Special Needs Trusts

An important piece in special needs planning is determining where your loved one will live—and how to cover the cost.

You can qualify for Medicaid long-term care coverage and still set money aside to support your loved ones with disabilities.

Busy trustees deserve payment, but there are important guidelines to follow to determine how — and how much — to bill the trust.

Some special needs trusts may be eligible for considerable tax savings. Here's how.

Special Needs 101

Because beneficiaries of programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid must be quite poor to qualify, they can lose their benefits when they come into an inheritance, receive money in their own names from an accident settlement, or merely...

Special Needs 101

A special needs trust can allow individuals with special needs to preserve assets that will enhance their quality of life while allowing them to remain eligible for needs-based public benefits like Medicaid and SSI.

Special Needs 101

Third-party special needs trusts, as the name implies, are funded with assets that never belonged to the trust beneficiary, and they provide several advantages over the other two types of special needs trusts.

Special Needs 101

Retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs make up the majority of most people's savings. While these plans encourage saving by offering significant tax rewards, they were certainly not set up to help families with special needs.

Special Needs 101

Hiring a caregiver for someone with special needs can be a daunting task. Here are some tips to keep in mind before, during, and after the hiring process.

Special Needs 101