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ABLE TN

ABLE TN is administered by the Tennessee Department of Treasury and is a savings program designed to help individuals with disabilities put aside money to pay for qualified expenses. These accounts provide the opportunity to save and invest, with tax-free earnings, to help participants maintain independence and quality of life.


  • Program typeABLE Savings Plan
  • Investment Manager
    The Tennessee Treasury Department with offerings from Vanguard, PRIMECAP, Dimensional Fund Advisors and First Tennessee Bank
  • Inception2016
  • State agency
    Tennessee Treasury Department
  • Program Manager
    Tennessee Treasury Department

Eligibility

State residency requirements:

None

Who can be a participant/owner in the program?

An individual who has been diagnosed with a disability on or before age 26 may qualify by meeting one of the following: 1. Is eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 2. Is eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) 3. Has been diagnosed by a qualifying physician as having a physical or mental disability resulting in marked and severe functional limitations that is expected to last no less than 12 months.

Program restrictions:

To be eligible for an ABLE savings plan, an individual must have been diagnosed with a disability before age 26, and be eligible to receive benefits under Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Individuals who are not receiving SSI and/or SSDI may still be eligible if they meet the age requirement and have been diagnosed by a licensed physician and received a letter of certification.

Did you know?

  • The plan can be used to pay for qualified disability expenses.

    This can include education, job training and support, healthcare and financial management.

  • Savings in an ABLE account will not impact eligibility to receive government benefits.

    The first $100,000 is exempt from the Supplemental Security Income limit, and beneficiaries will continue to receive Medicaid regardless of account size.

  • Residents are not limited to investing in their own state's ABLE plan.

    Another state may offer a plan with better suited investment options, lower fees or preferred features.

  • Visit this plan's website to learn more

Contributions

Maximum contributions:

Annual contribution limit is currently $15,000 from all sources. If the beneficiary works, the beneficiary can also contribute part, or all, of their income to their ABLE account. This additional contribution is limited to the poverty-line amount for a one-person household. For 2018, this amount is $12,140. The designated beneficiary is not, however, eligible to make this additional contribution if their employer contributes to a workplace retirement plan on their behalf.

ABLE account beneficiaries can qualify for the Saver's Credit based on contributions they make to their ABLE accounts. Up to $2,000 of these contributions may qualify for this special credit designed to help low- and moderate-income workers.

The total account contribution limit is $350,000.

Minimum contributions:

There is minimum $25 initial contribution per investment option required to open account.

Investment Options

Target-Risk Options:

The program offers offers 14 self-selected investment options.

Bank Money Market Investment / Checking Option:

The interest bearing account investment option is FDIC-insured.

Fees & Expenses

Enrollment or application fee:

None

Account maintenance fee:

None

Program management fees:

Program management fee ranges from 0.00% to 0.31%.

Expenses of the underlying investments:

Ranges from 0.00% to 0.62%

Total asset-based expense ratio:

0.00% - 0.62%.

Fees or restrictions on the number of disbursements

None

Taxes and other Benefits

Program match on contributions:

None

State tax deduction or credit for contributions:

None

State tax recapture provisions:

None

State tax treatment of qualified distributions:

All contributions and withdrawals are exempt from state, county and municipal taxes.

State tax treatment of rollovers:

TN follows federal tax-free treatment, though tax-free rollovers are restricted to once per 12-month period

Medicaid eligibility

Amounts contributed to or held in, and qualified withdrawals from, an ABLE TN account are disregarded for purposes of Medicaid benefits eligibility.The CMS guidance can be found at Implications of the ABLE Act for State Medicaid Programs on the CMS website. Please consult with your state's Medicaid office with any additional questions.

Medicaid recapture provisions

Upon the death of the designated beneficiary, after all outstanding payments for qualified disability expenses are made, the applicable state's Medicaid program may claim up to an amount equal to the total medical assistance paid for the designated beneficiary after the establishment of the ABLE TN account.

Is there a debit card/ purchasing card available, and if so, at what cost?

No

Statutory protection of an account from creditors:

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Distributions & Terminations

To whom are distributions made payable:

A withdrawal may be made payable to a designated beneficiary or the designated beneficiary's legal representative.

Account Changes

Policy regarding participant/owner changes:

A designated beneficiary or legal representative may change the beneficiary on an account at any time, as long as the new beneficiary is an eligible individual and a member or the family of the former beneficiary. Any changes require that ownership of the account also be transferred to the new designated beneficiary.

Documents, Access & Reporting

Does participant have online password-protected access to account?

Yes

Can the complete enrollment process including funding be done online?

Yes

Documents and other services accessible or downloadable on the program's public Web site:

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Contact

Website:

http://www.abletn.gov/

Telephone:

855-922-5386

Email:

ABLE.TN@tn.gov

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