Illinois ABLE

Learn about Illinois ABLE, a tax-advantaged savings and investment program that helps eligible people with disabilities save for qualified expenses.

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What Keeps Us Up Can Also Move Us Forward

When you have a problem, people often tell you to “sleep on it.” But what happens when an inability to sleep is the problem? The last few decades, I have suffered from frequent bouts of insomnia. Like many people who have trouble sleeping, I worry about my children, my parents as they get older, and challenges at work. When this happens, rather than getting worried about a lack of sleep, I have learned to accept that my mind will be active, and to direct it to creative thoughts. It’s not…

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Treasurer Frerichs stands at a podium as four people, including one using a wheelchair, are beside him

State Treasurer Frerichs Announces 250,000 More Illinoisans with Disabilities Eligible for ABLE Accounts

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs today announced that an estimated 250,000 Illinoisans with a disability are now eligible to open ABLE accounts that allow them to save and invest money to improve the quality of life without risking federal benefits. The A chieving a B etter L ife E xperience (ABLE) Act, which Congress passed in 2014, required that people had to have acquired their disability before their 26th birthday. A change in the law, effective this year, raised the age limit to before a person’s 46th birthday, meaning about 6…

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Mailbag January 22, 2026 – New Year’s Resolutions

QUESTION: In your last Treasurer’s note, you gave a recap of your 2025 resolutions, but I noticed you didn’t mention any for 2026. Did you make any for this year? A: Thanks for noticing, and thank you for the question. Some are similar to last year, and some are new. I think we are more likely to keep our resolutions when we share them with others to hold us accountable. So, here goes! *I want to cross the $2.5 billion mark for money returned to people, businesses, and nonprofit groups…

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Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Welcomes New Hampshire to National ABLE Alliance

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today that New Hampshire has joined the National ABLE Alliance, becoming its 19th member. The National ABLE Alliance is the country’s largest consortium offering Achieving a Better Life Experience savings and investment accounts to people with disabilities. Frerichs was instrumental in creating the Alliance. “I’m proud of Illinois’ leadership role with the National ABLE Alliance and our ongoing work to help people with disabilities find ways to invest in themselves without putting federal benefits at risk,” Treasurer Frerichs said. “As a founding…

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State Treasurers, U.S. Senator Burr, and Advocacy Groups Join Forces to Raise Awareness for Investment Program to Benefit Children, Adults with a Disability or Blindness

13-State Alliance Will Offer ABLE Investment Accounts to Help Families Save for Better Future WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs joined members of the National Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Alliance, U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), and advocates of people with disabilities in Washington, D.C. today to tout a new investment program for people with a disability or blindness that does not jeopardize their federal disability benefits. ABLE accounts are now available in multiple states across the country. The ABLE Alliance is led by Illinois and serves as…

Read MoreState Treasurers, U.S. Senator Burr, and Advocacy Groups Join Forces to Raise Awareness for Investment Program to Benefit Children, Adults with a Disability or Blindness