Resources

This issue of The Voice® was written by SNA member Johanna Pickel, of Johanna A. Pickel LLC located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her firm focuses on compassionate and thoughtful planning for every stage of life – wills, trusts, special needs trusts, Medicaid and VA compliant trusts, […]

While the concept of an individual retirement account (IRA) seems fairly straightforward, the rules that apply to distributions can be quite complicated. They are even more complex following your death. The Internal Revenue Service has devoted some of the most complicated rules in the book for […]

CommunityAmerica’s Special Needs Planning Center and the National Association of State Treasurers’ (NAST) ABLE today™ initiative are excited to announce a new partnership to expand national outreach and engagement platform for increasing awareness and promoting the positive impacts and opportunities around ABLE accounts and Special Needs […]

There is a huge myth flying around the I/DD field that can potentially sabotage an individual’s path to independence. How many of you have heard this statement when the discussion of employment comes up… “Oh be careful, if I were you I would not explore employment […]

Let’s face it, most people will not owe estate tax in the current estate tax environment. With an estate tax free amount of $12 million for individuals, less than two-tenths of one percent of Americans will owe estate tax. This brings estate planning for most people […]

The simplicity and complexity of Portability often creates unintended consequences. Let’s discuss how to steer clear of traps for the unwary and anticipate the credit to come as we seek to understand the nuances of one of the newest features of the estate tax law. Optimizing […]

U.S. Markets Stocks were mixed in May as a powerful rally in the final week of trading helped recoup losses from earlier in the month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 0.04 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.01 percent. The Nasdaq […]

The topic of South Dakota as a favorable trust situs often leads to a discussion comparing the virtues of South Dakota versus Delaware. Which jurisdiction is best? Why South Dakota? Since abolishing the rule against perpetuities in 1983, South Dakota has worked diligently to become the […]

A special needs trust (SNT), sometimes referred to as a supplemental needs trust, is a trust that is established for the benefit of a physically or mentally disabled person, or a person who has other special needs, such as chronic illness, while still allowing such persons […]

You may have access to a premium assistance program that can help pay for coverage if you or your children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP (or HIPP in MO & KS) and you’re eligible for health coverage from your employer. Learn More