Most parents focus on today. Therapies. School. The next appointment. That is the right instinct.
But the families who feel most at peace are usually the ones who also have a plan for tomorrow.
That is exactly why we reached out to Michael Ringel. He is a Chartered Special Needs Consultant, CPA, and financial advisor who has spent his career helping families like yours build financial plans that protect their children long term, including after the parents are no longer around to do it themselves.
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What he shares below is worth your time.
Planning for Two Lifetimes: What Families with Special Needs Need to Know
If you’re raising a child with special needs, your life often feels like it’s moving in two directions at once.
There’s the present—appointments, therapies, school meetings, and the daily routines that require your full attention. And then there’s the future—a quieter, heavier question that never fully goes away:
What happens when I’m not here?
It’s not something most parents want to think about all the time. But it’s always there, sitting just beneath the surface. And for many families, it creates a sense of responsibility that feels both overwhelming and deeply important.
Because this isn’t just about your lifetime.
It’s about your child’s lifetime, too.
Why This Kind of Planning Feels So Difficult
Most families don’t avoid planning because they don’t care. They avoid it because it feels complicated, fragmented, and hard to navigate.
You may have already taken steps. Maybe you’ve opened accounts, purchased insurance, or even spoken with an attorney about setting up a trust. But even after doing those things, many parents are left wondering:
Are we doing this the right way?
Part of the challenge is that the advice you receive is rarely coordinated. One professional talks about investments. Another focuses on legal documents. Someone else mentions government benefits. Each conversation may be helpful on its own, but it often feels like no one is putting all the pieces together.
Over time, this creates confusion. You end up with pieces of a plan—but not a clear, unified strategy.
The Concerns That Keep Families Up at Night
Families who have children with special needs are navigating decisions that go far beyond traditional financial planning.
One of the biggest concerns is protecting access to government benefits like SSI and Medicaid. These programs can be essential, but they come with strict rules. Assets held incorrectly, or money passed down without proper planning, can unintentionally disrupt eligibility. Many parents worry that even with the best intentions, they could make a mistake that impacts their child’s future.
At the same time, there is uncertainty around saving and investing. It’s not just about how much to save—it’s about where that money should be held, how it will be accessed, and whether it will truly support your child over the long term.
There is also the emotional and financial balancing act. You want to provide for your child, but you also need to ensure your own retirement is secure. It can feel like every decision involves a tradeoff, and without clarity, it’s easy to feel stuck.
And then there’s the question of who will step in. Who will care for your child? Who will manage the financial resources? Will they understand your wishes and be prepared for the responsibility?
These are not simple questions—and they don’t have simple answers.
The Risk of Uncoordinated Planning
One of the biggest challenges families face isn’t making the wrong decision. It’s making decisions in isolation.
A will may be created without coordinating with a special needs trust. Accounts may be titled in ways that unintentionally bypass planning. Financial decisions may be made without fully understanding how they impact benefits or long-term care.
Each piece may seem reasonable on its own. But without coordination, the outcome can fall short of what you intended.
That’s why effective planning isn’t about any one decision—it’s about how everything works together.
What Thoughtful Planning Looks Like
A well-designed plan brings clarity and alignment to all aspects of your financial life.
It considers legal structures, like special needs trusts, to help protect benefits. It aligns financial resources—savings, investments, and insurance—with long-term goals. It balances today’s needs with tomorrow’s realities. And it clearly defines roles for the people who will support your child in the future.
Most importantly, it provides an answer to a deeply important question:
If something were to happen to me, would my child be okay?
When families reach a point where they can confidently say “yes,” everything changes. The uncertainty begins to fade, and a sense of control takes its place.
About the Author
Michael Ringel is a Chartered Special Needs Consultant and CPA based in New York City. He works with families raising children with disabilities to build financial plans that protect both the child and the parents, now and in the future.
He runs Special Needs Wealth Planning through Strategies for Wealth in New York. Families across the country work with him to navigate the parts of planning that feel most confusing, including special needs trusts, government benefits, and long-term care.
You can learn more about his work or reach him directly at mikeringel.com or by email at mringel@strategiesforwealth.com or by phone at 212-701-7937.
If you’d like a copy of the book, you can request one here:
👉 http://www.planningfortwolifetimes.com