Guides: Finances

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New Horizons Un-Limited Publications
Guide to Surviving Inflation on a Fixed Income
   ©  Copyright 2022, New Horizons Un-Limited

If you are living on a fixed income, or have lost essential income due to the pandemic, and are having a hard time keeping up with the rising costs of daily living, this guide will offer resources to help ease the burden of pandemic-related inflation. Particularly, if you are facing food insecurity, difficulty paying your rent and utilities, or medical copays and insurance premiums.

Yes! You Can Work and Continue to Earn SSI Benefits!
   ©  Copyright 2016, Phil Bruemmer, New Horizons Un-Limited

This guide is written by Phil Bruemmer who as a TWE has recently faced tracking down the rules for SSI, Trial Work Period and the new ABLE Act 2014. We hope this guide is helpful for planning for employment.

Guide on Special Needs Trusts for People with Disabilities
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

Special needs estate planning is essential to parents with children with disabilities. At some point in their life when children with special needs require government benefits such as Medical Assistance (Medicaid (M.A.) or Title XIX) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) a parent's estate could prohibit their child from being eligible. The Special Needs Trust is a contract which allows parents or another person to financially supplement a person with a disability without conflicting with the government welfare benefits.

Guide to Buying a Home for People with Disabilities: Financial Considerations and Options
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

This guide, written by New Horizons Un-Limited staff, assists people with disabilities with the financial options of buying a home. The financial burden of buying a home can be very complicated for people with disabilities. People with disabilities face unique needs and issues. Due to the recognition that home buying and new legislation can help to solve the housing crises, there are many emerging programs designed to provide a systematic and strategic approach to offer homeownership financial opportunities to people with disabilities.

Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus Program for Uninsured Families
[Published on New Horizons Un-Limited, ]

New Horizons Un-Limited has written a guide to provide information on the Wisconsin BadgerCare Plus Program for Uninsured Families. Most children with disabilities are considered to have pre-existing conditions, and private insurance companies will usually not cover them. This program allows those families an affordable alternative and provides quality care for those enrolled.

Links to Publications by Others

Financial Assistance: Education
How to Sell Textbooks: The Ultimate Guide from ValoreBooks

This guide is a comprehensive 7-chapter resource, providing highly accessible and detailed information on ways for students to sell their textbooks. The guide is written by experts at ValoreBooks, a leading textbook marketplace. It covers how to sell on Amazon, Ebay, in-person and other channels. It compares pros and cons for each channel, allowing students to make the best financial decisions. The guide gives students a tool to save money despite constantly rising textbooks prices.

Show Me the Money! Options for Paying for College

Heath Resource Center has developed this comprehensive web section concerning financial aid for students with disabilities, discussing grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships.

Financial Assistance Home Accessibility Modifications

Financial Assistance for Accessability Home Repairs and Modifications

This article has many links to resources that can help disabled people find help in making home modifications.

Home Accessibility Costs

This is a guide on the costs to doing modifications in different areas of the house.

Financial Futures and Estate Planning

Able Act vs. the Special Needs Trust: Which Financial Tool Is Right for Your Family?

Brief Guide to Special Needs Trusts

The Special Needs Alliance offers a brief guide to Special Needs Trusts. The brochure answers questions on payback provisions, distribution restrictions and requirements. The Special Needs Alliance is a national, non-profit organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who represent them.

Exceptional Parent Magazine Financial Planning

NOTE: You must sign up for a free membership to access the Financial Planning section of the Exceptional Parent website. This section covers a range of topics including preparing a special needs child for college, taxation of special needs trusts, guardianship, life insurance and much more.

Center for Future Planning

This guide, written by the ARC of the United States, Sharon Davis, Ph.D., Editor, explains the basics of a financial planning for the future and how it can benefit your family member with a disability. "Supplemental Needs or Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), preserve government benefit eligibility and leave assets that will meet the supplemental needs of the person with a disability - those that go beyond food, shelter, and clothing and the medical and long term supports and services of Medicaid." This is a must read guide, particularly for family members of people with developmental disabilities.

Planning Now: A Futures and Estate Planning Guide for Parents of Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities

This guide is compiled by the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council. First printing: July 1999. Revised: May 2003. This guide explains each financial plan tool in layman terms and offers a comprehensive group of forms for you to fill out and plan for the future. This is a very informative and helpful guide.

Pooled Trust Programs for People with Disabilities: A Guide for Families

Produced by The ARC, 2002, this 17-page guide will help families of people with disabilities understand how pooled trusts work and how they might be able to benefit their family member.

Sample Special Needs Trust

Written by By Betsy Simmons Hannibal, Attorney, on Nolo.com. Here's an example of what a special needs trust might look like.

Sample Language for Supplemental Needs Trusts

Written by Attorney Roy Froemming, this guide assists families in developing a trust for a family member with a disability. The guide begins by defining important terms and goes in depth into creating trusts, discussing revocability issues, distribution issues, homeownership issues, the appointment of trustees and much more.

Scoop Essentials: The Dollars and Cents of Disability

This is an article on the Disability Scoop website, a premier source for disability news written by Michelle Diament. This article offers good advice to government benefits, special needs trusts, conservatorships, taxes and more.

The Special Needs Planning Guide: A Special Letter of Intent

Created By Cynthia R. Haddad, CFP® & John W. Nadworny, CFP® ChFC this book offers a check list of what to include in the letter of intent.

The Special Needs Trust Administration Manual, A Guide for Trustees

The Special Needs Trust Administration Manual, A Guide for Trustees - by Barbara D. Jackins, Esq., Richard S. Blank, Esq., Peter M. Macy, Esq., Harriet H. Onello, Esq., and Ken W. Shulman, Esq. Published by People with Disabilities Press at iUniverse (2004): Available from Amazon.com. Special Needs Trust Adminsitration ManualThe Special Needs Trust Administration Manual: A Guide for Trustees is a valuable reference guide for anyone who is managing a special needs trust for a person with disabilities. Written by five Massachusetts attorneys, the book will appeal to both professional trustees and lay persons. It is concise, easy to use, and packed with helpful information. A central theme that runs throughout the book is the beneficiary's eligibility for public benefits such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and Section 8 housing. What can the trustee safely pay for without risking those benefits? The authors give useful advice and provide many concrete examples.

Government Benefits

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Handbook

Social Security Administration offers this guide to provide extensive information about SSI benefits. It discusses everything associated with filing and receiving SSI benefits, including eligibility requirements. The handbook also features information about Medicaid and other Government assistance programs.

Tax Help

New Sign Coping with the Cost of Care: Often-Overlooked Tax Deductions and Tips for Seniors and Their Families by TaxAct. There are many options available to help you manage the cost of care and ensure you claim the right deductions. Take advantage of the programs mentioned in this article to ensure you or your loved ones receive proper care as long as it is necessary. What qualifies as a medical expense? Find help paying for medical costs. Medicaid planning tips.

Tax Breaks for Families With Special Needs

This guide is provided by military one source and gives tips on tax deductions you should review for your family to see if you are eligible.

Tax Tips for Parents of a Child with Special Needs

This newsletter is written by Robert B. Fleming for the Special Needs Alliance. Do you have a child with a disability? If so, there may be income tax deductions, exemptions or credits available to you. Some of the available income tax benefits are unfamiliar even to tax preparers, and some of the favorable treatment options are available to people who provide care for other family members, as well.

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