Tens of millions of clients with unique problems need help but don’t receive it.
In part, this is because advisors underserve the huge special needs community, often because they don’t understand all the government benefits and legal tools available, says Jerry L. Hulick, a chartered financial consultant and chartered life underwriter with Voya Financial.
“Many advisers aren’t aware of all the programs that can help,” said Hulick, a, speaker at a recent conference.
And they should learn more these clients, Hulick argues, because there is a tremendous need:
“One in four U.S. adults living at home, or about 61 million people, have a disability, according to the Voya study “Financial Planning for the Special Needs Community.”
Some 66 million American are providing caregiving help to those with disabilities but nine out of ten caregivers “receive little or no financial support,” according to a 2017 report by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. They are providing help to tens of millions of special needs Americans, many of whom aren’t receiving all the help they could receive.
“A lot of advisors don’t even know about the subject,” says Keith Singer, a CFP and an attorney in Boca Raton, Florida.
“They may be working with a client a long time and they don’t even know the client has a disabled grandchild because they haven’t asked enough questions,” he adds. “They don’t understand the importance of planning in that situation.”
Hulick says part of the problem of not taking advantage of the help available is financial professionals often don’t understand all the federal and state programs available. A lot of them can provide help at little or no cost. Singer notes that, when he was pursuing his CFP, “I don’t remember there was a lot of discussion on the subject.”
Another part of the problem of serving people with disabilities is this it is an area that requires specialized knowledge, another advisor notes.