National Disability Institute (NDI) Executive Director, Michael Morris, led the session, ABLE Accounts and Financial Education: A Critical Partnership, with Bonnie Wallace, Hands on Banking, Wells Fargo Foundation, at the 2019 Annual Conference of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) in Naples, Fl. California State Treasurer Ma moderated the session.
The first part of the session focused on how state ABLE programs and financially managed ABLE accounts offer a new roadmap for people with disabilities that encourages saving and investing financial resources, setting financial goals and making informed financial decisions for the short- and long-term. Mr. Morris and Ms. Wallace also explored how ABLE accounts and financial education resources can be leveraged to help citizens with disabilities change expectations, imagine and shape new financial goals and celebrate a new quality of life experience.
The second part of the session focused on an interactive exercise that involved having audience members develop one creative idea for leveraging private, public or nonprofit partnerships to increase ABLE awareness and drive enrollment. Ideas were captured on worksheets which were given to NAST’s ABLE committee to compile and share with NAST membership.
The National Association of State Treasurers provides advocacy and support that enables member states to pursue and administer sound financial policies and programs benefiting the citizens of the nation.
Membership is comprised of all state treasurers or state finance officials with comparable responsibilities from the United States, its commonwealths, territories and the District of Columbia, along with employees of these agencies. The private sector is represented through the Corporate Affiliate Program that was established to build professional relationships and foster cooperation between the public and private sectors.
As part of its mission to be the nation’s leading advocate for responsible state treasury programs and related financial practices and policies, NAST furthers its federal relations through the association’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit the NAST website: www.nast.org.
