Retirement Planning Education, with Andy Panko #179 – "Real" person chat with Beth Pinsker about her new book, My Mother's Money, A Guide to Financial Caregiving
Nov 20, 2025
Beth Pinsker, a MarketWatch retirement columnist and CFP professional, shares her journey in managing her mother’s finances and caregiving in her new book, 'My Mother's Money.' She discusses the emotional and practical challenges of financial caregiving, including the importance of having legal access to accounts and planning for end-of-life arrangements. Beth emphasizes proactive aging plans to avoid crises, highlights the emotional strain of spending a loved one's savings, and offers essential insights on making estate settlement smoother for caregivers. Her personal anecdotes make it a must-listen!
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Set Up Access Before Crisis
- Get legal and account access forms in place: power of attorney, HIPAA waiver, and trusted contacts.
- Use a mix (POA, joint signer, trusted contact) so you have access and accountability when caregiving.
Security Creates Caregiving Friction
- Modern security (2FA, signatures) prevents informal help once common decades ago.
- This protects against fraud but makes legitimate caregiving access much harder.
Preplan Final Resting Place
- Decide and prepay final arrangements (burial, cremation, funeral wishes) to spare family stress and cost.
- Put specifics in writing and share the contact details so decisions don't fall to grieving relatives.
