Burned out? Laid off? Can’t sit through one more “All Hands” meeting where Todd from Accounting performs a spoken word about synergy? Honey, maybe it’s time to retire early—even if you didn’t plan to.

This week on Queer Money®, we’re spilling the retirement tea 🍵 on a not-so-boring IRS rule with a Star Wars-sounding name: Rule 72(t). This little-known financial lifeline lets you tap your IRA or 401(k) penalty-free before 59½ if you're done-done (emotionally or professionally). Yes, the IRS will Cher slap you with a 10% penalty otherwise—but not with this rule, darling.

We break down the 3 payment options with sass and strategy—from cautious queens to high-rolling honeys—and share how this rule might just be your early retirement Plan B.

If you’re dreaming of sipping espresso in Porto instead of grinding at your desk, listen up. Rule 72(t) could be your official exit plan.

• What is IRS Rule 72(t)? A legit way to take early retirement withdrawals without the IRS penalty. Yes, it’s real. No, it’s not a droid.
• Three Queen-Approved Payment Plans:
• Required Minimum Distribution – For the cautious queens who want to test the waters.
• Fixed Amortization – For the dependable divas who love predictability.
• Fixed Annuitization – For high-rolling honeys who want more moolah now (but no take-backs, babes).
• You still pay taxes (because this isn’t RuPaul’s Tax-Free Fantasy Camp), but no 10% early withdrawal penalty is a big win.
• This rule works best if you’re 50–59½, have a chunk in retirement accounts, and truly need the income.
• WARNING: If you break the rule (even by $1), the IRS will come for you harder than a drag queen chasing a $20 tip. 💅
• Not for everyone – definitely consult your financial advisor or accountant (and maybe educate them in the process 👀).
• Feeling lemon-y about layoffs and burnout? This may be your early retirement lemonata.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:43 - The T on Rule 72t
• 2:08 - How Rule 72t works
• 2:30 - The 3 Withdrawl Methods
• 4:52 - Requirements to avoid the 10% penalty
• 5:45 - Who this rule works best for
• 7:29 - Wrap up

• Download it here: queermoneypodcast.com/hgrcalc

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

In this episode of Queer Money®, we continue our global search for the best places for LGBTQ+ folks to retire — and this week, we're diving into México lindo. From beach towns to colonial gems, we’re counting down the top 5 gay-friendly cities in Mexico for retirement based on affordability, safety, community, and queer inclusivity.

Find out why cities like Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and San Miguel de Allende made the list, what each has to offer the LGBTQ+ community, and how much it costs to live there comfortably. Whether you want a bustling metropolis or a lakeside haven, Mexico may just be your retirement paradise.

#5: San Miguel de Allende

• Charming, artistic, and walkable colonial town with a growing expat and LGBTQ+ presence.
• Rent for a 2BR averages $1,300/month.
• Queer Money Retirement Rating: 8/10

#4: Guadalajara

• Mexico’s second-largest city with a strong queer scene, great food, and affordable living.
• Rent for a 2BR averages $1,000/month.
• Queer Money Retirement Rating: 8.5/10

#3: Ajijic (Lake Chapala)

• Serene lakeside village with a tight-knit LGBTQ+ community and holistic vibe.
• Rent ranges from $950–$1,200/month.
• Cobblestone streets = strong ankles required!
• Queer Money Retirement Rating: 9/10

#2: Mérida

• Known for its safety, history, and growing queer inclusivity.
• Affordable cost of living and rich Yucatán culture.
• Rent for a 2BR averages $1,000/month.
• Queer Money Retirement Rating: 9/10

#1: Puerto Vallarta

• Mexico’s undisputed gay capital with vibrant nightlife and beachside living.
• Rent for a 2BR starts around $1,200/month, but prices rise in Zona Romántica.
• Queer Money Retirement Rating: 10/10

💬 Let us know what we got right (or wrong), or share your experience living in these cities. DM us on Instagram or leave a comment on YouTube.

• 👉 QueerMoneyPodcast.com/cities

• Download it here: queermoneypodcast.com/hgrcalc

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Download it here: queermoneypodcast.com/hgrcalc

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

Hola, Spain! You voted, we listened—and this week, we’re heading to the land of tapas, Gaudí, and gay beaches to reveal the Top 5 Cities in Spain for Gay Retirees!

From Malaga's chill beach vibes to Barcelona’s big gay energy, we’re breaking down:

• 🌈 The LGBTQ+ scene in each city
• 💸 Rent and cost of living
• 🏳️‍🌈 Our Queer Money® Retirement Rating
• And, of course, our favorite perks (hi, Bear Week in Sitges 🐻💦)

Spoiler alert: You can see Africa from your house, and yes, the best paella is in Valencia.

Whether you're dreaming of mañana mornings or plotting your fabulous early retirement, this is your Spanish gaycation starter pack. 🌴💃

🎧 Episode 592 is brought to you by PensionBee—helping you consolidate those old 401(k)s so you can plan your Happy Gay Retirement with ease. 🐝

📲 Tap that subscribe button, share with your wanderlust-y queer friends, and grab your Happy Gay Retirement Calculator in the episode description.

Next up: Mexico! But for now… stay fabulous. ✨

• 🗣️ Pro tip: Don’t be that American - Want the full Spanish fantasy? Learn the language. It’s sexy and respectful.
• 🏖️ Malaga = sun, culture, and cheap rent—but bring your Spanish dictionary - This coastal cutie is wallet-friendly, but English isn’t widely spoken. Time to practice those rolling R’s!
• 🍊 Valencia is laid-back luxe - It’s giving: beachy, artsy, and unapologetically queer—with fewer crowds and more charm than the big cities.
• 🎨 Madrid has it all—museums, parks, nightlife, and Pride with a capital P - Just watch for some recent political shade trying to dim its sparkle.
• Sitges is cute and uber gay - the small beachside town south of Barcelona where we gayed it up for three months in 2019
• 🏙️ Barcelona is big, bold, and fabulously gay - You’ll pay more for the privilege, but the culture, community, and queer life? Chef’s kiss.

• 0:00 - Intro - Don't be that American
• 0:25 - Malaga - Affordable and expat-friendly
• 2:13 - Valencia - Gorgeous and big
• 4:30 - Madrid - Packed with gays, the capital in the center of the country and hot, hot hot
• 6:52 - Sitges - The gay mecca of Europe and host of International Bear Week every September
• 9:37 - Barcelona - Arts, culture, beaches and a gay nightlife to please just about any gay

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

We’re getting real about what’s actually draining your retirement savings—and no, it’s not just brunch and bad decisions (though we’ll get there). First up: hookup culture. Apps like Grindr have us chasing dopamine hits instead of dividends, making it harder to think long-term when instant gratification is just a swipe away.

Next, let’s talk designer drama. From the outside, it’s giving “fabulous,” but inside the bank account? It’s giving “maxed out.” The pressure to flex with luxury brands can lead to spending that’s more about validation than value.

And finally, we’re unpacking the emotional baggage—guilt, shame, and that quiet voice saying we should be further along by now. Spoiler: You’re not alone.

Let’s ditch the shame, ditch the scarcity, and start building the fabulous future we deserve. 💅

• Swipe now, stress later. That instant gratification life? Cute in the moment, brutal for your retirement account.
• Silence = sabotage. Shame keeps a lot of gay men from talking about money—and that silence is costing us our futures.
• Label who? The obsession with luxury is serving looks—but also serving financial stress. That Gucci bag won't fund your golden years.
• Hookups cost more than cab fare. Casual flings might be fun, but they can seriously mess with your mental health and your money mojo.
• Keeping up with the Instagays? The pressure to be polished and perfect is pricey—and it’s stealing cash from your long-term goals.
• Opportunity cost is real, babe. Every dollar and minute you spend now is one less toward your dream retirement villa in Sitges.

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

In this first-ever global edition of our Gay Cities Series, we're heading to the land of maple syrup, mounties, and mild manners — but don’t let the politeness fool you. Canada is fierce when it comes to welcoming LGBTQ+ retirees.

From coastal charm in Halifax to queer-friendly arts in Victoria, we’re dishing on the top 5 Canadian cities where affordability, healthcare, and inclusivity meet. We’re rating each destination using our brand-new Queer Money® Retirement Rating, giving you a smarter way to choose where to live your next, best chapter.

• Windsor has mild winters, a killer view of Detroit, and rent that won’t melt your retirement budget.
• Calgary skips the sales tax and delivers majestic mountains and queer community spirit.
• Halifax is slow, sweet, and secretly one of Canada’s most affordable queer hubs.
• Victoria brings beachy vibes and progressive energy, if your wallet can handle it.
• Ottawa scores big with healthcare, green space, and Pride that pops.

🏳️‍🌈 Whether you're planning your next move or just manifesting it, this episode delivers the data — and the drama — so you can plan a retirement that’s as fabulous as you are.

👉 Plus: Find out which countries we’re covering next, and get access to our Queer Money® Retirement Card at QueerMoneyPodcast.com/cities

Listen now and start planning your fabulous foreign future. Because if you're gonna retire, make it queer, eh?

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:32 - Windsor
• 3:00 - Calgary
• 6:20 - Halifax
• 7:26 - Victoria
• 9:12 - Ottawa
• 10:32 - Wrap up

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

On this week’s Queer Money, we’re serving up some real talk with a side of glitter.✨ We're diving into the fabulous façade many LGBTQ+ folks feel pressured to maintain—and asking the hard question: is your bank account living its truth, or is it buried under a pile of maxed-out credit cards and designer receipts?

Take our juicy little quiz to find out whether you’re financially fierce or financially faking it. 💁‍♂️ Along the way, we unpack why so many of us feel like we have to look rich, even when we’re barely scraping by. Spoiler: capitalism, trauma, and queer culture have some explaining to do.

But don’t worry—we’re not here just to spill the tea. We’re dishing up strategies to help you stop pretending and start planning for the kind of wealthy life that’s actually fabulous (not just filtered). 🌈💰

Tune in, take the quiz, and let’s trade in the shame for something that shines.

• ✨ Financial authenticity is the new black - We’re ditching the performative wealth and embracing real money talk—because pretending to be rich is soooo last season.
• 💅 Yes, you can live fabulously—but let’s keep it financially honest - We’re talking glitter and grounding. You deserve a lifestyle that feels good and makes sense for your wallet.
• 📝 Take the quiz, boo - We’ve got a fun (but kinda eye-opening) quiz to help you clock your financial habits—and maybe uncover some truths you've been ducking like a Grindr ghoster.
• 🗣️ It’s time we normalize queer money convos - Money stress shouldn’t be a secret shame. Let’s make it a community conversation—like Drag Race recaps, but with spreadsheets.
• 📊 Track your spending like you track your steps (or your ex) - Start with a simple budget. Essentials + savings = the real glow-up.
• 💸 Build that flex fund, honey - Because life throws shade and unexpected bills. A flex fund is your financial fan for when things get hot.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:12 - Fabulous Quiz
• 4:10 - Why is it so expensive to be gay?
• 7:02 - Money moves to be financially fierce
• 10:06 - What's next

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee

This Ever wonder how LGBTQ icons like Anderson Cooper, RuPaul, and Elton John went from fabulous to filthy rich? On this episode of Queer Money, we spill the financial tea on how these legends stacked their coins—with side hustles, savvy real estate moves, and unapologetically owning their brand. From primetime news desks to the main stage of Drag Race, they’ve turned their queer power into powerhouse portfolios.

We’re not just gagging over their glam—we’re breaking down the money moves you can actually steal (the legit kind) to build your own wealth. Because financial freedom isn’t just fierce—it’s a form of resistance. So tune in, get inspired, and remember: the goal isn’t just to get rich, it’s to lift the whole damn community while you do it.

• ✨ Anderson, Ru, and Elton didn’t just get lucky—they made bold, brilliant money moves (and looked fabulous doing it).
• 💼 Side hustles, real estate, and brand power aren’t just for celebs—you can werk them too.
• 💖 Building wealth isn’t just about balling out—it’s about lifting up your queer fam along the way.
• 🔥 Financial freedom? It’s not only fierce. It’s revolutionary.
• 💸 Take a page from their playbook and start stacking your own glam-filled coins.

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Ready to slay your retirement game?

It's time to gather up those long-lost 401(k)s and 403(b)s like the financial Pokémon they are—with PensionBee! 🐝✨ PensionBee helps you find, combine, and invest your old accounts fabulously, with your own personal BeeKeeper guiding you every step of the way. Start building your Happy Gay Retirement—because queens don’t wing it, we plan it. 👑💼

🐝 Consolidate My Retirement Accounts and Save Money with PensionBee