Here are some things to consider when making holiday gifts to family members who are on public benefits.

Funding a special needs trust with life insurance can be a means to provide money to a loved one with special needs.

For many parents, the majority of their savings is held in some kind of a retirement account, often an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). At age 70 1/2, an...

A special needs trust is designed to provide a person with a disability the funds to enhance her quality of life while at the same time allowing her to remai...

Most special needs trusts (SNTs) are set up to benefit one individual. But it’s possible to contribute to a trust where the funds of many people with specia...

SSA recently issued new guidance regarding the use of prepaid debit cards like True Link with Special Needs Trusts. This marks the first tim

A frequent question I get as a special needs planner is “Can I pay for travel expenses out of a Special Needs Trust? What about companion ca

Special Needs Planners are excited about the new POMS that the Social Security Administration released regarding Special Needs Trusts. Learn

New guidance from Social Security Administration regarding Special Needs Trusts (SNTs) has issued. Take a look at the provisions.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that helps people with disabilities and very low incomes pay for food, clothing and shelter. SSI is o...

The Social Security Administration’s Understanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI) website is a recently updated reference for beneficiaries, potential be...

The IRS has confirmed an increase to Section 2503, the federal gift tax exclusion. Section 529A(a)(2) of the Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Be

Simply defined, a trust is an agreement between two people -- a grantor who donates funds to the trust and a trustee who manages those funds according to the...

At long last the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had provided guidance to states on how to treat “ABLE” accounts in Medicaid financial eligibi...

You may have heard the terms "special" needs trust and "supplemental" needs trust and wondered what the difference is. T

The Special Needs Fairness Act has been signed into law as part of the 21st Century Cures Act. Competent disabled individuals can now establ

The Senate approved H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act, by a vote of 94 to 5. The bill now heads to the...

The House passed H.R. 34 – 21st Century Cures Act, a major health care package that included the Special Needs Trust (SNT) Fairness Act (Sec

Special needs trusts come in three main flavors -- first-party special needs trusts, third-party special needs trusts, and pooled trusts. All three trust va...