Additional Resources

The professionals of Advocacy Trust (AT) specialize in the fields of settlement planning, litigation support, special needs trusts, and settlement administration. To learn more about AT’s personalized service and trust administration, visit advocacytrust.com or call 855-879-3436.

Advocacy Wealth Management (AWM) designs portfolios of predictable cash flows and conservation of invested principal. AWM works nationally with clients who need more than just basic planning to meet their unique needs. Call 800-633-2967 or visit advocacywealth.com to learn more.

A specialty practice of Affinia Financial Group

Our special needs financial planning team is a specialty practice within Affinia Financial Group.  As CFP® professionals and parents and siblings of people with special needs, we understand first-hand what it takes to plan for a complex life. We have been working with individuals and families to plan for their future and for the lifelong needs of their family member with a disability for more than 20 years.

Providing for a son or daughter with unique needs requires a plan that will last for two generations.  Our advisors work as a multigenerational team and we are positioned to provide council and continuity for the second generation.

A comprehensive plan will consist of:

• Coordination of government benefits
• Managing personal financial resources to be available
• A proper estate plan, in collaboration with your attorney
• A team of individuals in place who will continue to implement the plan when a parent or caregiver is no longer living or able to do so.

We follow a defined fiduciary investment management process to invest our clients’ assets toward the goals defined in their financial plan and, in the case of trust assets, the on-going needs of the beneficiary.

We are  authors of The Special Needs Planning Guide, How to Prepare for Every Stage of Your Child’s Life, Brooks Publishing 2008, and life-long advocates for people with disabilities serving both in the ranks and on the boards of Massachusetts public and non-profit organizations.

We are located in Burlington, MA and have clients across the US, although our practice is centered in New England. Our educational blog has thousands of followers from around the world and we invite you to learn more about us at our website, Special Needs Financial Planning.

Bank OZK provides thoughtful, skilled, and high touch special needs trust administration to special needs beneficiaries, their families and associated professionals. Because each beneficiary has unique needs, we work as a team with our beneficiaries and their families to enhance the quality of life with thoughtful consideration given to benefits received. Our learning process never ends as this area of administration is ever-changing.

At Bank OZK, Special Needs Trusts are administered and overseen by a team of trust professionals who include Special Needs Trust Attorneys. Our highly credentialed team of trust professionals has an average of 22 years of industry experience. We believe that every beneficiary should have a direct line to their trust professional, and we feel that communication, access, and responsiveness should be the hallmark of our trust services. Bank OZK provides trust services to Special Needs Trusts of all sizes and complexity.

Bank OZK is one of the nation’s strongest and most trusted financial institutions in America. We have been named the top performing bank based on financial performance eight years in a row*. Bank OZK has over 250 banking offices located in Arkansas, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

Capital First Trust Company is a state chartered and regulated trust company created with the sole intent of providing trust services to personal injury victims and their families throughout the country. First Capital has particular expertise and interest in serving as a trustee for special needs trusts, settlement preservation trusts, medical trusts, education trusts, directed trusts, funeral trusts, and asset protection trusts.

Cumberland Trust is an independent trust company experienced in guiding the wealth transfer process to help families protect their legacies. The firm provides comprehensive trust and estate services, partnering with third party advisors seeking these focused services for their own clients. Cumberland Trust primarily acts as a fiduciary and trusted advisor to help families manage and protect their wealth.

In keeping the core of the business focused on fiduciary services, Cumberland Trust welcomes a relationship with the family’s financial, legal, and tax advisors, a collaborative approach which re-introduces choice and control to clients. Since its establishment in Nashville in 2001, Cumberland Trust’s people-first services and open trust architecture have attracted $3.8 billion in assets under administration with ten offices serving clients in 48 states.

Cumberland Trust is uniquely equipped to act as a partner and support system for our clients. We recognize the importance of Special Needs Trusts for the families we serve. When working with SNTs, our team is committed and prepared to work through each complex situation with the beneficiary and his or her family. Our caring trust officers handle the day-to-day trust administration and partner with external vendors and the beneficiary’s family to support the beneficiary’s needs. Since Cumberland Trust focuses on planning, relationships, and people, as opposed to money management, we embrace the opportunity to aid families who need extra support.

For more information on Cumberland Trust and how it works with advisors and for clients, visit: https://cumberlandtrust.com/.

First International Bank & Trust is a corporate trustee that is unique in the services it provides. As a corporate trustee, we are able to provide services throughout the country. First International Bank & Trust has a niche in special needs trust administration, and will serve as corporate trustee for accounts with as little as $100,000 investable cash for a competitive minimum fee. We are willing and able to serve on court-monitored accounts and are not afraid to deal with unique assets and special circumstances. As a corporate trustee, First International Bank & Trust respects the pre-existing relationships that a client has with other professionals, and we welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with the client’s team of professionals. First International Bank & Trust is willing and able to serve as corporate trustee with a third party financial advisor who is responsible for investing the assets, while being the party responsible for otherwise administering the trust.

Forge Consulting is a General Agency passionately representing injured parties across multiple disciplines, creating balanced and transparent solutions which cater to each individual’s wants, needs, and fears through education and competition in every applicable category.

Garden State Trust Company is a premier provider of fiduciary services qualified to do business in New Jersey and Pennsylvania providing trust, estate, and investment management services. Trustee services for special needs trusts are an integral part of our business. Garden State Trust was founded on three very simple guiding principles – communication, objectivity and above all trust.

Members of our management team have decades of experience providing clients with the peace of mind they deserve knowing they have access to a comprehensive array of services designed to meet their needs today and tomorrow.

Garden State Trust Company is a trust service office of Midwest Trust Company, a Kansas non-depository trust company regulated and examined by the Office of the State Banking Commissioner of Kansas.

At Key Private Bank, we understand you want more out of a financial institution than simply a return on your investment. You want outcomes – and no single path can lead you there without the occasional detour or diversion.

That’s why Key Private Bank looks at wealth management differently. It’s beyond growing your net worth and delivering a monthly statement. Wealth management is about opportunities – opportunities to explore your world. Collect new experiences. Do the things you’re passionate about. Share your success with the people who are important to you. Or just take it easy. It’s about having the confidence of knowing you have a plan that accounts for all of them.

That’s our approach: focused, personalized solutions from experienced financial professionals who are ready to help you navigate whatever paths lie ahead of you.

When you entrust Key Private Bank with your finances, you’re not just a client, but a partner. We start every relationship by ensuring we understand you and work together to set a plan. As we move forward, we stay connected, working with you to reach your goals through actionable and integrated wealth strategies that align with your interests and expectations, and a personalized plan that delivers the best possible return on your objectives. We have a fiduciary responsibility to deliver sound advice, and with full transparency, we will always make recommendations that are best suited for you.

Take the next step, meet a financial planning team near you.

Legacy Enhancement is a national non-profit corporation established to assist individuals who are disabled or have special needs. The goal of our special needs trust is to protect you and your loved ones’ current and future assets by managing funds for supplemental needs and enriching your overall quality of life. Your trust fund will be professionally managed and invested to provide long-lasting security and support. We strive to retain any public entitlements you or your loved one are owed, and work to assist with the needs not covered by benefits or insurance. Legacy Enhancement can assist you with every aspect involved in trust administration; including establishment of the trust, funds disbursement and bill pay, nurse care management, benefits coordination, and much more.

SpecialCare is a program developed by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) that provides access to information and resources to families with dependents, of any age, who have a disability. Our mission is to help educate families and caregivers of people with special needs about the importance and steps in creating a life care plan to help provide a secure financial future. For more information about Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its SpecialCare program, please visit www.massmutual.com/specialcare.

McGrath Consulting helps families and individuals, especially those with special needs, plan for near term and lifelong goals. We provide objective advice to trustees, attorneys, accountants and allied professionals, helping them effectively serve their clients. Our staff consists of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Chartered Special Needs Consultant® and Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ practitioners.

Clients benefit from proactive service, including: intergenerational planning, prompt response and scheduled monthly contacts with quarterly reviews. Relationships are highlighted by financial planning, special needs planning, investment advisory and insurance services as well as fiduciary support for trustees and conservators.

Based in Atlanta, GA, we are licensed throughout the southeast and able to assist clients nationwide.

Medivest is a national Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance company. For 23 years Medivest has been an innovator, creating pre-settlement and post-settlement solutions. Our experienced claims professionals, using state of the art software, adjudicate bills in a quick and timely manner. In addition to Professional Administration, Medivest provides other services including preparing MSA Allocation reports, verifying Social Security/Medicare eligibility, providing Trust Advisor services for cases involving Medicaid recipients, and Lien Resolution services.

Midland Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Midland States Bank with offices in Illinois, New York and Missouri.

Midland advocates for trust beneficiaries and their families with empathy and respect and is experienced in finding solutions for unique circumstances.

Midland:

• Delivers one-on-one service with a dedicated administrator
• Administers OBRA ‘93 trusts, which are also referred to as supplemental needs trusts, special needs trusts, 1st party special needs trusts or self-settled special needs trusts
• Administers 3rd party special needs trusts
• Provides guardian of the estate administration for minors and disabled adults
• Has multi-lingual staff

Midwest Trust has made a decision to specialize in the administration of special needs trusts. Midwest Trust recognizes the expertise required in the administration of a special needs trust. Thus, the trust officers who administer the special needs trusts are uniquely qualified to ensure that government benefits are not violating any government benefit rules. Midwest’s trust administrators prioritize communication with family members, loved ones, care communities and care providers so as to maximize the benefits of a special needs trust. Thus, the circumstances of the trust beneficiary are met as they change and evolve. By the appointment of Midwest Trust as the trustee of the special needs trust, the family will have peace of mind for the future.

Milestone Consulting believes that injured plaintiffs deserve their own advocates during settlement. Milestone assists plaintiffs’ attorneys with any settlement-related needs their clients might have, including government benefits preservation, trust planning, Medicare Set-Asides, cash preservation and annuities.

TEAM Risk Management Strategies (www.team-risk.com) is a leading provider of outsourced household employment services. We offer nationwide employer of record services to fiduciaries who manage trusts, estates, and guardianships which directly employ caregivers or other service providers.

We provide a seamless solution to address both the hassles of employee administration as well as the considerable risk of employment-related liability. In addition to handling payroll processing, TEAM manages all recordkeeping and tax reporting, and provides full-service access to human resources and compliance experts. To ensure that fiduciaries and trust assets are fully protected, TEAM provides comprehensive workplace insurance and liability coverage, as well as compliance with ever-changing employment law.

TEAM has served hundreds of the nation’s most prominent banks and financial institutions over the last 15 years and employs thousands of people in all 50 states.

True Link Financial offers a suite of technology-based solutions and investment services designed specifically for special needs trusts, including the True Link Prepaid Visa® Card and software to manage disbursements, accounting, and reporting for trusts. The reloadable card simplifies managing disbursements and can be customized to work only where and when beneficiaries need it to, which is why the Social Security Administration has provided guidelines in the POMS for using the True Link Card to make disbursements from SNTs and protect SSI benefits (refer to POMS 01120201.i1e). True Link Financial Advisors, the company’s investment advisory arm dedicates its more than 150 years of financial expertise to serving thousands of pooled and individual special needs trustees and beneficiaries throughout the United States. The company is proud to partner with trustees, fiduciaries, families, and individual consumers to protect independence and increase quality of life.

Beyond managing trust and investment assets, Wells Fargo Special Needs Trust Services can provide individuals living with special needs with budgeting assistance, referrals to case managers and professionals, payment of bill and taxes, help purchasing accessible vehicles and residential real estate, and preparation of court supervised trust accountings.