Oak Wealth Advisors'
Special Needs Advisories

Video Presentation on ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts to the non-profit group Together for Choice.

The ABLE Account and Special Needs Trust presentation includes our latest thoughts and best practices related to these essential elements of a special needs financial plan.

Oak Wealth Advisors was named the 2023 NAPFA Excellence in DEI Award Winner this month by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. NAPFA is the leading organization of fiduciary financial advisors….

The Challenges and Successes of Raising Two Young Adults with Disabilities The thrill of victory.  The agony of defeat.  This old catchphrase for ABC Sports was accompanied by video of…

Has anyone experienced raising a child where no matter what parental advice is offered, they deliberately choose the opposite? Please tell me I am not alone. My daughter Maddy is…

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we are sharing the story of two young adults with Down Syndrome who have a very special friendship. We believe the story and...

Parents can play an important role in their child’s education by developing a strong partnership with teachers and support staff. For those who have a child receiving special education services, communicating, and collaborating with your child’s educational team can prove to be a delicate dance.

Here are some strategies we recommend to promote a successful school year for both you and your child.

To celebrate ABLE to Save Month, Oak Wealth Advisors would like to share a few resources and make you aware of how ABLE accounts could benefit even more people soon….

New National 988 Mental Health Crisis Number is Going Live! Beginning July 16th, any individual suffering from a mental health crisis or emotional distress can call, text, or chat the…

Here are suggestions for summer supports and services your family may be interested in pursuing:

Extended School Year (ESY) – If your child qualifies, you may wish to explore ESY services which extend and reinforce your child’s IEP goals and benchmarks learned throughout the year…

Below is link to a recent CNBC article summarizing the importance of special needs trusts. Oak Wealth Advisors was honored to be a major contributor to the article. Please share the article with your friends who have loved ones with special needs to reinforce the importance of the trusts in their family’s planning.

With food prices soaring, is your loved one with special needs taking advantage of their right to have the government pay for their groceries? Using a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…

And I was worried that she would never speak or develop self confidence… There are mornings when my alarm does not go off and getting the kids out of their…

As parents, one of our fundamental goals is for our children to be happy. How would you feel if your child communicated with you every day that they were happy?…

SSI Recipients Now Have 50 More Days to Appeal and Retain Benefits The Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued an Emergency Message extending the time that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries have…

In the same way we are conditioned to call 911 in an emergency, individuals suffering from a mental health crisis or emotional distress can soon call or text 988 and...

October is our month to celebrate both Down Syndrome Awareness and Disability Employment Awareness. We believe the video below will put a smile on your face as you head into...

Illinois HB 2748 allows students with disabilities who turned 22 during the pandemic to remain eligible for educational services through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. This provides an additional year of transition services for those students who can benefit from it.

On March 8th, Dr. McDonald released her groundbreaking Autism research in a webinar that we were honored to present. One observer referred to the research as Nobel Prize worthy. If you or your colleagues were unable to attend the live presentation, please watch it and let us know what you think.

Ryan McGuire joins Oak Wealth Advisors in March of 2021 after spending nearly seven years working as a wealth manager within a large, multinational CPA firm. He brings his passion for serving families, like his own, who have loved ones with special needs. Embracing the mission of Oak Wealth Advisors, Ryan is looking forward to educating more families about planning opportunities and helping them maximize their resources.

Not all life insurance is the same. Term life insurance and Permanent life insurance vary significantly in cost and in terms of how they are structured. Watch the above video to learn…

Our Views on Social Justice The status quo will not do. As a firm that views itself as a pioneer in the financial services industry, we want to reiterate our…

When Experiencing Turbulence in Life, Put Your Own Mask on First I feel challenged by the limitations placed on our lives by the distancing required to combat the spread of…

DEVELOPING MY DAUGHTER’S LIFE SKILLS WHILE SHELTERING IN PLACE My daughter Maddy is learning how to cook and it is a life skill she enjoys developing.  When cooking and baking…

If you have school-age children like I do, they likely have completed their second or third week of remote learning.  In addition to your career you are trying to maintain…

While the deadline for filing and paying our taxes for 2019 has been pushed back to July 15th, 2020, there is no time like the present to begin working to...

Special Needs Trusts are the cornerstone of a solid special needs financial plan. However, a common oversight by attorneys less familiar with drafting special needs planning estate documents can lead…

Some parents mistakenly believe, adding a child with a disability as a co-signer on a credit card is a harmless act. While it does make purchasing items easier, it comes…

Having thorough and current medical records can often be the difference between receiving or being denied benefits. Once benefits are in place, records need to be maintained.  It is common…

A Night with Illinois Special Needs Planning Experts. A Town Hall discussion covering housing for individuals with disabilities. Housing for Individuals Challenges and Realities Outcomes and Quality of Life One…

Special Needs Planning Mistake 5 Missing Government Benefits for Which You are Eligible …such as SSI, Medicaid, Social Security Disability. Read why it is a mistake to not have these…

Planning for a loved one with special needs extends beyond financial planning. Whether it is housing, educational, vocational or life skills planning, remaining proactive with their planning needs is an…

Special Needs Planning Mistake 4 Failing to Communicate Your Intentions to Your Relatives According to our financial planner for those of Special Needs, failing to communicate your intentions to your…

While getting and keeping Medicaid services has never been easy, the challenges are about to increase for Illinois residents. As of November 1, 2019, any prescription, referral, or order for…

When a Family Member With Special Needs Lives With Parents or Siblings In a perfect world, we would all live interdependently in safe houses in our desired neighborhoods, feel integrated…

Special Needs Planning Mistake 3 Not Verifying Beneficiary Designations, Retirement Accounts and more is a mistake. Learn why… Most people think that their will dictates where all of their assets…

Video Above | Special Needs Planning Mistake 2 Not Knowing What Countable Resources an Individual Has Prior to Applying Not Knowing What Countable Resources an Individual Has Prior to Applying...

Essential Elements of a Successful Special Needs Plan – Join Mike Walther of Oak Wealth Advisors for an engaging and informative workshop that will help you create long-term plans for your loved one with special needs Sept 11, 2019 at the NAMI- CCNS Annual Meeting.

Learn from special needs planning experts and peers

Thursday, Sept 26, 2019
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Takiff Center Community Hall
999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe IL 60022

Watch The Complete Video Below…
A town hall Video discussion covering the most challenging issues facing families with loved ones with disabilities.

People with disabilities are entitled to a free, lifetime, National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass to visit over 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country. Included are National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, and other federal recreation lands. In order to obtain a pass, you must provide documentation that you have a permanent disability.

In the special needs community, the end of supports through the school district can be a frightening time for families. There is no consistent age at which services end among…

ABLE accounts, which we have strongly recommended for several years, now have the additional benefit of providing an Illinois state income tax deduction for those who contribute to an Illinois ABLE Plan. We have been advocating for this tax deduction since the federal law creating ABLE accounts was passed in December of 2014. We are happy to see our efforts, and the voices of many other families, reflected in this new state income tax benefit.

From Randi Gillespie of Oak Wealth Advisors A few years back, I penned an article about my youngest child, Liam (then 7) and his older sister, Maddy (then 10) that…

One of the core missions of Oak Wealth Advisors is to improve the lives of families with special needs members. That mission extends well beyond providing fiduciary financial services to…

Having a mental illness presents challenges in individuals’ lives, but it should not define their lives. The same could be said for other disabilities, yet mental illnesses have such a…

As we start 2018, there are now 31 states offering ABLE accounts and 23 of them are accessible to residents of all states. While ABLE accounts have retained all of…

On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, the special needs community was able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.  The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision that upholds and clarifies…

Over two years after the ABLE Act was passed, fewer than half of the fifty states are offering ABLE accounts. The good news is that the number is growing on...

The following summary comes from United Cerebral Palsy and their annual study of the special needs programs and resources available across the country.  For more information and access to the...

Our recommendations for having successful Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings: Be Proactive.  Your role is equally important as the education professionals’.  You are an expert about your child.  You should…

As of June 1, 2016, Ohio is accepting applications for 529 ABLE Accounts.  As we had anticipated, they are the first state to offer the plans.  While being first is…

Before Signing Anything on Behalf of Someone Else, Talk to Your Special Needs Advisor.  Individuals lack the ability to sign documents for various reasons.  In some cases, a person has suffered…

A year after Congress authorized ABLE Accounts as tax-free savings accounts for individuals with special needs, the Internal Revenue Service has still not completed the regulations on how the accounts…

The following summarizes the United Cerebral Palsy’s annual study of the special needs programs and resources available across the country. For more information and access to the entire study, visit…

Six months after Congress authorized ABLE Accounts as tax-free savings accounts for individuals with special needs, the Internal Revenue Service has issued proposed regulations on how the accounts should be…

For most families, living with their adult child or parent with special needs is the reality.  However, the optimal situation for many individuals with special needs would be living elsewhere….

Congress has done little since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to improve the lives of those with disabilities. With the one exception being the Affordable…

Language is powerful. It can be used to inspire and empower, but also to dehumanize and ostracize. In the special needs community, we face a language minefield that creates challenges for even our best-spoken advocates. We hope that this article generates discussions, reflections, and actions that contribute to an improved use of language in the special needs community.

Originally Featured in the Chicago Tribune Written by Randi Gillespie It had been a typical morning in our house — kids waking up way too early to raid the freezer for frozen…

The school year brings with it a chance for growth, new experiences, and the comfort of routine. It is also often the time when the greatest progress is made in…

The North Shore Weekend article about Oak Wealth Advisors …Walther compares himself to a pilot for the families. “Ninety percent of flights are not on course but over 99 percent…

Serving as a trustee requires administrative and technical skills in addition to strong interpersonal communication skills. Identifying the appropriate trustee is difficult in general; a Special Needs Trust presents additional…

The U.S. Navy concludes their marketing pitch above with “an adventure.” While their focus is on recruiting for military service, the message in their ad should resonate with everyone in…