Maximizing ABLE Savings: How Advisors Can Better Serve Clients With Disabilities
More than 70 million Americans live with a disability, each navigating a unique set of financial circumstances.
ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts are tax-advantaged accounts designed to help people with disabilities save for the future. Yet, despite the massive market, only just over 200,000 ABLE accounts exist nationwide.
This awareness gap creates a powerful opportunity for advisors. And the timing couldn’t be better: beginning January 1, 2026, eligibility expands to include individuals whose disability onset occurred before age 46 (up from 26), nearly doubling the eligible population. Here’s what you need to know about the opportunity, the mechanics, and how to make ABLE a meaningful part of your advisory toolkit.
The Market Most Advisors Are Missing
Despite the size of the disability community, awareness and adoption of ABLE accounts remain disproportionately low. There is a significant growth opportunity for advisors to help bridge the knowledge gap and reach a massive new market.
The numbers tell a compelling story:
- Collectively, ABLE accounts hold roughly $3 billion in assets, but the total potential market capacity is hundreds of billions.
- The average account balance is around $12,500 and growing each year as more participants use ABLE for long-term investing rather than short-term spending.
- Two-thirds of ABLE savers make no withdrawals in a given year, showing that many treat it as a savings or investment vehicle, not just a transactional account.
Even with these early signals of growth, most financial professionals aren’t talking about ABLE at all. The result: millions of individuals and families who could benefit from professional guidance remain unserved—and millions of advisors are leaving meaningful relationships and assets on the table.
“People will always remember who told them about ABLE—because it supports so many lifelong challenges that families often don’t even know how to start addressing.”
Why ABLE Accounts Belong in Every Advisor’s Toolkit
By helping clients understand, open, and fund ABLE accounts, advisors not only fill a critical knowledge gap but also strengthen long-term relationships built on trust and inclusion. Here’s the case for why ABLE accounts belong in your suite of offerings:
- A new chance to lead with empathy and expertise. Many households with a disability face complex, lifelong financial challenges. Advisors who approach these conversations with understanding and actionable guidance can become trusted partners for decades.
- A differentiator in a crowded market. Few financial professionals discuss ABLE accounts with clients. Those who do can stand out by offering specialized knowledge that connects directly to family needs, especially as eligibility nearly doubles in 2026.
- ABLE accounts can function as super-powered “triple Roth.” If your clients like Roth IRAs, they’ll love ABLE accounts. ABLE accounts provide the same tax-free growth and withdrawals as a Roth, but with no age limitations on withdrawals, and with the added potential for state tax deductions or credits. Plus, you can put nearly 3 to 5 times as much money in an ABLE account annually as you can in a Roth IRA.
Want a deeper look at how ABLE accounts work? Check out our guide to ABLE accounts for detailed information on eligibility, contribution limits, and qualified expenses.
The Advisor ABLE Playbook: Tips for Getting Started
Here are a few simple ways to help you get started incorporating ABLE into your advisory practice:
1. Start with a question.
When onboarding new clients or checking in with existing ones, ask: “Do you or someone you support have a disability?”
It’s a small addition that can lead to a powerful conversation. Many clients may not be aware that ABLE accounts exist or how they fit within a broader financial plan. While some advisors may feel uncertain about how to approach the topic, asking the question can be deeply validating for families who often feel overlooked in traditional financial planning.
ABLE accounts can support many types of individuals and families, such as:
- Neurodiverse individuals seeking financial independence and long-term stability
- Parents of children with disabilities saving for education, care, and daily expenses
- Veterans managing service-connected disabilities
- Caregivers and family members supporting loved ones with ongoing needs
As one ABLE parent shared when speaking to a group of advisors, “People will always remember who told them about ABLE—because it supports so many lifelong challenges that families often don’t even know how to start addressing.”
2. Work with business owner clients.
ABLE can be a meaningful addition to a company’s financial benefits package. Educating your business owner clients about ABLE accounts and their ability to integrate them into their workplace benefits demonstrates inclusive planning, helping their teams in new ways.
It’s also a benefit that is resonating with employees more: Among people who have an immediate family member with a disability, 77% say having access to an ABLE account is at least somewhat important to their financial situation. That’s real demand you can help your clients meet.
3. Familiarize yourself with your state’s program and other national options.
Vestwell offers a national ABLE program search tool that allows you to explore programs across states and identify where clients can open an account. Opening an account takes as little as 10 minutes.
4. Stay up to date with changes.
ABLE program rules may continue to evolve, so staying informed helps you guide clients with confidence. The most significant change on the horizon is the expanded eligibility rules that take effect January 1, 2026, making millions more Americans—specifically, those whose disabilities began later in life—eligible for ABLE accounts.
To stay current on policy shifts, program updates, and new opportunities for your clients, partner with a provider that keeps you informed.
Vestwell is the leading ABLE program administrator, powering programs across the country. Learn how Vestwell can help you support your clients with confidence as ABLE continues to expand nationwide here.
Building Financial Security, Together
For many families, ABLE represents more than a financial account; it’s a path toward independence, dignity, and long-term security. By starting the conversation now, you can help more clients build financial confidence and strengthen your practice in the process.
