ABOUT THIS EPISODE
SUMMARY - In today's episode, Eileen sits down with Mary McDirmid, a Special Needs Financial Planner and founding member of All Needs Planning, which specializes in simplifying the special needs planning process. Mary understands the emotional, financial, legal, and support aspects of caring for a loved one with disabilities, because she is the parent of a child with a rare disease. Her work is centered on bringing this understanding to other families who would benefit from this information as they plan for their child's future.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Beginning the process of planning for your child's financial future as early as possible is ideal, but the key factor is having the capacity to take on some of the tasks and work it will require.
- Aligning the financial plans with school and educational transition plans is also ideal.
- Determining guardianship, supported decision making and power of attorney needs is an individual process, based on each family's situation and their child's needs.
- Different states have different requirements regarding social security eligibility; knowing your state's requirements is essential.
- It's important for parents to take inventory of all the support needs of their child before they apply for benefits so they can be clear about what level of support their child will need in adulthood.
- ABLE Accounts allow you to keep funds that come to your child while also staying under the $2000 limit required to keep governmental benefits.
- Supplemental Special Needs Trust is where a parent can save and invest additional funds for their child beyond the ABLE account.
RESOURCES:
Mary McDirmid and All Needs Planning
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