How much should we convert to Roth each year?

Up to the top of your target federal bracket without crossing the next Medicare IRMAA threshold — IRMAA looks back two years, so a conversion today raises premiums later. The window between retiring and starting Social Security and required distributions is typically the best conversion opportunity of your life. We recalculate the annual ceiling because gains and one-off income consume it.

How do we assess special assessment risk in a condo building?

Read the reserve study, the last two years of board minutes, and the current reserve balance against the building's age and deferred capital items — facade, elevators, plumbing risers, roof. Insurance renewal history matters too. If the reserves are thin and major systems are due, price an assessment into your plan rather than hoping the board defers it again.

Do we have to live in Edgewater to work with Aequitas?

No. Aequitas is fee-only and virtual-first — we work with LGBTQ+ households in Edgewater the same way we work with clients across Chicago and the rest of the US. This page is written for the Edgewater demographic, not as a residency requirement.

Is there a minimum account size?

No asset minimum. Engagements are priced based on planning complexity, not portfolio size, so we can work with LGBTQ+ high earners still building wealth — not just clients who already have it.

What happens on the intro call?

Twenty minutes, video or phone. We ask what you're actually trying to figure out, share how Aequitas would approach it, and decide together whether an engagement makes sense. No pressure, no product pitch.

LGBTQ+ couple in Edgewater, Chicago reviewing their financial plan

Chicago · Edgewater

LGBTQ+ financial planning for Edgewater

You've been in the same building or block for years. The plan should feel that way — retirement, estate, and taxes coordinated instead of scattered.

Schedule a free intro call 20 minutes · video or phone · no product pitch

Quick answer

Is there a financial advisor for LGBTQ+ households in Edgewater?

Yes. Aequitas Financial is a fee-only fiduciary practice serving LGBTQ+ professionals, couples, and families in Edgewater and across Chicago. Meetings are virtual, there is no asset minimum or commission, and plans are built around IL tax, titling, and chosen-family protections.

Source: CFP Board — Code of Ethics & Standards of Conduct

Who this is for

Built for Edgewater LGBTQ+ households

Edgewater sits north of Andersonville along the lakefront — quieter, more affordable, with vintage high-rise condos and single-family homes.

First-home or upsize math has never been run.
Retirement contribution priority across two employers is undecided.
Estate documents don't reflect current partnership.
Cook County appeal cadence has been skipped.

On the ground

Edgewater: retirement, condos, and Medicare timing

Edgewater has a large population of LGBTQ+ households at or near retirement, many in lakefront condo buildings. Two things dominate the planning. First, Illinois' exemption of retirement income from state tax makes it a genuinely favorable place to draw down — but the federal picture still governs Roth conversions, Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and the taxation of Social Security.

Second, condo ownership at this stage carries a specific risk: assessments. Post-Surfside reserve requirements and rising insurance costs have pushed many older lakefront buildings into large special assessments. Before you commit to aging in place, we read the reserve study and the recent board minutes — a $60,000 assessment against a fixed income is a plan-altering event, and it's usually visible a year or two before it lands.

How we help Edgewater households

First-home cash-flow reality check

Down payment source (RSU sale? gift? savings?), monthly payment stress-tested against a rate rise, and honest closing costs — before an agent talks you into stretching.

Estate documents that actually reflect your life

Wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and beneficiary audits refreshed for who you actually chose — not defaults written for someone else's family. Especially the pieces most Edgewater couples wrote a decade ago and haven't looked at since.

Cook County property-tax appeals

Cook County–style over-assessment is common. We run the appeal cadence and coordinate with a local attorney when the math warrants it — often meaningful dollars back over a decade of ownership.

Next step

Go deeper, or just talk to us

Skim the broader context if you want more before reaching out — or book the call and we'll cover it live.

LGBTQ+ financial advisor in Chicago

The city-wide overview: how Aequitas works with Chicago LGBTQ+ households across cash flow, tax, investing, and estate.

LGBTQ+ tax & cost-of-living guide: Chicago

State income tax, property tax, estate tax, and LGBTQ+ planning overlays specific to Chicago.

Schedule Your Intro Call

FAQ

Edgewater planning FAQs

This page is part of our wider guide to LGBTQ+ financial planning — how fee-only, fiduciary planning works for queer households, and which topic to start with.

Ready to talk through your plan?

On a free intro call we'll walk through where you are, what you're trying to figure out, and whether an engagement makes sense — no pressure.

Schedule Your Intro Call