Category archives: Special Needs Planning
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7 years ago
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Immediate annuities can be a useful tool to protect the spouse of a nursing home resident who applies for Medicaid. These types of annuities allow the nursing home resident to spend down assets and give the spouse a guaranteed income. But immediate annuities may not work in every state, so be sure t... [read more]
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7 years ago
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It is common for a parent to want to be named as trustee of a special needs trust benefitting her child, especially when the parent is the one creating or funding the trust. There are many reasons why this makes sense. It positions the parent to have complete control over trust distributions. It is ... [read more]
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7 years ago
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After initially delaying a rule intended to prevent financial advisers from steering their clients to bad retirement investments, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the rule will go into effect on June 9, 2017, but its future is still unclear.
Earlier this year, President Trump sign... [read more]
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7 years ago
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We’re proud to announce that Marie Skipper, Elder Care Coordinator, has earned the Certificate in Elder Care Coordination training presented by the Stockton Center on Successful Aging in conjunction with the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association.
This program of study included training about t... [read more]
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7 years ago
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The Trump administration is planning to allocate billions of public education dollars to expand private school voucher programs, but vouchers may not be the best option for families with special needs children.
Vouchers allow parents to use public funds to pay for tuition at a private school ... [read more]
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7 years ago
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Trustees of special needs trusts wear many hats. They act as investment manager, bookkeeper, distribution manager, benefits advocate, and financial planner. Often trustees are in constant communication with the beneficiary and the beneficiary’s caregivers regarding many aspects of the beneficiary’s ... [read more]
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7 years ago
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Private retirement savings plans, like IRAs and 401(k)s, have become the main way for American families to save for retirement. But parents of children with special needs need to be vigilant when signing up for a retirement plan or company life insurance program.
Most retirement accounts allo... [read more]
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7 years ago
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All hospitals must now give Medicare recipients notice when they are in the hospital under observation status. The notice requirement is part of a law enacted in 2015 but that just took effect.
Signed by President Obama in August 2015, the law was intended to prevent surprises after a Medicar... [read more]
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8 years ago
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Many attorneys create trusts, and some even create special needs trusts, often using pre-written templates. So why, you may ask, do you really need an attorney whose practice focuses on special needs planning?
It is important that special needs trusts not be unnecessarily inflexible and gene... [read more]
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8 years ago
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Parents of children with special needs must be concerned with ensuring that medical and financial decisions will continue to be made in the child's best interest once the child reaches age 18 -- the age of legal capacity. In most states, once a child reaches age 18, he is presumed to have decision-m... [read more]
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8 years ago
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When serving as the trustee of a special needs trust, it is crucial to be careful when making distributions for the benefit of the trust beneficiary. This is particularly true if the beneficiary receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because any distribution could potentially violate Social Se... [read more]
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8 years ago
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A law signed by President Obama in 2014 allows people with disabilities who became disabled before they turned 26 to set aside up to $14,000 a year in tax-free savings accounts without affecting their eligibility for government benefits. Called the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, the... [read more]
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