Clear Path step · Home · Independence with a safety net
Plan for the day they need more help
Why it matters: When illness or memory loss arrives, families without a plan get locked out of accounts or rely on informal access that scammers can exploit. Deciding early keeps your relative in charge of the decision.
On your path if you picked “An older parent or relative I help” for “Who's at home?”.
Best after: Write an account map, not a password list
Do it
- Encourage a conversation with an estate attorney about a durable power of attorney and digital assets.
- Set up legacy contacts on their phone and main accounts.
- Help them make an account list (not passwords) and store it with their important papers.
- Agree on warning signs that mean it's time to step up help.
Check it worked: Your relative has decided who can act for them financially and digitally, with a durable power of attorney, legacy contacts and an account list kept somewhere safe.
Simply put
It's like choosing who holds a spare key while you can still choose. Deciding now keeps your relative in charge, instead of the family scrambling for access later, when a scammer might step in.
In detail
Many states have adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, which governs what a fiduciary can access, but platform tools such as legacy contacts are usually faster. Plan with the person, not around them.
Points toward the Long View: your relative's choices, written down and respected when they need more help.