ABLE accounts are fairly new on the scene and are unique in their tax benefits, ease of set up, and the financial freedom they offer individuals with disabilities.

Our guest this week addresses ABLE account myths, informs us what homework needs to be done prior to opening an ABLE account, how ABLE accounts can and can not be used, and how they offer freedom unlike any other financial planning tool.

About the Guest

Miranda Kennedy is the Director of the ABLE National Resource Center. Miranda’s expertise is in the areas of outreach and education, researching and analyzing policy issues, developing and executing training and implementing promising practices in the areas of youth in transition, workforce development, cross-system service coordination and asset development. From 2006 to 2018 Miranda served as the Director of Training and Senior Technical Advisor for the Disability Employment Initiative and Disability Program Navigator Initiative, contracted by the U.S. Department of Labor, increasing the capacity of the public workforce system to better serve and achieve integrated, competitive employment outcomes for job seekers with disabilities.

Miranda holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Denver Institute for Public Policy Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She lives outside of Boulder, Colorado with her two children.

The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) is the leading, comprehensive source of objective, independent information about federal- and state-related ABLE programs and activities, including guidance on tax-advantaged ABLE savings accounts. Our mission is to educate, promote and support the positive impact ABLE can make on the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families. ABLE NRC is a collaborative that brings together the investment, support and resources of some of the country’s largest and most influential national disability organizations in an effort to accelerate the design and availability of ABLE accounts to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families.

Our pioneering work in this area and subject matter expertise makes us the foremost authority on topics related to the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, ABLE accounts, state ABLE programs, ABLE-related policy developments, and programmatic integration of ABLE and financial capability strategies for people with disabilities into public service delivery system planning and activities.

Founded and managed by National Disability Institute (NDI) since 2015, the ABLE NRC’s website has become the go-to source for all information on ABLE for people with disabilities and their families, as well as employers, state and federal agencies, service providers, tax practitioners, financial planners and attorneys.