199: Your Power of Attorney Is Valid—So Why Won't Anyone Accept It?

About this episode

Kirsten Howe discusses the challenges families face when banks refuse to accept valid powers of attorney and offers practical strategies to ensure these documents are honored.

A new client recently asked Kirsten a question that resonated: "What can we do so we don't face the same pushback I did when my mom's bank wouldn't accept her power of attorney?" It's a frustration many families face—you have all the right documents, but when it's time to use them, banks and institutions push back. In this quick-tips episode, Kirsten Howe explains why powers of attorney are the most problematic basic estate planning document—not because they're poorly drafted, but because they require acceptance from a third party who doesn't know you to trust that your agent is legitimate. She walks through the bank's perspective on why they hesitate, and shares practical strategies to make sure your documents actually work when you need them most, including re-signing your POA periodically, keeping assets in your trust, and filling out your bank's own power of attorney form. Time-stamped Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 1:24 The client question that inspired this episode: "What can we do to avoid the hassle I had with my mom's power of attorney?" 1:52 To get things started, Kirsten talks about what a power of attorney is and how it should work. 2:28 Next, let's discuss why powers…

People in this episode

Host: Kirsten Howe

Topics covered

• power of attorney
• estate planning
• bank acceptance
• legal documents
• client experiences
• financial institutions

Keywords

• power of attorney
• estate planning
• bank pushback
• legal documents
• financial institutions
• client experiences
• trust assets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: bank, financial institutions, trust

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