Mom Autism Money

Mom Autism Money

On Mom Autism Money, Brynne and Joyce address the financial and cultural realities of raising an Autistic child through interviews with some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.

  1. 04/18/2023

    The ABLE Age Adjustment Act passed!

    Today, we're sitting down with one of your favorite guests, Paul Curley, to get into the details of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act, which passed as a part of SECURE 2.0 in December 2022. It's April, which is recognized as Autism Acceptance Month. Last week, when we talked to Sara, she let us onto another way to celebrate April, by rebranding it as Autism Action Month. Joyce's idea of reaching out to Autistic people and Autistic families this month to provide direct support was absolutely spot-on. For a lot of people listening, you are those families. So today we're going to talk about other ways to take action during Autism Action month and beyond. Ways you can engage in democracy and continue to make your financial life and the lives of your children better not just now, but in the future. We're so excited that the ABLE Age Adjustment Act passed, but there's still a lot of work to do, and Paul teaches us some of the best areas to focus on as we interact with our legislators.   IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, SUBSCRIBE TO PAUL'S NEWSLETTER! https://www.529conference.com/subscribe/ Difference between Autism Acceptance & Autism Awareness: https://momautismmoney.com/autism-acceptance-vs-autism-awareness/ Find out how to contact your federal and state legislators: https://www.lwv.org/take-action/find-your-elected-officials IRS publication 907 can help you learn more about ABLE accounts: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-907 Follow Joyce's work: https://www.mystayathomeadventures.com/ Follow Brynne's work: https://femmefrugality.com/ Read The Feminist Financial Handbook: https://amzn.to/2s0utTt

    41 min
  2. 03/28/2023

    Financial Literacy for Autistic Kids

    On top of completely changing the trajectory of an entire industry by bettering animal welfare in corporately-owned settings, Temple Grandin is also a huge financial literacy advocate. And today, she's joining us to talk about the best way to teach financial literacy skills to your Autistic child. We'll talk about an array of different topics including: ·     Managing an allowance. ·        Transforming money from an abstract concept into something more concrete and real. ·        Teaching kids how to save. ·        Teaching kids (and ourselves) about investing. ·        Teaching kids about debt. ·        Digital banking and debit cards for kids. Press play to start educating yourself – money skills are important for our children!   Read Temple's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Temple-Grandin/author/B000AP9AQU   Learn more about Temple's work at Colorado State University: https://agsci.colostate.edu/people/directory-page/personnel-information/?userName=grandin   Go back and listen to the interview with ASAN's Legal Director on Supported Decision Making vs Guardianship, and why establishing as much independence for your Autistic child as possible is imperative: https://momautismmoney.com/episode-7-guardianship-supported-decision-making-with-sam-crane/   Roundup of best kids' checking accounts from The College Investor: https://thecollegeinvestor.com/34189/best-starter-checking-accounts-for-kids/   Read The Simple Path to Wealth: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Path-Wealth-financial-independence/dp/1533667926/   Full episode transcript: https://momautismmoney.com/temple-grandin/

    26 min
  3. 03/21/2023

    ABLE Accounts with Mary Rubenis

    This week we're talking all things ABLE accounts! From eligibility to qualified disability expenses to using your ABLE account as a tax-advantaged investment vehicle, we've got you covered. Joining us to discuss these accounts is Mary Rubenis, VP of Client Relationship Management and ABLE Savings at Vestwell. Vestwell is the program administrator for ABLE accounts in 20 states. But today's episode is for everyone -- regardless of which state you live in! Get out a pencil and notebook and get ready to learn. Compare plans with ABLE National Resource Center: https://www.ablenrc.org/compare-states/ Learn more about ABLE accounts at ABLE Today: https://www.abletoday.org/ Check social security functional limitations to see if you qualify for an ABLE account even without SSI or SSDI via the SSA Blue Book: https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/ Spotlight on ABLE from the SSA: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-able.html Social Security Benefits Counseling by state via the Ticket to Work program: https://choosework.ssa.gov/about/meet-your-employment-team/ POMS document for ABLE & Social Security: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0501130740 Check out the Vestwell website: https://www.vestwell.com/ (Though if you want to apply for an ABLE account, visit your state's ABLE website. You'll interact with Vestwell once you have an account set up, if you're in one of the 19 states they service.) Full episode transcript: https://momautismmoney.com/able-mary-rubenis/

    41 min
  4. 03/07/2023

    Disability Discharge of Federal Student Loans

    Average student loan debt is nearly $40,000 -- per person! This economic burden can massively impact all the other money moves you make in your life.  Luckily, there is a disability discharge program for federal student loans, and more people qualify than you might think. Plus, the program is getting a lot easier to navigate, with some big, positive changes promised starting in July 2023.  Today, we'll talk to Heather Watkins, a writer and disability advocate who successfully had her student loans discharged through this program. We're also joined by Persis Yu, Deputy Executive Director and Managing Counsel of the Student Borrower Protection Center, who has been instrumental in advocating for improvements to the program and for student loan borrowers at large.  By the end of this episode, you'll have a better idea of who qualifies for this program, how it's expected to function after this summer, and what it may or may not mean as your child is figuring out how to finance their own education. This episode is also great for anyone who may qualify for the discharge program due to their own disability -- it's not just for parents.  Follow Heather's Work: http://slowwalkersseemore.com/ Utilize resources from Persis and her peers at the SBPC: https://www.cancelmystudentdebt.org/ Where to get started with the Disability Discharge program for federal student loans: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/disability-discharge Currently, loan amounts canceled through this program are not counted as taxable income. But that could change on Jan. 1, 2026 if this portion of tax law isn't extended. Contact your congressperson and Senator to request that this provision be extended. You can find your senator and congressperson here: https://www.lwv.org/take-action/find-your-elected-officials And if you want to provide the specific provision you want to see extended to your representatives, it's Section 11031 of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1/text Connect with your local Center for Independent Living for resources here: https://acl.gov/programs/centers-independent-living/list-cils-and-spils Heather references Mass Rehab Commission, which is a vocational rehabilitation program in Massachusetts. Voc rehab programs can help disabled people pay for college depending on your state. We covered voc rehab in this episode: https://momautismmoney.com/vocational-rehabilitation/ And you can find your state's vocational rehabilitation program here: https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states Want to consolidate your old loans to take advantage of the recount of payments for student loan forgiveness that Persis was talking about? Here's where you can find the consolidation application (must be done by May 1, 2023  or earlier to qualify for this specific program): https://studentaid.gov/app/launchConsolidation.action Here is more detailed information on the IDR Account Adjustment and how it might affect you as a borrower: https://www.cancelmystudentdebt.org/income-driven-repayment Full Episode Transcript: https://momautismmoney.com/disability-discharge/

    57 min

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On Mom Autism Money, Brynne and Joyce address the financial and cultural realities of raising an Autistic child through interviews with some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.