Estate Planning

Special needs trusts (SNTs) can play an important role in helping families plan for children with special needs. Here are some of the most compelling reasons to speak with your attorney about establishing an SNT.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court has put off the question of whether a special needs trust beneficiary is eligible for Medicaid until the state can locate its apparently lost Medicaid plan from 1972.

In many cases, the trustee of a special needs trust should hire a professional investment adviser. Here are some guidelines for hiring one.

Gift cards are the most popular holiday gifts, but they can cause problems for recipients who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Here are some things to consider before purchasing a gift card for a person with special needs during this...

This book offers a boilerplate special needs trust. Our reviewer finds many flaws and asks: Why would you want to scrimp on the one tool that will provide for your child'™s lifetime care?...

Several little-noticed provisions of the recently-enacted law that extended the Bush-era tax cuts fundamentally alter how the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid programs treat tax refunds and other tax credits, making it easier for people with special needs to...

Parents of children with special needs often want to direct required distributions from IRAs following their deaths into a special needs trust (SNT) for the child. But if the trust is not set up properly, the income tax consequences...

On the heels of the announcement of a 3.6 percent increase in Social Security benefits in 2012 comes news that Medicare's monthly premium will be much lower than expected next year -- and will actually drop for millions of beneficiaries.