Fixing a Flawed Estate Plan: Protecting Special Needs Beneficiaries

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This session focuses on identifying and correcting critical estate planning missteps that can jeopardize the financial security and public benefits of beneficiaries with special needs. Attendees will learn how financial advisors can support their clients by helping to identify flawed trust structures, improper beneficiary designations, and inadequate trust drafting. The session covers modification techniques like reformation and decanting, establishing self‑settled trusts post‑inheritance, coordinating life insurance and SNTs, and practical strategies to preserve SSI and Medicaid eligibility.

​Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this learning activity, you will confidently be able to:​

• Recognize common estate planning flaws affecting special needs beneficiaries.
• Distinguish options for remedying broken trust provisions.
• Evaluate when establishing a first‑party D4A “payback” trust post‑inheritance is appropriate to protect government benefits.
• Advise on coordination between life insurance, ILITs, and third‑party SNTs to avoid unintended SSI/Medicaid consequences.
• Apply risk mitigation strategies around trustee selection and POA authority to minimize financial abuse of vulnerable individuals.

Presenter

Ethan J. Ordog, JD

CFP^® CE Credit

This content is eligible for one hour of CFP^® continuing education (CE) credit.

If you hold the CFP^® mark and would like to receive CFP Board CE credit for this content, please ensure your CFP^® ID number is entered here.

The College’s Professional Recertification Program (PRP)

This content is eligible for one hour of PRP continuing education credit.

To begin, click on the button below. As you move through the content, make sure to mark each page complete by clicking on the appropriate button, and then click Next Lesson at the bottom of each page. Once you complete the entire activity, the progress bar will show 100%.

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