Special Needs Trusts

When victims win personal injury lawsuits, obtaining the award is only half the battle. Of equal, or greater, importance is constructing the settlement in a way that best protects the individual's long-term interests.

What portion of a lawsuit award or settlement can go to the state to reimburse Medicaid? The new congressional budget deal finally clarifies the situation.

A financial planner explains the considerations that must go into calculating how much will adequately fund a special needs trust, and offers a sample budget.

Major changes to the “kiddie tax” could significantly increase the tax liability of assets placed in special needs trusts if the trust’s beneficiary is a minor and the income the trust earns is high enough.

Families of people with special needs often face unusually high travel expenses.  Family members may be able to be reimbursed for these expenses from a special needs trust, depending on the type of trust.

Choosing the right person to serve as trustee of a special needs trust is one of the most important and difficult issues in creating the trust.  Here are five considerations to help in the choice of who should serve.

A common fear among beneficiaries or their families is that the trustee may not do what’s in the beneficiary’s best interests and that, if this happens, the beneficiary may not be able to do anything about it.

You may have heard the terms "special" needs trust and "supplemental" needs trust and wondered what the difference is. The short answer is that there's no difference. Here's the long answer.

An often overlooked aspect of a special needs trust (SNT) is how the trust is taxed. Tax savings can be substantial depending on how the trust is structured.