Special Needs Trusts can help preserve eligibility for certain means-tested benefits, such as SSI and Medicaid, while setting aside assets to support a loved one with disabilities.

One of the most important distinctions is whose money funds the trust. A first-party SNT is funded with the beneficiary’s own assets, while a third-party SNT is funded with assets belonging to someone else, such as parents, grandparents, or other loved ones.

That distinction can affect everything from Medicaid payback requirements to how the trust is established and funded. Understanding the difference is an important step in planning for your loved one’s financial future. 💛

Have questions about Special Needs Trusts? Ask Valory to learn more about how they work.

Chelsea Werner is a champion gymnast, model, and advocate who has spent much of her life challenging assumptions about what people with Down syndrome can achieve. She began Special Olympics gymnastics at age eight, and learning new skills often required far more repetition because of low muscle tone. With years of disciplined training, a coach who believed in her potential, and a family that supported her along the way, Chelsea became a four-time U.S. Special Olympics National Champion and a two-time world champion.

Chelsea later brought that same confidence and determination to the fashion world, building a successful modeling career while advocating for greater representation of people with disabilities.

Perhaps most meaningful is the impact Chelsea has had on other families. She has shared that parents of children with Down syndrome often tell her that seeing what she has accomplished gives them hope for their own children. For Chelsea, that has become motivation to keep breaking barriers and showing that what people with Down syndrome can achieve when given the opportunity and support to grow and thrive. 💛