What is a Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC^®)?

While 19% of the United States’ population has a disability, only 0.2% of advisors are certified as a Chartered Special Needs Consultant. Offered through The American College, the ChSNC® is an advanced specialty designation that equips financial services professionals to better serve clients with special needs and/or their caregivers. To earn the designation, advisors must pass three advanced financial planning, college-level courses that focus on the ins and outs of advising clients and families with special needs. These courses focus on a broad range of financial topics including special needs trusts, wills, powers-of-attorney, guardianship, ABLE accounts, Social Security, Medicaid, among others. The ChSNC® is the only credential primarily focused on providing financial services for this expanding, under-served population.

The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation’s largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services.  Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, the College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States offering a number of prestigious financial planning designations.  Designees must adhere to The American College of Financial Services Code of Ethics and comply with The College’s Professional Recertification Program.