The ChSNC is a designation from The American College of Financial Services for advisors who have studied financial planning for families caring for someone with a disability or special needs.
To earn it, an advisor passes three College courses on special needs and disability planning, each with its own proctored final exam, and meets an experience requirement: five years in financial services or law, or four years plus a bachelor's degree. They also agree to The American College Code of Ethics.
To keep it, client-facing designees complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including one hour of ethics, through the College's annual Professional Recertification Program.
The ChSNC shows training in topics such as government benefits, special needs trusts, and guardianship. It is not a law license, so a ChSNC who is not also an attorney cannot draft a special needs trust for you. It also says nothing about how the advisor is paid or whether they act as a fiduciary.
How to check
The American College lists designees in good standing on its verification site, Your Advisor Guide (youradvisorguide.com). Then check the advisor's registration and pay model on the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site.
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