Tag Archives: special needs planning

SECURE Act 2.0: Impact on Special Needs Trusts
A special needs trust (SNT), or a supplemental needs trust, is a legal entity that helps individuals of any age with disabilities maintain their eligibility for government benefits and receive additional financial support. Under the SSA expenditure rules, an SNT can provide additional monies to enhance the beneficiary’s lifestyle while maintaining Medicaid or Supplemental… Read More »

Does Disinheriting Your Special Needs Child Protect Their Government Benefits?
Families with special needs children face unique challenges and opportunities to protect their children’s futures. Providing appropriate medical, educational, recreational, and employment opportunities for your special needs child can result in a lifetime of pursuing public and private programs and services. Too often, the parents or persons responsible for financial and medical management of… Read More »

Choosing a Special Needs Trustee
When creating a special needs trust (SNT) for a loved one with a disability, the grantor (the individual creating and funding the trust) typically becomes the trustee. However, it is crucial to choose a successor trustee who will continue properly managing the SNT to benefit the special needs individual. When selecting a reliable, honest,… Read More »

Funding Options for Special Needs Trusts
It is crucial to properly fund special needs trusts (SNT’s), designating your trust as the owner of certain assets. The trustee can then distribute these assets to benefit your disabled loved one. Before funding can happen, you must choose the type of trust that best suits the situation for your love one with special… Read More »

Special Needs Planning: Enabling the Disabled
In honor of October as Special Needs Awareness Month, let’s take a look at special needs planning, which helps disabled people to live their best lives. Family money can be carefully managed to fit the disability-benefit rules and still provide additional perks for the disabled person to enjoy. And, though the rules can be… Read More »

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month
In March of 1987, the Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month began, calling upon all Americans to provide the opportunities and encouragement necessary for people with developmental disabilities to reach their potential. Since then, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) holds a campaign each March to communicate the importance of inclusion and story… Read More »

Third-Party Supplemental Needs Trust
If you want to provide for a loved one who is disabled or has special needs when you are no longer here, care must be taken to ensure that the inheritance you leave will help rather than harm your loved one. An inheritance received outright could negatively impact your loved one if he or… Read More »

3 Common Mistakes When Planning for a Disabled Family Member
There are 58 million Americans five years of age or older that are identified as special needs, making them the largest single minority in this country. The majority of federal and state benefits available to help persons with disabilities are needs-based, meaning income and assets are strictly limited and can often by misinterpreted, resulting in costly… Read More »

How an ABLE Account Helps Those with Special Needs
The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act was signed into law in December of 2014. The purpose of the ABLE Act was to provide individuals and families the ability to finance disability needs tax-free. The savings vehicle provided by the ABLE Act is similar to the 529 education savings plan. The Act allows… Read More »

5 Care Options for Adults with Special Needs
There are numerous care options available for adults with special needs. The options available vary based on the level of care required, ranging from those adults with special needs who are able to be more independent, to those who need advanced medical care. When planning for- or selecting- care options for special needs adults,… Read More »