There may come a time 当 your parents 可以 no longer h和le their own finances.

这里有一些提示 当 和 如何 来帮助他们渡过难关.

如何确定他们是否需要帮助. 

你的父母是你认识的第一批“真正的成年人”, 所以很难想象他们需要你的帮助. 但就像太阳升起一样肯定, 一个 day your parents will reach an age where they will no longer be able to manage their m一个y.

As your mom 和/or dad enter their twilight years, keep an eye out for these 告诉迹象 他们需要帮助.

他们正在进行不寻常的购买.

If your parents start buying r和om products that they don’t need, never use or don't fit their lifestyle – you may want to investigate that. 他们可能是 骗局 或者经历认知能力下降.

他们有未开封的邮件.

The next time you're at your parents' house, keep your eyes peeled for stacks of unopened mail. If they are glossing over important documents like financial statements, 国税局通知或帐单, it's time to step in 和 help them meet their financial responsibilities.

他们的身体健康正在下降.

随着你父母年龄的增长，简单的任务对他们来说可能会变得更难. 疼痛, pains 和 failing eyesight 可以 make the simple act of writing 和 delivering a check too tough to h和le.

他们有失忆的迹象.

It's typical for your parents to experience a dash of forgetfulness in their 70s 和 80s. 然而, 如果他们开始反复问你同样的问题, 把东西放错地方或说话时忘记常用词, 这是一个危险信号. Neglecting bills 和 losing track of cash is a recipe for disaster.

如何提出这个话题. 

Your parents gave you the "birds 和 bees" talk 当 you were younger, right?

以牙还牙. 当他们开始变老时，给他们“金钱话题”.

诚实温柔.

M一个y conversations with elderly parents aren't always welcomed. So, before you go out 和 declare yourself captain of their account, 和他们开诚布公地谈谈你的意图. 解释一下如果他们出了什么事, you’d feel more secure knowing their finances wouldn't suffer for it. Remind them that you are there to help, 和 that you won't do anything without their permission. 

把你的兄弟姐妹也包括在谈话中.

If you have brothers 和 sisters, it's important that you're all on the same page about this. Underst和 that you won't be able to control 如何 your siblings feel or behave, but you 可以 控制自己的行为. 抛开兄弟姐妹之间的竞争，保持文明. Families who are willing to tackle m一个y-related topics are more likely to overcome financial challenges.

Using a respectful 和 tactful t一个 with aging parents 可以 make financial conversations easier.

如何清楚地了解他们的财务状况. 

在你得到爸妈的同意之后, here are the eight most important questions you should ask first.

1. 你有指定一份持久的财务委托书吗?

A financial power of attorney (POA) will take ownership of your parents’ accounts if they were to become incapacitated. 如果没有行动纲领, you’d likely have to file a petition with a court of law for guardianship of your parents’ accounts. Find out if they have a financial planner to assist them with finances or legal documents.

2. 你的财务记录和资产放在哪里?

Make sure you have a clear list of all your parents’ records, accounts 和 assets. 如果他们多年来一直把钱藏在床垫下, 他们可能有一大笔你都不知道的积蓄. 保存所有账户信息, 还有一份你父母财产和地点的清单, 在一个安全的地方.

3. 你的贷款机构叫什么名字?

如果你的父母还在付房贷, 或者另一笔大额贷款, reach out to their lender to obtain the status of the loan 和 the reference number.

4. 你每月的开支是多少?

Make a comprehensive list of your parents’ fixed 和 non-fixed bills, 还有季节性和可自由支配的开支.

5. 你怎么支付你的账单?

Ask your parents if they pay their bills via paper check, electronic check or online. Find out if they have any automatic payments set up 和 which accounts those payments are pulled from.

6. 你的年收入是多少?

询问社会保障福利, 每月退休金, investment dividends 和 any other income stream your parents may have.

7. 你们有什么样的健康保险?

Find out if your parents receive Medicare or Medicaid benefits. 询问可能的长期护理保险, which 可以 cover the cost of a long-term health aide or assisted living.

8. 你写遗嘱或信托了吗?

这是一个很难的话题，但也是一个至关重要的话题. Make sure your parents have a plan for what happens to their assets after they’ve passed, 还有提交文件的律师的名字.

如何管理他们的钱. 

此时此刻, 你已经准备好建立一个管理计划, 或者至少是这样, 协助父母的财务. Listen to their personal preferences 和 honor their dignity as much as possible. Ask them if they’d like you to take responsibility for 一个 or more of their monthly financial-related tasks. Start by offering to pay their 抵押贷款 和 car payments each month 和 go from there.

你也可以帮助他们简化财务. The first step in simplifying is automating as many bills as possible. If your parents have multiple high-interest credit card balances, you 可以 巩固他们的债务 通过无抵押贷款来还清余额. 这样，他们每个月只需还一笔贷款.

一旦你和父母相处得舒服了, see if they 可以 add you to their checking 和 savings accounts. This will make it much easier in h和ling day-to-day transactions 和 pulling statements. 如果你有兄弟姐妹，决定是哪个 一个 你们中的许多人将加入这个帐户. Granting multiple family members access to 一个 bank account often leads to a “too many cooks in the kitchen" situation. 这里的目标是简单. Pick 一个 person 和 agree beforeh和 that whoever is added to the account will provide complete transparency to the others.

Taking over the finances of your parents 可以 be a delicate 和 daunting task. 大多数人都希望随着年龄的增长而保持独立. Be underst和ing but also recognize this is often a necessity for aging parents.

来源: gobankingrates

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