ARE YOU A FAMILY CARING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OR A CAREGIVER? HERE'S WHY YOU NEED A SPECIALIST…

BY THOMAS BRINKER

For the parents of children with disabilities and varying special needs, the significance of quality holistic estate and financial planning is far more important than simply focusing on tax and investment planning alone. It is a personal, specialized process that requires extensive experience and integrated support from a true advisory partner.

Globally, more than 1.3 billion people live with a disability; in the United States alone, one-in-five Americans have a disability (one-in-four among adults). The aging Baby Boomer generation is also contributing to the size of this demographic. Among those with caregivers, nearly two-thirds are very concerned about outliving their retirement income, and 55 percent

are unaware of how to establish a lifetime financial plan for their dependent with special needs.

Young and adult-age children with disabilities are often not able to adequately care for themselves. Their future self-actualization and quality of life depend largely on their parents' capabilities and desire to create a plan in conjunction and harmony with keeping government benefits available.

Regrettably, few professionals are educated and proficient in this decidedly specialized – there is that word again – planning arena. The consequence of a poorly-designed plan can be disastrous for these children and their families. The best outcome in planning can be accomplished by professionals well-versed in the intricacies who have invested in the applied knowledge they need to navigate the complexities of a well-thought-out plan.

Simply, families caring for those with disabilities need a Chartered Special Needs Consultant®, or ChSNC®, to handle the known knowns but also assemble a team of experts to pinpoint the unknowns that inevitably seeps into the planning process.

PLANS IN HAND: The future self-actualization and quality of life of a young or adult-age child with disabilities depends largely on their parents' capabilities and desire to create a plan in to keep government benefits available.