What happens to my child when I'm gone? It is a question that keeps millions of parents up at night. For families of children with special needs, that question carries an immense weight, complicated by a maze of government benefits, legal structures, and financial rules that most people were never taught to navigate.
The fear of making the wrong move is real, and it is not unfounded. In special needs planning, small and well-intentioned mistakes can have serious financial consequences, including the loss of SSI or Medicaid benefits a child depends on. A gift left the wrong way, an inheritance titled incorrectly, or a beneficiary form never updated can quietly unravel a family's best efforts.
Planning for Two Lifetimes was written for parents who are asking these questions and do not know where to start.
Who Wrote It and Why
The book was written by Michael Ringel, CPA, RICP, CDFA, CExP, ChSNC, a Chartered Special Needs Consultant with more than 20 years of experience helping families navigate the complexities of financial planning for loved ones with disabilities. Ringel founded Special Needs Wealth Planning to work exclusively with families in this situation, and he wrote the book after seeing the same preventable mistakes harm well-meaning families again and again.
His approach is straightforward: organize what matters, protect benefits, and build a plan that brings peace of mind rather than more paperwork and procrastination.
What the Book Is
Planning for Two Lifetimes is a free 100-page guide designed to help families move from worry to clarity without overwhelm. It is not a jargon-filled sales pitch. It is a practical roadmap written for parents who love deeply and want to create a plan for their child's care the right way.
The book is available as an instant PDF sent directly to your email, as well as a physical copy mailed to your home, at no cost.
What Families Will Learn
The book covers five core areas that form the foundation of any solid special needs financial plan.
The 10 most common mistakes families make in special needs planning and how to avoid them. This is one of the most valuable sections for any family just getting started, because the mistakes are not obvious. They often come from good intentions, such as leaving money directly to a child with a disability or relying on a sibling's promise to take care of things informally. Understanding what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do.
How to protect SSI and Medicaid while still planning for a child's quality of life. Many families assume they have to choose between keeping government benefits and providing their child with a fuller, more comfortable life. The book explains how a proper plan allows families to do both, using legal tools designed specifically for this purpose.
What a good plan actually looks like, step by step. Rather than leaving families with abstract concepts, the book walks through what a complete and functional special needs financial plan includes, so there is no guessing about whether a plan is truly solid or full of gaps.
How trusts, benefits, insurance, and cash flow fit together. These four elements do not exist in isolation. A change in one can affect the others. The book explains how they interact and how to structure them so they work as a cohesive system rather than a collection of disconnected decisions.
Practical quick wins that can be implemented right away. Not everything in special needs planning requires an attorney or a lengthy process. The book identifies steps families can take immediately to reduce risk and start building peace of mind before a full plan is even in place.
Who This Book Is For
Planning for Two Lifetimes was written for a specific reader.
- It is for the parent who does not yet have a clear long-term financial plan for their child.
- It is for the family that feels behind, guilty, or overwhelmed because the plan they have is incomplete or confusing.
- It is for anyone who worries about protecting both their child's lifestyle and the government benefits that make that lifestyle possible.
- It is for anyone who wants a clear path forward without conflicting advice or pressure to buy something.
A First Step That Costs Nothing
One of the most common reasons families delay special needs planning is that it feels too big and too complicated to start. The book is designed to remove that barrier. Requesting a copy costs nothing. Reading it requires no prior financial knowledge. And the clarity it provides can change the entire trajectory of a family's planning.
As Ringel puts it, you do not have to solve everything or create the perfect plan today. Just one informed step at a time can change a loved one's entire financial future for the better.
To request a free copy of Planning for Two Lifetimes, visit planningfortwolifetimes.com. A PDF will be sent to your email immediately, and a physical copy can be mailed to your home upon request.
