What do cars, doctors’ offices, and hair salons have in common? Each one reminds you when it’s time for a checkup. Powers of attorney (POAs), on the other hand, do not have dashboard lights, nor do they send texts. Conducting a POA checkup is generally up to the advisor, as clients don’t usually think to do so on their own.

In 2014, Congress created ABLE (a.k.a., 529A) accounts for qualified disability expenses. But several limitations became apparent as states started to establish their ABLE account programs. Fortunately, the ABLE account under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) corrects some of these shortcomings. Here, we’ll take a look at those improvements, the differences between an ABLE account and special needs trusts, and how changes under the TCJA present a special needs planning opportunity for you and your clients.

If you’re like most financial advisors, you’ve supported your clients through many phases of life, and now, a number of them are enrolling in Medicare. As your clients enter into this next phase, they’re likely to come to you for answers to their questions about health care in retirement. By educating yourself and your team on how to respond to these concerns, you can provide a value-added service to guide older clients through this time of transition.

On January 1, 2018, the Uniformed Services Blended Retirement System (BRS) was established. This program marks the first change to the U.S. retirement system in 70 years—and an unprecedented opportunity for financial advisors to help generations of service members. The BRS is separate and distinct from the military’s traditional legacy pension, although it does not end the legacy pension for those with more than 12 years of service. It does, however, create a significant choice for current service members with fewer than 12 years of service and starts an era of retirement planning for new service members. Here, we’ll take a deep dive into the BRS, including the unique planning opportunity it presents for you.

As a financial professional, you routinely ask clients for their estate planning documents. You also factor health care expenses into your retired clients’ financial plans. But have you thought about advising attorneys-in-fact about retirement health care? If you have Gen X and younger boomer clients with aging parents, or if you advise different generations of the same family, you might consider adding this service to your menu.

To help you decide if this path might be right for you, let me introduce you to your new (fictional) client, Zak, who is an attorney-in-fact for his aging parents.