Supplemental Needs Trust

What Will Happen If Your Clients’ Loved Ones Become Disabled?

Posted by Robert L. Arone We all plan for “just-in-case” scenarios. When packing for our week-long vacation, we throw in a rain jacket even though the weather forecast is sunny—just in case. When helping clients plan for the future, it is also important to consider what will happen just in case one of our clients’ loved ones becomes disabled. We tend to think that disability is something that affects other people. But approximately 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability—that is one in four adults.[1] And more than one in four twenty-year-olds will become disabled before reaching retirement age.[2] Disability is unpredictable, and accidents or serious physical or mental conditions, such as cancer or mental illness, can happen to anyone at any age. As helpful as it would be when advising our clients, no one has a crystal ball to see into the future. We do not know when a

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Niche Trusts: A Chance to Collaborate

Posted by Robert L. Arone   If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it is that each client is unique. Likewise, our approach to counseling these clients should be tailored to each one’s specific needs. Let’s work together to develop special plans that fit each client’s special circumstances. One key tool to consider is the niche trust. Usually, when we speak about a trust, we mean an “express trust.” An express trust is a three-way relationship between the grantor, the beneficiary or beneficiaries, and the third party, or trustee. The grantor has assets he or she wishes to distribute in a specified way to the beneficiary, and the trustee holds those assets on behalf of the beneficiary. The assets, financial needs, and wishes of each client are particular to that person, so the use of trusts needs to be part of a nuanced strategy. Enter the niche trust.

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