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

A Gift of Independence gift card is a new way to honor, celebrate, reward or support a member of your family, a friend, a co-worker or a nei

A standalone third party trust can be a great opportunity for other family members to make a lifetime (or testamentary) contribution to a di

For many parents, the majority of their savings is held in some kind of a retirement account, often an Individual Retirement Account...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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...

Many attorneys create trusts, and some even create special needs trusts, often using pre-written templates. So why, you may ask, do you...

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...

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