Financial
Advice and experience to help you support and protect your parents and their rights.
Lessons from a story of financial elder abuse
When an older relative is struggling to manage their money and their daily household, it’s often time for a responsible and caring relative to step in. Many apply officially for Lasting Power of Attorney and some unofficially start to help managing the money. Problems do sometimes occur when the guardians of the money are tempted […]
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Tips on updating wills and LPAs while social distancing
While many people are hoping for the end of lockdown restrictions, for the older and vulnerable, social distancing remains the best option. Yet it continues to be important to keep estate planning, wills and provision for future challenges up to date. That includes putting measures in place to make life easier for all the family […]
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Cutting down on costs – how to manage retirement
Collaborative Post Many people spend a long time looking forward to retirement. The idea of giving up work and having enough time to do exactly what you want feels luxurious and amazing when compared with the usual daily grind. But the truth is that retirement isn’t always easy, and when it comes to finances it […]
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Protecting older people from tax scams
Today’s scammers try to take on any persona possible to relieve the vulnerable of the contents of the bank accounts, or even their savings and investments. A particular favourite at the moment seems to be fake messages from the tax office, demanding payments or even offering to help with refunds from HMRC. What sort of […]
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Banking scams, refunds and protecting the vulnerable
Financial scammers are ingenious and credible, and they prey on the vulnerable. That makes older people particularly susceptible. A new scheme should help to combat this form of fraud. Older people tend to be more trusting, and less informed about the methods that criminals will use to relieve them of their savings. And it is […]
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Benefits of Over 50s Life Insurance for Your Parents
Collaborative Post Discussing life insurance and funeral plans with a parent is never an easy task. However, when your parents have reached a certain age, it’s incredibly important that you know what your parents would like for their funeral and whether they have a life insurance policy in place. Perhaps your parents have come to […]
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Scamming phone callers asking for payment cards
It’s always wise to be wary of the identity of a person you don’t know when speaking to them on the phone, even if they give you a name or a phone number. If a call you’ve received ‘doesn’t seem quite right’, it’s better safe than sorry. Report fraud or attempted fraud, by contacting Action […]
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What to do when you become an accidental landlord
Sometimes you can find yourself the manager of a rental property without meaning to do so. You might be helping out an older relative who is struggling to manage their own tenants. Or you might have a relative who wants to let their home to fund care home fees and needs someone to organise the […]
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The what, who and how of winter fuel/cold weather payments
Update February 2020. Those eligible for cold weather payments should receive them automatically. If you’re not sure, here’s a list of eligibility requirements. Winter Fuel Payments are available to older people in the UK, but what are they, who qualifies, and how do you claim? Winter Fuel Payments (often referred to as winter fuel allowances) […]
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Why you need to ensure travel insurance declarations include mental health conditions
We know we need to declare physical conditions and medications when we’re looking for travel insurance, but how many of us think about notifying insurers of mental health issues? Or are even sure what constitutes such a condition? According to AllClear, a specialist medical travel insurance provider, many older travellers aren’t declaring mental health issues […]
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