I hate that I even have to ask this, but now that gay marriage is being challenged in the courts, what are some practical steps that LGBTQ couples can take to safeguard the financial rights that they have built together and access spousal bene- benefits?

benefits?Yeah, it's a, it's a great question, and I would first and foremost recommend that they seek professional legal advice, and neither I [laughs] nor my, nor Merrill Lynch offer legal advice.

So it's essential to collaborate not just with an advisor, right, but, like, also with an LGBTQ+ competent estate attorney, since laws can vary by state and can change.

Um, you know, it's, it's important to recognize that planning for uncertainty is part of financial resilience.

So couples can prepare by maintaining separate, well-documented estate plans, holding assets in trusts rather than relying solely on marital status, uh, keeping powers of attorney and beneficiary designations updated and legally consistent, documenting joint contributions to shared property or accounts.

Uh, you know, the, the, the key to all of this is, is coordination.

Um, your legal documents, beneficiary designations, and financial accounts all need to align, and without that, courts may default to next of kin laws that exclude chosen family or partners.

What finances in couples are one of the things that, that break couples up or is identified as breaking couples up? What are some of the ways that you see LGBT couples working with money, making it actually work? And how do people protect and nurture their relationship while they're navigating all of this?