Special Needs Advisors

What Special Needs Advisors does

Special Needs Advisors, LLC (also doing business as Special Planning) is a private financial and life planning advisory firm headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, founded in 2012 by Bill Parker. The firm serves families caring for individuals with physical, cognitive, or developmental disabilities, helping them plan for the long-term financial security and care of their special needs dependents while preserving eligibility for federal benefits such as SSI and Medicaid. Its service portfolio covers Special Needs Trust establishment, comprehensive Special Needs Financial Planning, Letter of Intent preparation, Will preparation with special needs provisions, Guardianship planning, Power of Attorney documentation, and Insurance Needs Analysis, delivered as a coordinated multidisciplinary engagement.

The business model is a professional services model built on direct, consultative sales through the company's website and phone channel (717-541-5000), with quote-based pricing tailored to the complexity of each family's plan and multi-year advisory contracts. The firm does not develop proprietary technology; it operates as a human-delivered advisory practice and markets through content on its website, a Resource Board of affiliated experts, and an FAQ that educates prospects on special needs planning tools. Geographic reach is currently regional, focused on Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.

The firm's strategic positioning is anchored in the founder's personal experience as a parent of three children with Fragile X Syndrome, his credited role in fathering the ABLE account legislation, his congressional testimony on autism, and his affiliations with organizations including the National Fragile X Foundation, the M.I.N.D. Institute at UC Davis, and the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Philhaven (WellSpan). Partnerships with GrandView Asset Management and DeSantis Krupp, LLC extend the firm's capabilities into investment management and legal services respectively.

Name

Special Needs Advisors

Legal name

Special Needs Advisors, LLC

Website

https://specialneedsadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Special Needs Advisors is a Harrisburg, PA-based financial and life planning firm that helps families of individuals with disabilities establish Special Needs Trusts, coordinate estate and guardianship plans, and preserve government benefit eligibility through personalized advisory engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Needs Financial Planning

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs & Supplemental Needs Trust Services (FSAAANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Guardianship, Conservatorship & Special Needs Trust Services (FSAEAKAG)

Keywords

• Special needs planning
• Special needs trusts
• Estate planning services
• Financial advisory services
• Disability financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning and Advisory Services: The company provides comprehensive financial and life planning services to families with special needs individuals. Services include Special Needs Trust creation, Letter of Intent preparation, financial planning, and coordination of legal and insurance services. Revenue is generated through advisory fees for planning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Special Needs Advisors provides comprehensive financial and life planning advisory services to families caring for individuals with special needs. Core offerings include Special Needs Trust establishment, Letter of Intent preparation, Special Needs Financial Planning, Will preparation with special needs provisions, Guardianship planning, Power of Attorney, and Insurance Needs Analysis. Services are delivered through personalized consultations focused on preserving government benefit eligibility (SSI, Medicaid) while funding long-term supplemental care.

Product overview

Special Needs Advisors provides a comprehensive suite of financial and life planning services for families with special needs individuals. The core offerings include Special Needs Trust establishment, Special Needs Financial Planning, Letter of Intent preparation, Will preparation with special needs provisions, Guardianship planning, Power of Attorney services, and Insurance Needs Analysis. These services work together to ensure families can provide long-term security and care for their loved ones while preserving access to government benefits. The company operates as a service-based advisory firm rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Special Needs Trust A legal document that places funds and other assets under the control of a trustee for the financial protection of an individual with a disability. Designed to allow beneficiaries to receive supplemental income and assets without sacrificing eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, and other government benefits. For families caring for individuals with special needs.
• Special Needs Financial Plan Comprehensive financial planning service that addresses investments/cash flow, legal, tax, and risk management considerations specific to families with special needs members. Focuses on creating the best possible life for the individual with special needs while maintaining eligibility for government assistance. Coordinates a team of financial planning experts.
• Letter of Intent A morally binding document written by the primary caregiver describing a loved one's history, current status, arrangements made, and instructions for future guardians. Includes a family narrative, summary of financial, legal, medical, and other resources, and a vision for the loved one's life plan. Provides a roadmap for future guardians, caregivers, courts, and other parties.
• Will Preparation Estate planning service that includes provisions for special needs individuals, ensuring proper guardianship nominations and structuring inheritances to prevent disqualification from government benefits.
• Guardianship Planning Legal planning service to establish court-appointed guardians for individuals with special needs who cannot make responsible decisions about personal, medical, legal, and financial matters.
• Power of Attorney Planning service for establishing financial and healthcare power of attorney documents that allow an appointed agent to act on behalf of a person with special needs in specified circumstances.
• Insurance Needs Analysis Financial analysis service to determine appropriate insurance coverage for families with special needs members, including life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care, and trust funding requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of parents who have children with special needs have not set up a trust to preserve eligibility for benefits
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record.

• GrandView Asset ManagementStrategic or Co-development Partner
• DeSantis Krupp, LLCImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner
• WellSpan Philhaven - Center for Autism and Developmental DisabilitiesStrategic or Co-development Partner
• M.I.N.D. Institute at UC DavisStrategic or Co-development Partner
• National Fragile X FoundationStrategic or Co-development Partner
• National Autism Society of AmericaStrategic or Co-development Partner
• A Gift of SmilesStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Special Olympics - Central PennsylvaniaStrategic or Co-development Partner

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• True Link Financial: Financial services firm purpose-built for people with disabilities and their caregivers, offering investment, payment, and trust-administration tools. Comparable because it serves the same population with financial-planning-adjacent products and competes for the same client wallet share.
• Special Needs Alliance: National, invitation-only network of attorneys and financial professionals dedicated to disability and special needs planning. Directly comparable because its members offer the same trust creation, guardianship, and life-planning services to the same special-needs family segment.

Others

• The Arc of the United States: Largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable as an ecosystem player that families encounter in their planning journey and that funnels referrals to specialized advisors like Special Needs Advisors.
• ABLE National Resource Center: Information hub for Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts, the policy vehicle Parker's firm helped create. Comparable as a complementary ecosystem node that supports the same planning workflow and benefits-preservation goal.
• National Disability Institute: Nonprofit focused on the financial wellness and economic empowerment of people with disabilities. Comparable as an adjacent referral source and content authority that shapes how special-needs families find and evaluate planning advisors.

Broad incumbents

• MetLife Special Needs Planning: Large insurer offering dedicated special needs planning content, insurance products, and referrals to planning specialists. Comparable because it occupies the same planning conversation but as part of a broader insurance product portfolio rather than a specialized firm.
• Fidelity Charitable (Special Needs Planning): Donor-advised fund and wealth platform from a major broker with educational resources on special needs trusts and succession planning. Comparable because it competes for the same high-net-worth planning conversations and benefits-preservation mandates.
• MassMutual SpecialCare: Program within a major mutual insurer providing special needs planning resources, life insurance products, and access to financial advisors. Comparable because it addresses the same planning needs at much larger scale and competes for the same advisor-mediated engagements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpecialNeedsAdvisors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-needs-advisors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Special Needs Advisors