The Financial Advocate

This is a podcast interview with Colin Meeks and Dr. Susan Daniels from the NIH. Dr. Daniels is Director of the Office of Autism Research Coordination at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)/NIH and manages the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a federal advisory body that collects public input and provides advice to federal agencies on issues related to autism spectrum d...

This is a podcast case study about Aretha Franklin, Death Without A Will. There are numerous cases of wealthy super starts that have failed to execute proper estate planning. Not even a will? It is hard to believe for us in the world of financial planning but we see it far too often. Here we discuss the importance of basic estate planning and briefly review the queen of soul's estate issues as she...

Estate planning is a huge part of the financial planning process. "What if you die?" is a morbid but necessary question. Where do you want your assets to go? Beneficiaries make the financial transfer of assets as painless as possible and all it takes it filling out a name on a form yet we find this section often goes overlooked. If there is no beneficiary placed on an account, then the assets will...

" 100% of money raised will be donated to Autism Speaks.  Now in it's 12th year, Autism Speaks has grown into the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families."   Read...

Colin and Ryan discuss what drives people to get advice. What drives you to make a move? There are many factors that drive people to begin planning, listen to find out what Colin and Ryan see the most often. Sometimes life presents a problem that has to be solved right away and other times you just "decide" to see an attorney for estate planning, accountant for taxes, or financial planner. Maybe y...

Nervous about paying a fee when you sit down with someone? Why is it that some advisors are free and some charge? Listen to this case study to find out why we charge a fee to meet and why it is beneficial for you to pay! We believe free advice is free advice. In our industry, someone sitting down with you for free is most likely a young advisor with minimal experience or a commission based advisor...

We have been doing a lot of research with 529 plans because of college savings and the newly introduced ABLE Accounts. After you get done with this podcast, check out our previous podcast posted specifically about ABLE Accounts! "Paul Curley, CFA, is Director of College Savings Research at Strategic Insight, where he oversees data, research, consulting and events on 529 savings plans, 529 prepaid...

Bette Ann Mobley is t he Director at Maryland ABLE and does amazing work with the special needs community. This is a podcast you won't want to miss! This is all about the ABLE Account! This account can be an extremely helpful tool in helping you afford the costly lifestyle that comes with your special needs person. This account isn't just for poor people or just for rich people, it is simply a too...

Angela Lello is the Senior Director of Public Policy for the Autism Speaks Advocacy Team. Earlier this year, there was an announcement that RAISE Family Caregivers Act was signed into law! But, what does that means for families and caregivers? Check out this weeks episode to get some more details! You can find out more about Ms. Lello and the amazing work done over at Autism Speaks by looking at t...

"Illness has no off season, no matter the outcome we know the game is never over. The Team Up For 1 Foundation (TU41) mission is to enhance the quality of life for children (and their families) with developmental disabilities, chronic and life threatening illnesses. TU41 engages the sports world by matching children with teams from every competitive level – college, high school and professional. T...

Cathy Schmidt Founder and Executive Director PATH International Registered Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning   "Established in 2003, CTR's mission is to "encourage healing and celebrate life with individuals and groups whose minds, bodies and spirits will benefit from the transformative connection between people and horses." CTR's certified...

Check this bio out below, see their three newly released titles from their social book series " Lou Knows What To Do"  & much more on their website:  http://www.sociabilitybooks.com/about.html Kimberly Tice , M.S, CCC-SLP has over 10 years experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a certified special education teacher and speech-language pathologist in both New Yor...

 I have been  on a mission to help others restore themselves  to a vibrant and healthy state, using holistic approaches that  empower you to take back your life.  I firmly believe that just because you have a challenging child doesn't mean you have to be "sick" with stress, worry, or despair.  You can find emotional well­being, peace, and happiness again.   http://www.mad2glad.com/

My approach in health coaching helps you recover your child from symptoms of: ▪           Autism ▪           ADHD ▪           Sensory Processing Disorder ▪           "Almost autism" ▪           PDD-NOS "This type of coaching supports your child's adrenal health and thyroid health while controlling inflammation, which is a hallmark of neurodevelopmental disorders. I can teach you which diet, lifest...

Rich Weinfeld describes the importance of collaboration between parent and school staff when planning for students with special needs; his online training program for parents and professionals who want to learn to be more effective advocates for student with special needs. He also discusses the yearly Diamonds in the Rough Conference that trains professionals and parents about interventions that w...

Check out our newest podcast about the increasingly popular  # ABLEaccount . Our special guest  Adam C. Zimmerman - Attorney  and Maryland Financial Advocates own Colin and Ryan talk about ABLE accounts, special needs trusts, the limits involved with qualifying for SSI, and much more. Please share this podcast with anyone or any family dealing with a di sability. Check us out on iTunes below and d...

We offer a dynamic educational program for intellectually curious students with challenges in the areas of communication, socialization, pragmatic language, and organization. Our program is appropriate for students who can learn successfully and appropriately in a small classroom setting. Auburn's program simultaneously supports the development of academic skills, social competency and pragmatic l...

   In this quick yet informative interview, Britt Stouffer explains the basics of special needs trusts and how they may help in your plan. Special Needs benefits are complicated and delicate. If the beneficiary receives too much income, they could be disqualified for a period of time from Social Security benefits. A Special Needs Trust allows for the family to move funds into a safe and protected...

Hi and thanks for visiting Real Look Autism! I'm hopeful that this website will give you some great ideas for working with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders and also serve as a place to share your own insights. There's a lot of information out there so we are attempting to present different therapies and strategies using video in a very focused and thoughtful way. Our  edited stories  wi...

Check out our first podcast on the ABLE Account a few episodes ago if you need more information or head right to the Maryland ABLE website to get your questions answered: https://www.marylandable.org/ We do not get any commissions or work with Maryland ABLE in any capacity. You would work with them directly if you decided to open an account. 

Public benefits programs alone can never meet all the needs of an individual with disabilities; for this reason, preservation of assets in a special needs trust is often preferable to spending down excess income and assets to program limits. Individuals with disabilities often depend on public benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medical Assistance (also known as Medicaid). Thes...

Be sure to listen to part 1 (below) before jumping into this one.  A expert's expert, Maedi Tanham Carney explains how to plan for your child with special needs as they get older and qualify for government benefits.

Navigating through the complex world of government benefits can be tricky, time consuming, and overwhelming. Often, due to a lack of understanding, (and a lack of clarity in government language) families often apply for these benefits with incomplete documentation, and/or make errors during the application process. Aside from being frustrating, these mistakes can be costly; they can prolong the am...

For the first time in public policy, the ABLE Act recognizes the extra and significant costs of living with a disability. These include costs, related to raising a child with significant disabilities or a working age adult with disabilities, for accessible housing and transportation, personal assistance services, assistive technology and health care not covered by insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. ...

Vicki Clarke is the CEO, Lead SLP, AAC Specialist, DTA Schools Consultant at Dynamic Therapy Associates located in Kennesaw, GA. Ms. Clark and her team are changing the ways schools communicate with their kids. Communication is the bridge that connects us all and Ms. Clark is excellent at communicating with everyone. Head to their website to learn more about their success with Augmentative and Alt...