Financial Library

Monica was alarmed to hear from her mother's financial advisor expressing concern over some unusual financial requests. She called her mom, who seemed fine, but Monica couldn't get the conversation with the financial advisor out of her head. She travelled to see her mom in person and was dismayed to discover numerous unpaid bills and an uncompleted tax return. Her mother had always been very meticulous about money, so something was off. Monica's concerns turned out to be well-founded. Within a few months, her mother was diagnosed with dementia.

Here are some common TIPS Canadians should consider when assisting family members with handling their financial affairs while alive. And some common TRAPS that may occur once an Executor is working on distributing the Estate assets to the heirs.

It is a common practice to have all of Mom's or Dad's bank accounts set up in joint name with an adult child. This allows the child to clear out the bank accounts when Mom or Dad passes, and to avoid Probate (Letters of Administration etc.).