I am pleased to present the latest edition of Financial Planning Tips. This month, I have selected a topic that is often overlooked – picking a financial caretaker to manage your financial affairs if you are no longer able to do so yourself (either temporarily or permanently). I believe everyone, at any adult age, should plan for this possibility. Many people think that this type of planning only applies to older folks, but the reality is that even younger people can experience health or other life events that call for this type of assistance.
Picking a financial caretaker
At some point in your life, you may need a financial caretaker to pay your bills, watch over your investments and take care of your tax filings. For many people, the choice is easy – most often adult children or nieces and nephews are willing to help. For some people, there may not be anyone who you can easily turn to. What do you do if you are in this situation?
Hire a friend and a professional
If you do not have family you trust to help with your finances, consider hiring a friend you trust. However, to provide additional protection, hire a professional to oversee the person taking care of your finances, such as an accountant or fiduciary financial planner. How would this work?
First simplify your finances and consolidate your financial picture using a portal such as Mint.com or Yodlee. Set up automatic bill pay for as many payments as possible. Provide your friend and a professional with the login to your aggregator site. The two can work together to make certain you are doing a good job managing your finances.
Once you need assistance with your finances, you can begin with your friend “supervising” your bill paying, watching over your investments, and filing your taxes. Make certain they have a power of attorney to take over for you when needed, and that all of your financial institutions accept your power of attorney document.
Once your friend takes over paying the bills, make certain the financial planner or accountant periodically “audit” your friend’s work. You will have to pay for this service, but the peace of mind with having multiple eyes on your financial picture is well worth the cost.
What if there is no one who can help you pay your bills?
There are professional bill payers, but unfortunately, this profession is in its infancy and is not regulated. The American Association of Daily Money Managers is a great resource for professional bill payers, and they may also provide many other services.
If you hire a professional bill payer, they should provide a monthly accounting of your expenditures, collect all your financial statements, organize your information for your tax return, and review your investments with your professional advisers.
It is important to have your finances set up to your specifications in advance of hiring help so your instructions can be followed. For example, have an investment policy statement, budget, and plan for your sources of income and have the bill paying professional agree to follow your directives.
Content provided by: Whealthcare Planning, LLC
I hope you find this information to be helpful. Please contact me with any questions, and feel free to forward to anyone who may benefit.
The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances, and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, or retirement advice or recommendations.
To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circumstances.
These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable — we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.
Recent Comments