About AVAPP
The Academy of VA Pension Planners was created in 2009 to assist Veterans and their families locate Accredited Attorneys and Financial Advisors that have the necessary advanced training and experience to help Veterans or their widows qualify for the VA Pension. The VA Pension is an INCOME benefit Veterans and their widows can receive to offset the high cost of health care. Certain basic eligibility requirements must be met to qualify.

To find out more about those requirements and to find out how much money a qualifying veteran family or widow can get, click here.

Mission of AVAPP
Our mission is to provide Veterans and their families, qualified Attorneys and Financial Advisors that can provide them with the best possible awareness, education, and resources available to competently and successfully navigate the VA Pension Benefits System to secure benefits that they have earned.

AVAPP Founder - James (Jim) B. Swain, JD, MBA
Jim Swain is a nationally recognized expert on VA benefits planning. He is a specialist in training attorneys and financial advisors on subjects such as income tax, gift and estate tax planning, charitable planning, asset protection planning, business formation and succession planning, and VA Pension Planning. Jim is a noted speaker on these issues for professional organizations like WealthCouncel, Mid South Forum, and ElderCounsel.

Jim has a Law Degree (JD) and a Masters of Business Administration Degree (MBA) from Memphis State University (now University of Memphis), a BA in Human Resource Management from Pepperdine University, and is a graduate of Renaissance Inc.'s Charitable Planning School. He is licensed to practice law in Georgia and Tennessee. Jim has a unique background with extensive knowledge and experience in Wealth Transfer and Estate Planning, Business Planning, Charitable Giving Planning, Executive Compensation Plans, developing and administrating Qualified and Nonqualified Benefit Plans, and Advising Veterans about Pension Benefits.

He conducts seminars for charitable institutions, individuals, attorneys, CPAs, investment advisors, insurance agents, and trust officers on estate planning, wealth preservation, business succession, charitable gifting, wealth transfer and Military Veterans benefits.

He is a co-developer and co-presenter of the ElderCounsel VA Pension Course.

Jim is the founder and principal of Swain Law Firm in Roswell, Georgia and founder of the Academy of VA Pension Planners.

He is a member of the Rotary Club & Roswell, the Tennessee and Georgia Bar Associations, the Georgia Planned Gifting Council, the North Georgia Estate Planning Council, American Legion Post 201 (Alpharetta), the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 120001 (John's Creek) and the Georgia Vietnam Veterans Association. He served 10 years on active duty in the US Navy and 10 years in the Naval Reserve.