Special Needs Planning Made Clear - Legally and Financially

One unexpected inheritance can knock a loved one off critical benefits, and most families don't find out until it is too late. Keeler and Nadler's Mark Beaver sits in the host chair for this episode and welcomes special needs planning attorneys Logan Phillips and Derek Graham of Phillips and Graham.   Together, this vital conversation lays out a clear, practical approach to special needs estate planning and special needs financial planning, built for real life instead of legal theory.We talk through what “special needs planning” actually means: not just drafting a trust, but creating clarity around Medicaid, SSI, county board services, and the long timeline families are really navigating. Logan and Derek explain when families typically start planning, why connecting with the County Board of Developmental Disabilities matters, and how Medicaid waivers can fund life-changing supports.Then, Mark, Logan and Derek get specific about the money rules that create the biggest pitfalls:  the $2,000 asset limit, how a typical estate plan can accidentally disqualify a person with a disability, and how a third-party discretionary trust often protects benefits.   Listen to the very end too as our guests share a key planning lever many financial advisors miss: Disabled Adult Child Benefits and how a parent’s Social Security retirement timing can change outcomes.If you want more clarity and fewer surprises, subscribe, share this with a parent or advisor who needs it, and leave a review with the question you want us to tackle next.The opinions expressed in this program are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations.It is only intended to provide education about finance, tax, retirement and related planning topics. To determine which investments or strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial, tax or legal advisor prior to implementing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results.Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.Keeler & Nadler Family Wealth is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Keeler & Nadler Family Wealth and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Keeler & Nadler Family Wealth unless a client service agreement is in place.