Although my company helps elderly clients with bill pay services, this is not something I’ve talked about much when describing services we offer. But today I wanted to share a little bit about what we do in case you or someone you know could use our help in this area. We have had clients who are individuals who contact us for help with bill payments for a few reasons.
One gentleman currently lives in Florida but owns a few properties in different areas of California and doesn’t want to deal with all of the paperwork for each location. There are utility bills, mortgages, HOA fees (for one property), insurance, landscaping, and various other invoices needing to be paid throughout the year. He has all of the bills mailed directly to our office. We print checks each month and stamp his signature on the check stock as they are printed (we purchase blank check stock and laser generate checks as needed). Each month when bills are paid, we let him know the total amount paid and he transfers funds into that bank account so the checks will clear.
One client was losing her vision, and the stacks of paperwork she received began to frustrate her. She couldn’t read much of the information, so I would sort through all of the paperwork and find the bills needing to be paid. I wrote all of the checks using her check stock, and would have her sign all of the payments letting her know what each was for. I’d reconcile her bank accounts and let her know the balance in each one. I’d scan and save any documentation she’d need for tax preparation, and everything else was thrown away or shredded (depending on if sensitive information was included on the paperwork). At one point we set up many of her vendors to send electronic statements and I began to use online bill payment services to reduce the amount of paperwork she received. She passed away this May 3 months before her 100th birthday.
One client I am helping lost her husband a few years ago and he used to handle all of the finances. She was overwhelmed after his death trying to manage all of the bills and cash flow. I pay all of her bills once a month, reconcile her bank account, and scan any necessary documents for tax preparation. Each time I help her, she thanks me saying she was always stressed out with the paperwork, and now she knows everything is being handled timely. I am thankful I’ve been able to help her and give her the peace of mind knowing she has everything paid on time and enough money in the bank to cover expenses she has throughout the month such as groceries.
We can work with clients’ bill payments in a variety of ways including using their current check stock and having them sign bills as they are paid, giving us a signature stamp and having bills sent to our office to be processed, or using online bill payment software to securely manage payments without having to have direct access to their bank account (we set up payment information in a software that runs a test deposit to make sure the account information is entered accurately). If desired, bills can be approved by a family member or the client prior to us scheduling payments.
If you or someone you know is struggling with managing their bill payments, cash flow, or reconciling the bank and/or credit card accounts, contact us today to discuss the services we offer, and what would be best in the particular situation. We are happy to help and relieve this burden! We can be reached at 310-534-5577 or [email protected].
