With the goal of taking advantage of every available public benefit, while increasing independence from them.

For the disabled individual:

• Income benefits:

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), including the Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefit

• Healthcare benefits:

  • Medicaid (including spend down provisions)

  • Medicare

  • Private / Group

• Supports:

  • State waiver programs

  • Food stamps & SNAP

  • Housing Vouchers (Section 8)

For the parent(s) / caregiver(s):

• Social Security:

  • Retirement benefits

  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

  • Child-in-care (CIC) spousal benefits

  • Spousal & Survivor benefits

  • Family Maximum Benefits (FMB)

• Private / Group Insurance

• Supports:

  • Caregiver Compensation

  • Respite

Financial planning for the whole family.

• Cash Flow - Telling your money where to go, instead of asking where it went:

  • An in depth analysis of your current spending plan

  • A future analysis of the income and expenses your child with a disability or special needs might have to determine how much is still needed to cover all needs

  • Savings order of operations

• Risk Mitigation - Planning for all conceivable scenarios that could blow up your plan. Specifically, we cover:

  • Debt pay down strategies

  • Emergency cash reserve

  • Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Long-term Care Insurance

• The 2 Retirements - One for the parent / caregiver, one for the dependent loved one after parent(s) pass.

  • First Retirement:

    • Net Worth

    • Financial Independence

  • Second Retirement:

    • Investment strategies including how to incorporate an ABLE and Special Needs Trust account funding

• Tax Minimization - Keeping as much money in your pockets now, and reduce Uncle Sam’s beneficiary interest when you pass

Investments as the fuel to the plan.

• Investment Philosophy: Personal & Passive — We believe markets are efficient, and therefore utilize a passive investment philosophy that focuses on the areas investors can control:

1. Owning low-cost, high-quality investments

2. Being Diversified

3. Taking advantage of opportunities

• Asset Allocation - How the assets are invested, vs. Asset Location Maximizing after-tax return

• Risk Analysis - your portfolio exposed to too much risk? Not enough risk? Our analysis helps you understand what is best for your situation.

• No product sales, no commissions, no hidden, nickel-and-dimed fees - Simple, transparent. Need we say more?

Ensuring your legal documents match your family’s plan.

• Decision Making

  • Guardianship, Conservatorship, Supported Decision Making, Powers of Attorney, or a “Micoboard” strategy

  • Health Care / Medical Directives

• Asset Protection - Ensuring the wealth you’ve built is maintained and transferred the most efficient way possible

  • Wills, Trusts, and/or Special Needs Trusts

  • Beneficiary designations

  *Note: We are not attorneys and therefore do not provide legal document drafting or give legal advice

The non-financial, non-legal aspects of your loved one’s every-day-life.

• Family Meeting - These recurring meetings ensures everyone involved in your family’s planning understands the important nuances and implications of our careful planning, and how they might fit into it

• Emergency Plan - This takes into account the first 24 hours, as well as the first month after an emergency such as death of a parent or parents

• Letter of Intent - The “playbook” as we like to call it. The Playbook describes in detail the many things someone would need to know about caring for your child with a disability or special needs including their likes/dislikes, routines, medications, hobbies, schedule, etc.

• Housing - Where your child with special needs will live is undoubtedly one of the more important questions we will answer. As they work towards independence, or after you pass, determine a suitable housing situation is crucial