Future Planning

Financial Literacy: Courses and counseling can help you prepare to handle your finances.

Legal Documents: Developing a plan for your child or yourself may involve drawing up some legal documents. These might contain a will, power of attorney, medical directive, trust, or guardianship.

Savings Plans: There are some programs available to help you save money for post-secondary training or college, for starting a business or for buying a car. These include college saving plan, pre-paid college programs, and establishing an Individual Development Account.

Benefits Planning: To help people make informed choices about employment and benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) established a program called Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach (BPAO).

Guide for parents: The Arc of the United States has developed A Family Handbook on Future Planning to help families review and inventory the needs and strengths of their family member, determine what should be in a plan and then locate qualified professionals and resources to finalize the plan.