Special Needs Planning

For more information please contact our Special Needs Planners:

Robert Marasheski, CFP® at (610) 325-6164

Karen D. Poore at (302) 993-1283

MetLife's Center For Special Needs Planning Mission: MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning was established in 1988 to extend MetLife's traditional commitment of public service to families with children of all ages, from infant to senior, with all disabilities. MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning is committed to helping families through the maze of legal and financial complexities surrounding planning for the future of children and other dependents with special needs. Through a dedicated network of specialists, MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning helps families secure both lifetime care and quality of life for their children or other dependents with special needs.

The Need: 1 out of 5 or 53.9 million Americans report a disability (President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities); 7 out of 10 Americans are either directly impacted by a disability or have a family member, friend or associate who has a disability (Halfplanet.com) 1 out of every 9 children under age 18 in the US today receive special education services. (Based upon three reports from the 19th Annual Report to Congress (1997), International Encyclopedia of Education (1994), and the American School Board Journal (1990).

Founder's Message: According to Vice President and MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning founder Nadine O. Vogel, the strict training and continuing education requirements of the MetLife Financial Services representative participating in this organization is unique to the industry. "Special needs planning is too complex for the untrained or marginally-trained financial services representative or even a general estate planning attorney. We offer extensive training to help our specialists keep pace with the constant changes in federal and state government benefits laws, future trends in special needs planning, and innovations in planning techniques," she explains. In addition it's management has deep roots in advocacy, and 70 percent of Special Needs Planners from around the country are either parents of children with special needs or have close relatives with special needs. Vogel continues, "Parents of children with special needs feel more comfortable dealing with people who face similar issues on a day to day basis."

Recent Awards & Activities: The MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning continues to be hailed by business and the community at large for its efforts on behalf of people with disabilities as valued customers. MetLife Financial Services is the four-time winner of the National Business & Disability Council's Valued Customer Gold Award of Honor, which recognizes MetLife's leadership in responding to the special needs of families with children or other dependents with disabilities. MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning has also established working relationships with five leading advocacy groups. The Arc, the nation's largest volunteer-based organization devoted to issues affecting people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities, SNAP, Special Needs Advocate for Parents, NORD, National Organization for Rare Disorders, ASA, Autism Society of America, and NDSS, The National Down Syndrome Society.

MetLife's Vital Statistics: Headquartered in New York City since 1868, MetLife is a leading provider of insurance and financial products and services to a broad spectrum of individual and group customers. The company, with approximately $558 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2007, provides individual insurance and investment products to approximately 70 million customers in the world.

Unique Attributes: MetLife's Center for Special Needs Planning management has deep roots in advocacy. This commitment and training set the foundation for Special Needs Planners to help families with children and dependents with special needs plan for their financial future.