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The child of blue-collar workers, Ari Linder grew up wanting to help people. In theory, a career in social work or nonprofits seemed like the best way to make a difference.
But halfway through earning her bachelor’s degree in New York City, Linder realized she “didn’t have the financial wherewithal to pursue a degree in social work.”
Linder is currently a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, but in a conversation with David and John Auten Schneider on Yahoo Finance’s podcast “Living Not So Fabulously,” pointed out how important it is to create space for transgender people like . They themselves are in finance or similar careers.
“I had never seen an engineer and I had never seen a comfortable and successful professional anywhere in the LGBTQ+ community, so I didn’t know it was possible for me.” said Linder (see video above or listen below).
“We belong everywhere, not just nonprofits,” Linder added. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do well financially.”
There are an estimated 1.6 million transgender people in the United States, 300,000 of whom are under the age of 17, according to a 2022 study by the Williams Institute.
However, people just starting out in their careers face potential pay disparities in the workplace. According to the Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ workers earn $0.90 for every dollar earned by the average American, while trans men earn $0.70 and trans women earn $0.60 for every dollar earned.
Linder said doing well financially is not a bad thing and can actually provide resources to better help others in the LGBTQ community. As financial advisors, Linder says one of the most important parts of their job is getting to know their clients, which is why they encourage more LGBTQ people to consider a career in finance. he said.
For example, LGBTQ people are more likely to understand the unique financial circumstances of other individuals in their community, such as medical expenses, infertility costs, and the need to budget for emergency savings.
A bank branch displays the blue, white and pink transgender rights flag next to an ATM in the UK on July 14, 2022. (Daniel Harvey Gonzalez/Photo via Getty Images) · Daniel Harvey Gonzalez, via Getty Images
When Linder underwent parietal surgery, a type of gender-affirming care, she not only had to plan for the medical costs associated with the surgery (although Linder did not receive any “corporate benefits”). (He said that he was very helpful), but there were also a series of troubles. There will be unexpected expenses along the way.
“There are other things our community needs that may not be on your radar if you’ve only worked with one transgender person in your life. “No,” they said.
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