The LGBTQ Wealth Gap

LGBTQ people and communities suffer from a wealth gap: they have less earnings and wealth than their non-LGBTQ peers because of discrimination in earnings, a lack of quality information, public policies that do not address their needs, and discrimination in the marketplace for goods and services.

Income & Savings

The Income & Savings Gap

Discrimination in the workplace leaves LGBTQ consumers with smaller earnings compared to het/cis peers. Smaller earnings leaves less money for LGBTQ consumers to manage expenses, create savings, and buy homes and assets, or save for their retirement and golden years.

Learn more

Information

The Information Gap

Qualitatively, it is redundant to observe LGBTQ people have lived experiences that are distinctive from their het/cis peers. But, few generalizable studies or government statistics provide a quantitative view into how: i.e., unique demographics and well-being data for LGBT communities in the U.S., and worldwide.

Learn more

Policy

The Policy Gap

Existing policies do not sufficiently protect all LGBTQ people in the U.S. from discrimination and do not support their economic well-being fairly & equally.

Learn more

Market

The Market Gap

Discrimination in the marketplace unfairly prevents LGBTQ consumers from obtaining needed goods and services and exacerbates the Wealth Gap because they are denied access to necessities, are provided products or services of inferior quality, or are overcharged.

Learn More

Download the Wealth Gap Fact Sheet

Click here to download the LGBTQ Wealth Gap Fact Sheet as a PDF.

The Wealth Gap on the Blog:

CLEAR Applauds CFPB’s Ban on Excessive Late Fees

This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unveiled a new rule to ban excessive credit card late fees. Such fees are a common source of frustration for credit card users, which make it more difficult for U.S. consumers and families to keep up with their bills and afford everyday

New CFPB Overdraft Rule Proposal Will Protect LGBTQI+ Consumers From Exorbitant Junk Fees

Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took a strong step to restore the balance between consumers in the United States and big financial institutions, by issuing a new overdraft rule that will prevent banks from profiting from consumers’ financial insecurities. Overall, overdraft fees add up to billions of

The NAME Coalition Celebrates the Introduction of the Name Accuracy in Credit Reporting Act for Transgender Day of Visibility

Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) introduced the Name Accuracy in Credit Reporting Act. The bill will prohibit credit bureaus from including consumers’ previous names on their reports after a request by the consumer notifying them about a legal name change. The NAME Coalition celebrates this critical

New Report Offers Most Comprehensive Look to Date at LGBTQI+ People’s Financial Lives

The LGBTQI+ Economic and Financial (LEAF) Survey: Understanding the Financial Lives of LGBTQI+ People in the United States, released today, shines new light on the financial experiences and issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people in the U.S. The report fills in critical gaps left

Navigation

Re-Imagining Financial Freedom & Economic Justice for LGBTQI+ Communities

Note: The information and resources on this site are for informational use only and not for the purposes for providing legal or financial advice to any particular person. Always consult your own financial and legal advisor before acting on any information.

© 2025 Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research

Legal | Privacy Policy