Planning group for disabled people to kick off adviser training program

Protected Tomorrows, an organization that trains financial advisers to serve those with special needs, is starting a program to train advisers to handle the special financial needs of the disabled, said Mary Anne Ehlert, the group’s founder.

About 600 financial advisers are interested in participating when the program kicks off in November, said Ms. Ehlert.

To learn the nuances of working with special-needs clients, participants can take part in a one-day training program at Protected Tomorrows’ Lincolnshire, Ill., headquarters or they can attend web seminars that are held each quarter.

“We will train [advisers about] how to do special-needs planning in conjunction with us,” Ms. Ehlert said.

Advisers will pay $3,000 for their first year of training and a $1,500 annual fee starting in their second year with the program.

TIME COMMITMENT

Like many advisers, Secure Choice Financial Planning LLC founder Rick DeChaineau is interested in working with special-needs clients. But before committing, he wants to understand how much time he will have to devote.

Because his mother suffered from dementia, Mr. DeChaineau knows firsthand how difficult it is for a family to deal with a disability.

“I know how it can be so challenging for families to deal with these types of issues. I need to try and get my hands around how much time would be needed,” said Mr. DeChaineau, whose Tacoma, Wash., firm charges an hourly fee.

Ms. Ehlert developed an appreciation for special-needs planning from her sister Marcia, who suffered from cerebral palsy and died of a seizure at age 39.

“Since [the day of my sister’s death], I have been dedicated to finding solutions,” Ms. Ehlert said at a session on special-needs planning at the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors West conference in Denver on Sept. 4.

Personal experiences aside, however, it could be a good business decision to enter the special-needs market. There are about 54 million Americans at least 5 years old who are disabled, Ms. Ehlert said.

In addition, people with disabilities such as Down syndrome are living longer, making financial planning vital.

FINANCIAL VETERAN

Prior to launching Protected Tomorrows in 2003, Ms. Ehlert was a veteran financial planner and the founder of Ehlert Financial Group Inc., a subsidiary of the M Financial Group of Portland, Ore.

She still owns the Lincolnshire, Ill.-based advisory firm, but she relinquished day-to-day responsibilities so she could focus on training advisers for special-needs planning at Protected Tomorrows.

In addition to giving a presentation to advisers at the conference, sponsored by Arlington Heights, Ill.-based NAPFA, Ms. Ehlert has led educational sessions at the Denver-based Financial Planning Association to get the word out to planners.

She speaks about 20 times a month to parents and siblings of people with special needs, sometimes referring them to advisers in the Protected Tomorrows program.

In addition, the organization works with businesses such as Kraft Foods Inc. of Northfield, Ill., and Walgreen Co. of Deerfield, Ill., to find jobs for clients.

“The more advisers who know about [special-needs planning], the more difference we can make,” Ms. Ehlert said. “The need is tremendous.”

E-mail Andrew Coen at [email protected].