Setting up our future...

...is definitely possible. It most certainly will not be easy, but what in life is? While most families are preparing their children for school and sports and camp, I am prepping for THREE retirement accounts. Three. Casey, myself and my dude. I am not quite sure Casey or I will ever get the chance to "stop" working. 

I have almost accepted it. I read a study that showed it takes at least 3 years to even accept a traumatic experience. We just passed two and each day, accepting gets easier. So now I am hoping that these steps I am taking will help someone else on their journey because the who's and why's and what's and when's and where's can really get to you with no map to follow.

This has been a year in the making. I stumbled into a chance meeting with a mentor in June 2017. Turns out, she is a financial planner who specializes in special needs planning. Who would have thunk it? Its is NEVER too early to start planning for anything in your life. So we met and started small. Life insurance and disability plans were set up. We learned a ton about SSI and trusts, what can and cannot be in Carter's name, ABLE accounts. 

The experience so far has made me sad for the stigma around mental health. For transparency purposes, I set off alarms at insurance companies because of my liability. I have always suffered from depression and anxiety. My experience with Carter was not helpful. I have reached out many times for help whether it be medication or therapy. Apparently, each time you reach out because the med you are on isn't working correctly or you state your emotional level to your doctor, the insurance company can get a hold of this and penalize you for it. I was denied life insurance because of this. This tells me that I should not be reaching out for help. If I wouldn't have, I would be dead. Point blank. 

We did manage to get disability for Casey and me, as well as Life insurance for Casey. I can try again in a year if I don't make any mental health claims. Glad I am on a medication that works and I have the support system that I do. I can't imagine what it would be like if I didn't.

Now that all of that is set up, I am meeting with a lawyer this week to discuss the ins and outs of the actual trust. I am fearful, but excited to get this out of the way. To know Carter will be taken care of should anything happen to us is a weight off of my shoulders. 

This, right here, is why I do what I do.