I talk about getting organized so often that my reputation as the Money Diva has diminished and I am now the Organization Queen.

I know our listeners have heard it before but life is so much better once you have all of the paperwork organized! Less stress! And the bonus is if you need to help mom and dad from a distance it will be so much easier!

As people age it can become overwhelming just opening the mail and organizing the bills. If they live near by, ask them if they would like to start with you opening the mail and writing out the checks. They will sign the checks but you will balance the checkbook and take care of the paperwork for them. Emphasize that they are still in control. You are just the bookkeeper. If they live far away, consider hiring someone to help them.

Next offer to organize the paper stuff. Go through it with them, yes I know it will be time consuming but they need to be part of the process. Put on their favorite music (even if it is Frank Sinatra!) as background and work on this together. Use humor here if you find tax returns from the 70s and 80s.

Don’t just dump stuff! Spend the time to evaluate what you do find. My brother-in-law found cash stashed everywhere when he offered to help.

Hopefully there is a filing cabinet, if not pick up a couple of crate-a-files at the stationary store. Set up a filing system that they can access easily and print out any labels in large block letters so they can read them.

Now start to collect the stuff from the various places that mom has stashed them. Does she have a safety deposit box? Whose name is on it? Ask if you can go with her and take inventory of the contents? Ask about adding your name to the box?

A couple of weeks ago we talked about spring-cleaning. Those inventory lists you were going to do for yourself will work great here as well. T Rowe Price, a mutual fund company in Maryland is offering a free CD-ROM, The Family Records Organizer, where you can store and update key personal data.
Easy to get; just get on their website, www.troweprice.com/getorganized

If an interactive file doesn't work for you I have found a paper version but you do need to use your computer to download the information. It’s the Household & Personal Property Inventory Book. It is 61 pages long so be prepared when you print it out. It’s from the University of Illinois and the Cooperative Service.

Start making lists, lots of lists. Make sure you leave a copy for your parents and you should have a copy as well.

· Professional/Personal directory – basically their data base
· Social Security numbers
· Investments with account numbers
· Pin numbers
· Inventory of the safety deposit box
· Important papers and where they can be located such as birth certificates, marriage license, deeds, titles to the cars 
· Insurance policies
· Regular monthly bills such as the telephone, electric, gas, rent.
· Credit cards numbers and the balances if any
· Tax returns for the last 6 years
· Estate planning documents
· Prescriptions they are taking and why; check for drug interactions

Helping them get organized will ease some of their burden and will also help you when the time comes that you may need to be more involved with their finances.