Traumatic brain injury survivors must carefully plan their future and make sure the plan takes into consideration financial support.

Financial strategies when dealing with settlements - Whether able to work part time or, if totally disabled and cannot work at all, when a traumatic brain injury survivor receives a settlement or monetary award navigating finances can be overwhelming and intimidating. It is extremely important for the survivor to obtain the services of a professional money manager to help the survivor with the settlement or financial award and protect the future. A money manager can help provide assistance with the following:

• How to manage a lump sum payment of money and protect the future.
• Budget planning for the future and obtaining income producing security investments.
• Help with opening and closing accounts and help with making purchases.
• Financial planning including tax-efficient investments, life insurance and retirement planning.
• Knowing when to bring in a legal professional that concentrates an estate and trust planning and when a trust or guardianship would be advisable.
• Provide a service so that the survivor is comfortable in meeting with the money manager on a regular basis developing a trusted, fiduciary relationship.

Structured settlement - A structured settlement is a payment plan designed specifically for the traumatic brain injury survivor that usually is worked out by the attorney for the survivor that obtains the settlement or financial award and a professional company that designs and invests structured settlements. A structured settlement provides some money up front and the balance of the money paid in regular scheduled payment throughout a period of time or the lifetime of the survivor. In addition, if the structured settlement is set up so that it survives the person with the traumatic brain injury then it would go to the beneficiaries of that person. Structured settlements are valuable and help with the following:

• Pay an amount of money up front to help with bills
• Guaranteed regular payments in order that the future can be planned
• Can help with the education fund for the children of the survivor
• Can help with costs of living adjustments
• Payments are 100% tax free, not only the initial amount invested but the payouts as well.

Social Security Disability benefits - The federal government has set this up in to two disability programs:

• Social Security Disability - For disabled applicants that have paid enough into FICA.
• Supplemental Security Income for disabled applicants that have not paid enough into FICA to qualify.

These programs are important for the traumatic brain injury survivor that is unable to return to work and can greatly help with future financial planning.