SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--True Link Financial is announcing its new partnership to provide True Link payment cards to STABLE Account holders. STABLE is the leading national ABLE Act program, launched in 2016 by the Ohio Treasurer’s Office, and now the official ABLE program of twelve states. The STABLE Account program is used by customers in all fifty states.
ABLE accounts established by state governments, such as the STABLE Account program, are designed to provide individuals with disabilities a tax-advantaged way to save and invest money and manage everyday expenses without risking their eligibility for federal benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The STABLE Card powered by True Link provides account holders access to funds from their STABLE Account.
In the past, individuals with disabilities who were receiving SSI, for example, were often prohibited from using debit cards or managing cash income above a certain limit, and have strict spending restrictions that make using credit cards risky. As a result, these individuals often have to rely on cumbersome alternatives, like hiring a caregiver to handle money.
“People think of convenient access to money as a nice-to-have, but when you’re evacuating from a hurricane and need to put gas in your car, it can be the difference between life and death. Whether it’s buying a bus pass to get to work or paying for the meal at the end of a date, people with disabilities have the same right as anyone does to spend their money safely and conveniently,” said Kai Stinchcombe, co-founder and CEO of True Link.
The STABLE Card powered by True Link functions similarly to a debit card. However, only funds that have been moved from the STABLE Account on to the card can be spent, rather than the entire STABLE Account balance. It also provides electronic recordkeeping of all transactions, and can allow an Authorized Legal Representative (ALR) designated by the individual to see where and when purchases were made, as well as receive alerts on certain transactions.
True Link offers these cards through STABLE Account’s in-state plan partnerships with Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming ABLE programs. In addition, residents of any state may sign up for the card through the Ohio STABLE Account program.
Since its inception, True Link has been at the forefront of providing essential financial services to people with disabilities throughout the country. The company delivers uniquely tailored, secure, customer-centric financial services, including payment cards and investment management, that are backed by professional, compassionate, and effective customer support, allowing True Link to be a genuine STABLE Account partner, rather than just a service provider. The Social Security Administration even provides guidelines in the Program Operations Manual System (POMS) for using True Link’s cards to make disbursements from special needs trusts (SNTs) for beneficiaries who receive SSI.
To learn more about True Link’s STABLE Card, call 1-800-228-1102 or visit http://www.stableaccount.com. For more information about True Link Financial, visit our website at http://www.truelinkfinancial.com.
About True Link Financial
True Link Financial is a financial services firm offering a range of money management tools, investment services, and software for trust and benefits eligibility management. The True Link Card can help reduce the administrative burden associated with disbursements from trusts, while simultaneously allowing beneficiaries to make purchases with greater independence.
About STABLE Account
STABLE Account is the first and largest ABLE Savings Plan in the nation, launched by the Ohio Treasurer’s Office in 2016, and is available to individuals with disabilities throughout all 50 states. A result of the ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act, passed by Congress in 2014, these accounts allow individuals with disabilities to save and invest for their futures and manage day-to-day expenses without jeopardizing eligibility for certain public benefits programs, like Medicaid or SSI. The legislation amends the existing IRS section 529 code, which provides tax benefits for qualified college savings accounts.
