Guides for families managing a parent’s money
Most of what is written about this assumes you are a professional, or that nothing has gone wrong yet. These guides are for the adult child at the kitchen table with a stack of envelopes, and for parents who would like to stay ahead of it.
They are arranged roughly in the order families need them. If you are not sure there is a problem, start with the signs. If you are about to take over, read the one on permission and powers of attorney before you change anything. If your parent has a private caregiver, read the caregiver guide this week rather than next January.
What a Daily Money Manager Does, and What Is Someone Else's Job
What a daily money manager does for an older adult, how it differs from a financial adviser, attorney or fiduciary, and how to check a provider.
Signs an Aging Parent Needs Help With Money
The early signs that an aging parent is struggling with money: unopened mail, late notices, duplicate payments, new 'friends' and unusual charges.
Taking Over a Parent's Bills: Permission, POA and Joint Accounts
How to take over a parent's bills properly: their permission, power of attorney, joint accounts and their risks, representative payees, and what to avoid.
Paying a Private Caregiver Legally (2026 Thresholds)
When a family that hires a caregiver privately becomes a household employer: the 2026 thresholds, W-2 vs 1099, family exemptions and state rules.
Elder Financial Scams, and How a Second Set of Eyes Catches Them
The scams that target older adults, what they look like in a bank statement, how monthly reconciliation catches them, and what to do on the first day.
What Daily Money Management Costs (2026)
What help with a parent’s bills and money costs in 2026: how providers charge, what moves the price, the free and paid options, and a $250 monthly floor.
A Parent's Paperwork: What to Find, Keep, Scan and Shred
A checklist for a parent's paperwork: the documents to find first, what to keep as originals, what to scan, and what can safely be shredded.
Talking to a Parent About Money Without Taking Over
How to raise money with an aging parent: when to start, openings that work, what to agree first, and how to keep your parent in charge.
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Where to start, depending on your situation
The titles do not always make it obvious which guide fits, so here is the short version.
You are worried but not sure
Read the signs a parent needs help, then the guide on talking to a parent about money. Together they cover what to look for and how to raise it without a fight.
You are about to take over the bills
Read taking over a parent’s bills first. It explains permission, powers of attorney, joint accounts and the representative payee rules for Social Security, and lists the mistakes that cause trouble later.
Your parent pays someone to help at home
Read paying a private caregiver legally. If payroll has not been run, it is fixable, and the sooner the better.
Something has already gone wrong
Read the scams guide for what to do on the first day, and the paperwork checklist if you need to find documents quickly.
You want to know what help costs
The cost guide sets out how providers charge, what moves the price, and the free and paid alternatives side by side.