($100K MFJ vs. $75K single).
Oregon LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Oregon has the lowest state estate tax exemption in the country — $1 million, not inflation-adjusted since 2012, with no portability. In Portland, a home plus two retirement accounts can easily approach that threshold. Oregon registered domestic partners file jointly on their state return (but single federally, with an as-if MFJ calculation) and receive the Oregon marital deduction — but Oregon is not a community property state, so there is no 100% basis step-up and no Form 8958 income split. Paid Leave Oregon covers domestic partners for up to 12 weeks. The 9.9% top income tax rate makes Roth conversions expensive but often still worthwhile for DP households facing the 10-year inherited IRA rule. Covers the credit shelter trust, RDP filing mechanics, Social Security gaps, Medicaid CSRA for RDPs ($162,660 vs. $2,000 for unregistered DPs), and the Oregon LGBTQ+ planning checklist.
Colorado LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Colorado's Civil Union Act (2013) is unique: civil union partners cannot file a joint return on either their federal OR their Colorado state return — unlike Oregon RDPs or New Jersey civil unions who at least get a joint state return. Colorado also recognizes same-sex common-law marriages retroactively, which can give Denver or Boulder couples an earlier Social Security marriage date for spousal and survivor benefit eligibility. On the positive side: no Colorado estate or gift tax (federal $15M OBBBA exemption applies), a 4.4% flat income tax rate favorable for Roth conversions, FAMLI paid leave covering civil union partners ($1,381.45/week max), and a 2026 gender-affirming care insurance mandate (HB 25-1309) for fully insured large-group plans. Covers the civil union federal gap, the common-law marriage SS dating strategy, the marriage decision math, FAMLI, Medicaid CSRA, and the Colorado LGBTQ+ planning checklist.
Minnesota LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Minnesota enacted same-sex marriage legislatively in 2013 and has had MHRA anti-discrimination protections since 1993 — but its financial planning picture has sharp edges: a $3M state estate tax with no portability (a credit shelter trust is essential for married couples with combined assets above $3M), a 9.85% top income tax rate (one of the highest in the country), and a Social Security income taxation gap that hits single and domestic-partner filers at a lower threshold ($84,490) than married couples ($108,320). Minnesota's new Paid Leave program (January 1, 2026) explicitly covers domestic partners. There is no statewide DP registry — only city-level registrations with narrow scope. Covers the credit shelter trust imperative, Roth conversion cost analysis, the SS survivor gap, Medicaid CSRA for married vs. DP households, MHRA protections, and the Minnesota snowbird residency trap.
Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Pennsylvania domestic partners pay a 15% state inheritance tax on every dollar inherited from a deceased partner — while a surviving spouse pays zero. On a $1M inheritance, that is $150,000 in state tax that a legally married couple does not owe. The guide covers quantifying and pre-funding this liability (life insurance is the primary tool), Pennsylvania's retirement-income-friendly 3.07% flat tax that fully exempts SS, pensions, and IRA/401k distributions at 59½+, the pending statewide LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination bill (House passed April 2026; Senate pending), Philadelphia's domestic partnership registry and local protections, Pennsylvania Medicaid expansion, the Medicaid LTC CSRA gap for domestic partners ($162,660 vs. ~$8,000), and the Social Security clock for couples who married in 2014 when Pennsylvania was an early same-sex marriage state.
Georgia LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Georgia imposes no state estate tax — one of the most favorable estate planning environments in the country for LGBTQ+ families, especially domestic partners who cannot use the federal unlimited marital deduction. Combined with the $15M OBBBA federal exemption, HNW Georgia households face no state-level estate tax at all. The financial planning challenges: Georgia abolished common law marriage in 1997, meaning there is no SS clock backdating option for long-term same-sex couples unlike Texas; no statewide LGBTQ+ non-discrimination law (Bostock federal employment protection applies, plus Atlanta's city ordinance); no full Medicaid expansion (the "Pathways" work-requirement program covers under 20,000 Georgians); and a 4.99% flat income tax with a $65,000 per-person retirement income exclusion at 65+ that varies for income-asymmetric domestic partner couples. Covers the Social Security clock consequences, Atlanta DP protections vs. the statewide gap, pre-65 ACA coverage after the 400% FPL cliff return, gender-affirming care without Section 1557, the FMLA domestic partner gap, and the Medicaid CSRA problem for unmarried couples.
LGBTQ+ Financial Planning FAQ: 22 Common Questions Answered (2026)
Direct answers to the questions we hear most: Do domestic partners get Social Security benefits? How do same-sex couples file taxes? What happens to my IRA when my domestic partner inherits it? Does FMLA cover domestic partners? What is imputed income for DP health coverage? Organized by topic — Social Security, taxes, retirement accounts, estate planning, employee benefits — with links to the full guides and verified 2026 values throughout.
Nevada LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Nevada is one of the most tax-favorable states for LGBTQ+ households: 0% income tax, 0% estate tax, and 0% capital gains tax. Nevada's domestic partnership statute (NRS Chapter 122A) grants registered DPs full community property rights — including the 100% basis step-up on appreciated assets at the first partner's death — plus Medicaid CSRA protection ($162,660). The guide covers the Form 8958 filing obligation for Nevada registered DP couples, the California-to-Nevada relocation planning math (Roth conversion savings, California FTB safe-harbor, deferred compensation sourcing), Nevada's October 2014 marriage equality date and its Social Security implications, the private-sector PFML gap, the $605,000 homestead exemption that requires filing a Declaration, the Nevada Domestic Asset Protection Trust (DAPT), and the full federal gap that persists even with Nevada's strong state recognition.
Arizona LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Arizona has no domestic partnership law — the legal gap is binary: marriage or no state recognition at all. But married same-sex couples benefit from Arizona's community property regime (100% basis step-up at death) and an unusually favorable tax environment: 2.5% flat income tax, no state estate tax, and Social Security fully exempt. Domestic partners in Arizona face the full DP gap with no intermediate DP registration option. Covers the October 2014 marriage equality date and SS implications, no common law marriage backdating, AHCCCS Medicaid expansion with CSRA for married only ($0 for DPs), the $437,600 automatic homestead exemption, and the California-to-Arizona relocation planning math.
California LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
California leads every state in LGBTQ+ legal protections — community property rights for both married same-sex couples and registered domestic partners, Medi-Cal CSRA extension to RDPs ($162,660), Cal-COBRA 36-month continuation, SB 729 IVF mandate for large employers (effective Jan 2026), and 8-week Paid Family Leave covering domestic partners. The planning challenge: California's 13.3% top income tax (highest in the US), no preferential capital gains rate (all gains taxed as ordinary income), 37.1% combined federal + state rate on investment income, and the most expensive state in which to execute Roth conversions. Covers the June 2008–Prop 8–June 2013 marriage timeline and Social Security implications, Form 8958 community income split for RDPs, equity compensation (RSU/ISO) tax planning, Prop 19 second-parent adoption stakes, the California FTB exit audit for relocation, and the California-to-Nevada tax savings analysis.
Virginia LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Virginia was the first Southern state where same-sex marriages became legal — October 6, 2014, eight months before Obergefell — and the first Southern state to pass PFML covering domestic partners (signed April 2026, effective December 2028). Virginia has no domestic partnership registry (binary: married or unrecognized), 5.75% income tax, no state estate or inheritance tax, and Medicaid CSRA for married spouses only ($0 for DPs). The Northern Virginia federal employee concentration creates unique FERS and TSP planning gaps for domestic-partner households. Covers the October 2014 SS marriage clock (divorced-spouse 10-year rule may already be met for couples who split post-2024), the binary DP structure, Virginia Values Act (2020), the November 2026 constitutional amendment ballot, FERS survivor annuity and TSP gap for federal employees, Roth conversion at 5.75%, Medicaid CSRA gap, and retirement income planning.
Connecticut LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Connecticut was the third state to legalize same-sex marriage — November 12, 2008 — and has a unique civil union history: all Connecticut civil unions were automatically converted to marriages on October 1, 2010, creating a different SS marriage clock than many couples expect. Connecticut has no domestic partnership registry (binary: married or nothing), a 6.99% top income tax rate offset by meaningful SS and retirement income exemptions under $75K/$100K AGI, a Connecticut estate tax now aligned at $15M (OBBBA), and Connecticut PFML already paying benefits with domestic partners explicitly covered at up to $1,016/week. Covers the November 2008 and October 2010 SS clock implications, the civil union conversion history, binary DP structure, Roth conversion analysis at 6.99%, Connecticut's retirement income exemption thresholds, the $15M estate tax after OBBBA, CT PFML and CT FMLA for DP caregiving, and the Medicaid CSRA gap for domestic partners.
Maryland LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Maryland was the first state south of the Mason-Dixon line to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote (January 1, 2013). Maryland domestic partners can register with the Register of Wills for $25 to eliminate the state's 10% inheritance tax — one of the most actionable and overlooked moves for Maryland DP couples. Maryland's $5M estate tax exemption diverges sharply from the $15M federal OBBBA exemption, with portability available for married same-sex spouses but not domestic partners — a planning gap that credit shelter trusts must address. The state + county income tax reaches 9.7% combined for high earners, making Roth conversion timing critical for DP households facing the 10-year inherited IRA rule. FAMLI paid leave launches January 2028 with domestic partners explicitly covered at $1,000/week. Covers the January 2013 SS clock, Register of Wills registration mechanics, inheritance tax treatment by registration status, Maryland estate tax portability gap for DPs, income tax analysis, FAMLI timeline, and the Medicaid CSRA gap.
Michigan LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Guide 2026
Michigan enacted one of the country's strongest statewide LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws in 2023 (Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Public Act 6 of 2023 — covers employment, housing, public accommodations) and imposes no state estate or inheritance tax. But Michigan has no statewide domestic partner recognition — only municipal registries in Ann Arbor, East Lansing, and Detroit that provide no financial protections. No statewide PFML (Michigan ESTA covers 72 hrs/year of DP sick-leave caregiving). 4.25% flat income tax with a $67,610 retirement income deduction for single filers in 2026. Medicaid CSRA gap: $162,660 for married spouses, zero for domestic partners. Covers the March 22, 2014 same-sex marriage window (~323 couples who should verify SSA records show the 2014 date, not June 26, 2015), ESTA sick-leave coverage for DP caregiving, the IRMAA single-filer trap at $109K, Roth conversion math, and the Michigan LGBTQ+ planning checklist for married and DP households.
LGBTQ+ Financial Planning by State: 2026 Comparison Guide
Side-by-side comparison across all 19 states we cover: domestic partner recognition tier, state income tax, state estate tax exemption, paid family leave coverage for DPs, Medicaid CSRA protections for domestic partners, and inheritance tax traps. Shows which states are best for estate planning, Roth conversions, LTC planning, and DP recognition — with links to each state's full guide and a pre-relocation checklist.
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