I would like an opinion as to whether it is safe to hire a senior assistant to take care of bills that are not on automatic payment. For a few bills, checks must be written such as those that are not regularly occurring. In the event a loved one cannot do that and a POA does not live locally, would this be safe if a person from a senior agency was vetted or is it likely a person would steal funds? My Aunt loved her aide of several years but after her death the family learned she had been stealing regularly by asking my Aunt to sign several checks.
Even if you do it wrong, you are the only one who cares enough about your own finances to do it right, or if errors occur, to make it right.
This is my experienced opinion.
Instead the bank employee let Mom's health insurance lapse and Dad's life insurance lapse in just her first year doing it.
She blamed it on everything but herself.
Before I found out (last July) that she'd let those payments lapse, I asked her repeatedly to update me/us on what she was accomplishing. We'd gotten no statements from her or any other sort of update. So, she finally set up a mtg with us.
In the mtg., she made a lot of vague comments about how great her team is, but never told us what she or they had gotten done. Mom and Dad told her they want to sell the only other property they own, because the loan and the upkeep are draining their accounts. They told the banker this THREE times.
So, the banker then says she'd like to get them to refinance it instead, through her bank of course, and even admitted the rate would not be lower.
Who in the heck tries to get a couple in their mid-90's to sign a refi on a house??!!
It was clear to us that everything she was trying to accomplish was self-serving and she was getting mad that I was getting in her way. My parents fired her then she sued them, claiming she was doing it out of "concern" for them.
No matter if it's an individual or a corporation, the temptation to abuse the elderly is too great.
Is it possible to have the bills sent to you or who ever is POA? the bills could be mailed or emailed and the check could then either be written and mailed or an e-check sent from the account.
Good luck.
In some cases, something might be no longer used but forgotten, and they will continue to bill/take the money! It can likely be okay to use for utilities, etc, but be careful about others, like subscriptions.
When mom passed, I was thinking about/working with ensuring everything was paid up, tallying everything, getting E-file for the will, etc, and forgot about the Sunday paper delivery (she was in MC, so I wouldn't see it myself and remember!) It was the funeral home interaction about posting the obit that reminded me! I contacted them about canceling and they actually provided a credit for the papers not delivered.
If you use auto-pay, use it sparingly is my recommendation.
You can hire someone independently if you can be sure of their honesty. I actually used to do exactly this job for several older people in the community where I lived. The people who hired me knew of me by word of mouth from others for whom I workd and trusted me to be honest, which I was, but I know there are many people who will do jobs like this in order to take advantage of the client.
I am not suggesting that this is a good idea for others, but I'm just mentioning that, thankfully, there ARE some honest people out there. In our case, this was a recently-retired school teacher who, with her husband, was financially secure, and this was in a small village in which people knew each other.
Whatever bills that can't be on Auto Bill Pay, just have them send the bills to you to pay.
Of course, you would need to be added on to her Bank Account so you can sign the check.
Hirering a fiduciary to do this is also possible, the professional ones are and you should make sure, bonded etc but unless you really don’t want any part of it or can’t do it it’s an expense that for us is unnecessary. The bills are pretty seamless once the auto pay and bank sending checks is all set up.
Sadly over time all THOSE came to my PO Box as well, including MORE garbage mail. Selling address information IS a big business these days, so once an address is known, it gets sold and other crap arrives! I just laugh at them, tear off any personal info and recycle the paper. It isn't just those we manage finances for either. I've gotten several mailings for my ex who 1) NEVER lived in this house and 2) passed away many years ago! We split up at least 35 years ago, so you KNOW the data miners are collecting information online (I've looked up his name and anyone associated with him at some time is listed as "associated".) Again, I laugh at these and toss any personal info and recycle them.
Their dime wasted. They won't get anything from me!
In the meantime, arrange to have nearly all of her bills via automatic online deduction. I've already done this with most of our bills. (My husband is 70 and I am 68 - but I want things already in place in case one of us drops dead suddenly.)
There are professional money managers who work under tons of legalities - someone's looking over their shoulder. Similarly, anyone asked to handle someone else's money should be accountable to a review of what they're doing. It really protects everyone involved.
Once the condo was sold, the only check I had to write were her monthly MC cost, trust funds to deposit into checking account and tax prep. If anything else came up, so long as I had a name and address to mail payment to, into the Bill Payer system it went.
I wouldn't hire someone to do that, esp if you are not local to where they are. It's much harder to oversee and deal with issues that might happen. The Bill Payer systems are SO much better! I even used it to pay the nail trimmer who would cut mom's nails (or claimed to.) She didn't even mail a bill, she emailed a statement to me. Oh, I also wrote checks to the hairdresser place, but it was on the way to mom's place and other local businesses, so not a big deal to do that every 5-6 weeks. I think once I wrote one to the dentist, but later put them into the BP system as well. Her federal medical and Medicare generally covered everything, but if some medical billed us legit, I would just add them to the system as well.
Have the bills mailed to you. If you use E-billing, that would go to your email - I preferred regular mail for bills and statements, so sadly I have boxes for every one of the last 6 years now... Just in case one of the bros decides to ask Qs now (personally I'd prefer to just tell them go pound sand - you criticize, don't help, hinder all the time, cause problems AND don't visit your mother? PFFFFT!) But if they decide to be real jerks and go legal, I don't have to scramble to get anything, it's ALL here!
Have the mailing addressed changed so you have bills, receipts, etc and put it all into the BP system. So much easier, less hassle and generally FREE!
No matter who is hired, there needs to be oversight.
But I agree online bill payments and etransfers will take care of almost all expenses. I am not sure how common etransfers are in the US, but here in Canada they are a common form of payment.
Just have the bills sent to your address, and pay that way.