The Benefits of a ‘Golden Girls’ Retirement Plan

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And maybe M*A*S*H can help with your medical questions… Certified Financial Planner David Rae, who specializes in retirement planning for the LGBT community, has a little fun with a Golden Girls retirement premise. Much like identifying the Sex and the City character someone might most-closely resemble, Rae uses the iconic 1980s sitcom in a similar vein for income planning.

“With some proper planning, a Golden Girls retirement may be a great way to help make your golden years more fulfilling, and help make your hard earned dollars provide more security in what could easily be a 30-plus year retirement,” he writes on the Huffington Post. “Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia came together out of necessity, hopefully you and your friends can come together to add friendship, and get the added benefit of a higher standard of living than you might be able to enjoy on your own.

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“So, which Golden Girl do you most represent financially,” he asks the reader?

Sophia: (Estelle Getty) seemed to be in the best shape financially of the four Ladies, who lived off a pension and social security, while her daughter, Dorothy, had to sacrifice some of her own spending to subsidize her mother, Sophia.

Dorothy: (Bea Arthur) was the divorced, substitute teacher who kept working to make ends meet while she dealt with her mother (Sophia) who lived with her. You may recall she even had a cross-dressing brother.

Blanche: (Rue McClanahan) quite arguably known as everyone’s favorite “Popular” Golden Girl. Her husband passed away, and renting rooms in her house was a necessity to maintain her standard of living. In addition, she “slaved to the bone 12 hours a week” at her job to make ends meet. Don’t forget she had a gay brother.

Rose: (Betty White) was retired, from St. Olaf and moved to Florida when her husband passed away. Money was tight; the company that provided her pension went bankrupt which left her worried about becoming an old bag lady.

“I’m going to assume very few of you reading this are widowed 60-something grandmothers, but all the same I’m sure many of us will face similar challenges when it comes to retirement,” he concludes. “I love the idea of spending my golden years surrounded by friends and family, but I’d prefer this type of living arrangement was a choice rather than being forced to live with strangers simply because I couldn’t afford to live on my own.”

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