by John Darer CLU ChFC MSSC RSP
The Chartered Special Needs Consultant Program, which culminates in a new professional designation offered by the American College, educates financial professionals so they thoroughly understand the intricate tax law, trust law and government programs that impact the care of a person with a disability.
Says Allen Mclellan, associate dean at The American College in the June 2011 edition of Best's Review (p57) "Parents have to plan not only for their own retirement, but for maybe decades of care for that (special-needs) child as well"
The requirements
- Hold CLU, ChFC, CFP designations or the MSFS degree
- Have three years experience in financial services
- Complete the following three courses:
- The Psychology of Disability (HS375)taken by self study
- Legal and Financial Issues for Special Needs Families (HS376) taken by self study
- Financial Planning for Special Needs Families, a live two and a half day seminar
All three courses culminate with a final exam.
(Updated) The ChSNC program was exclusively available to MassMutual representatives through June 30, 2013, due to that company's extensive investment in the overhaul of the program, after which it was "put out to the broader public".
Looping back to the settlement profession, I've long said if settlement consulting or planning was just the matter of quoting a structured settlement annuity, anybody could do it. Mclellan sums it up nicely in Best's Review when he states " It takes a special knowledge and sensitivity, and quite frankly not every body's going to be able to do it."
Leave a Reply