Supporting Families with Special Needs Planning with Mary Anne Ehlert (Ep. 61)
Caring for a family member with a disability touches every part of life, from daily routines to long-term financial survival. What happens to the people who depend on you completely when you are no longer here to protect them?
In this episode, Greg DuPont interviews Mary Anne Ehlert, CFP®, Founder of Protected Tomorrows, about her 38-year mission helping families plan for loved ones with disabilities. She shares how her personal experience as a sister, mother, and caregiver shaped her conviction that families cannot navigate this alone, and why the professionals they turn to are rarely equipped to help.
Mary Anne walks through the critical role of special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and proper estate documents, and explains why a social worker and financial professional working together changes everything for these families.
Key takeaways:
- Turning personal caregiving experiences into a mission to support families facing similar challenges
- Recognizing gaps in financial and legal guidance for families with loved ones with disabilities
- Building structured plans that include trusts, benefits, and long-term care considerations
- Supporting caregivers by prioritizing their well-being alongside their loved ones
- Creating systems that document personal details to maintain continuity of care
- And more!
Connect with Greg DuPont:
- Wealth Solutions Network Website (JoinWSN.com)
- LinkedIn: Greg DuPont
- LinkedIn: Wealth Solutions Network
- Facebook: Wealth Solutions Network
- info@wealthsolutionsnetwork.com
Connect With Mary Anne Ehlert:
About Our Guest:
Mary Anne Ehlert is a nationally recognized expert in special needs planning. As a Partner of Simplicity Group and Founder of Protected Tomorrows, a Simplicity Group commitment, she leads the organization in providing advocacy, education, and planning support to families with loved ones who have disabilities.
Mary Anne founded Protected Tomorrows more than 35 years ago after her family’s personal journey with special needs planning for her sister Marcia’s future revealed a lack of available resources. She has since dedicated her life to building those resources for others.
Prior to founding the company, Mary Anne spent over two decades in corporate financial services. Today, she speaks at national conferences, hosts educational webinars, and leads virtual training programs for families and caregivers of people with special needs and disabilities.
Mary Anne has served on the boards of several disability-focused organizations, including the National Disability Institute, Special Olympics Illinois, a SEDOL Foundation and Gateway to Learning. She currently serves on the boards of the Special Olympics Illinois Foundation, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation, Integrative Touch, and the Tails for Life Advisory Board.
Mary Anne resides in Barrington, Illinois with her life partner and her three pups. She is a proud mother of three stepsons, one who lives independently and shares his life experiences with his peers with disabilities.
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