Tag: couples

How to Avoid OverPaying On Things You Already Own

Tom Savino with Savino Veritas requested an interview to discuss humorous topics related to how couples communicate. There are so many issues I have learned as a wife, mother, and daughter about what we share and don’t share with our spouse. I hadn’t really understood the depth of what seems to be the divide-and-conquer household until I launched MemoryBanc.

When most of my clients turned out to be couples, I learned how important it was for families to share their documents, accounts, and details and how often the information mattered in terms of time and money. We recently saved hundreds of dollars on a replacement cell phone for my son because I was able to login to my husband’s account and order it online while my husband was traveling. On the flip-side, I was able to ensure my husband knew the service call on the dishwasher was covered by the warranty when I was traveling and he had to meet the repair man who presented him with a bill for the service. Our ability to coordinate our shared lives saved us over $800.

For couples that use the online bill payment portal in their joint bank account, I hope you will sit down with you spouse to share the access codes and set-up. What most joint account owners do not know is that the bill pay portal is specific to the user, so if you wanted to change, stop, or modify a payment set up by your joint account partner– you could not without their login credentials. For this reason, my husband and I break the rules and share one username and passcode.

If you got some time, listen here, it’s a very different type of show and I had a fun time talking with him.

If you recognize you might not be so organized, here are some links to free downloads that can help you get started:

FamilyPackIf you know you want to avoid putting it off ’til tomorrow and benefit from coordinating this information with your spouse, you can order a copy of the workbook from Amazon or get a discounted 5 pack ($11.95 each or 40 percent off) that you can share over Thanksgiving with your family from MemoryBanc.

Why 7 out of 10 Couples Don’t Know How to Access Their Joint Accounts

authorstalkDrs. Rob + Janelle Alex, Ph.D. interviewed me to understand why 7 out of 10 couples would benefit by getting their finances and their household on the same page on their program Author’s Talk About It. Five years ago I would have had no idea how disconnected most couples are when it comes to their joint assets.

When I launched MemoryBanc, I did it believing I would be helping other caregivers. However, when the first year of sales ended up being mostly couples between 40 and 60, I realized there was a larger market need for our products and services. We do help quite a few caregivers, but they are dwarfed by the number of couples that use MemoryBanc as a tool to coordinate their shared lives.

Consumer Reports shared that only 3 out of 10 couples could cite and knew how to access the three largest financial accounts of their household–that means 7 out of 10 don’t! Consumer Reports.org went on to share that only 28 percent of couples are completely confident that their partner is prepared to assume responsibility of their joint retirement finances.

Do you know your financial plan if something were to happen to your partner? The last thing you want to deal with is how to access finances, pay bills, or access online accounts if something were to happen to your loved one. This summer when my son broke his phone, the only way to get a replacement mobile phone without a major penalty fee when my husband was traveling was to use his online access to the AT&T account. Not only did I need his passcodes, but I also needed to answer a security question. Thankfully, I had these close at hand.

The reason 7 out of 10 couples don’t have this information is because many of us divide-and-conquer. Our lives are much more complicated and we have to manage a lot more information than we did even twenty years ago. It’s one of the reasons $58 billion is sitting with state and federal treasurers in unclaimed money.

To get a handle on your joint finances and household assets, you can get a copy of MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life from Amazon for $15.33 (plus shipping if you don’t have Prime). That’s a 23 percent discount.

If you aren’t ready to make this leap, but want to get started, you can download a free chapter “Taming the Internet” now. I hope you will at least begin this important conversation. Contributed.

Ever wonder what you should have in place so that a loved one could help you?

blogtalkradioRobert Sharpe, host of Bringing Inspiration to Earth radio show, interviewed me about my journey to care for my parents. He focused in on the key topic I regularly evangelize — which is getting your documents, accounts and assets in order.

Did you know that Consumer Reports found 7 out of 10 couples didn’t know about or how to access the MAJOR financial accounts they shared? We lead busy lives and today our disorganization has already cost American families $58 billion. How much will it cost you?

We talk through some real life stories and discuss why having a durable power of attorney and medical directives are important for everyone over 18. We also go into the how and why these details are most important to ensure you have the life quality you desire.

To listen to this podcast, visit BlogTalkRadio.

Download a copy of the Important Documents Summary if you need this information for you or your family. Listen to this podcast for a walk through the list and how and why each item is important. Interviewed.