There's a tax-advantaged account with Roth-style tax-free growth, no age-based withdrawal restrictions, qualified expenses that include housing, and a $20K/year contribution limit. It's been around since 2014, but eligibility expands dramatically in January 2026.

It's called an ABLE account, and a meaningful fraction of this subreddit probably qualifies.

Who Qualifies

ABLE accounts are for people with disabilities. Two paths to eligibility:

1. You receive SSI or SSDI, OR
2. A physician certifies you have a condition causing "marked and severe functional limitations" that began before age 46 (effective January 2026)

"Marked and severe functional limitations" sounds like it excludes anyone functional. It doesn't. The standard doesn't include an employment test. You don't need to be unable to work or on benefits. You need a qualifying condition that causes significant functional limitations.

ADHD, autism, anxiety disorders, depression, and various other common conditions can qualify if the severity is sufficient. Not every diagnosis qualifies. You need to actually have marked functional limitations, not just a label. But many people who are professionally successful will meet the threshold.

Enrollment is self-certification. You attest you have physician documentation. You don't upload anything.

Why High Earners Should Care

If you're not on SSI/Medicaid, you get:

• $20K/year contributions, tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses
• Qualified expenses include housing, transportation, health/wellness, education, "basic living expenses"
• No age restrictions on withdrawals
• State tax deduction in some states

(Non-qualified withdrawals trigger income tax + 10% penalty on earnings, the same as other tax-advantaged accounts.)

If you pay rent or a mortgage, you have qualified expenses. This is basically a more flexible Roth you can tap anytime for housing.

Maxing $20K/year at 7% returns over 20 years = ~$820K balance, ~$80K in tax savings vs taxable brokerage. State tax deductions add more.

How To Do It

1. Confirm you have a qualifying condition that began before age 46
2. Get your doctor to sign a disability certification form (sample form)
3. Compare state plans using the ABLE NRC comparison tool
4. Open account online, self-certify eligibility, fund it

If you have a condition like ADHD or autism that began before 46 and causes genuine functional limitations, you probably have access to $20K/year in tax-advantaged space that allows withdrawals for housing at any age. That's worth a few hours of effort.