The Magic of Compound Interest
Fans of the Harry Potter book series know about Hermione’s beaded handbag that shows up in the final book. If you aren’t a Harry Potter reader, then maybe it’s time…
Debt reduction and stress relief go hand in hand
What keeps you up at night, financially? Is it having too much money in the bank? Too much income? Too many cars, houses, or clothes? Unlikely. One significant source of…
18 minus 64: Milestones for Parents
18 minus 64. The math doesn’t add up. It does not make any sense. What kind of financial planner comes up with a negative number anyway? And why take the…
Tips on stimulus payments
CARE Act stimulus checks went out in April and families with special-needs members are asking questions about how to handle the funds. Last week, a mom called wondering what to…
Taffy pulling
As a parent of three children, one of whom has Down syndrome, there are many times that I feel like a piece of taffy in a candy factory – pulled…
Special needs planning
Future planning – choosing between fear and courage
Last month, I spoke at the National Down Syndrome Society’s adult conference in Detroit to a room of parents with adult children with Down syndrome. Some families were still figuring…
Puzzle pieces
Complete pictures help solve puzzles
My family and I spent some time working on puzzles over winter break. We had time, it was cold outside and needed something to do. Have you ever tried putting…
My child owns a condo…
A safe and permanent home is right at the top of the list of wishes most parents have for their family member with special needs. We give that to our…
QDE - education
Spending ABLEs – What’s a QDE anyway?
The ABLE Act changed the way we think about saving and spending money for our family members with special needs. For the first time, we can now have a simple,…
Starting to design – your DreamList
“Starting to Design” is the second Building Block in my Blueprints series of workshops and the second chapter of my book, Financial Freedom for Special Needs Families. This Building Block…
special needs planning mistakes
A $250,000 Mistake
Why would any investor seek to gain 7% on their portfolio only to have 25% of their investments go to waste? Similar scenarios play out in my office on a…
Three steps to having your special-needs trust in place in 30 days
This month, I spent two and a half days at the National Down Syndrome Congress’ annual convention in Dallas. The NDSC asked me to give a workshop on special-needs planning…