10/01/2026
For decades one parent handled the money and the other handled everything else. It worked, right up until the day it didn't.
Now the surviving parent is holding statements they've never read and accounts they've never logged into. The money is usually still there. The familiarity isn't. Adult children are often the ones who notice first.
If your surviving parent is suddenly in charge of finances they never managed, they are not alone. Here is what adult children should watch for, and how to help.