i have an elderly couple that want to add some of their children to their account and wanted to know what was the best way to do this. I don't work deposit side much so I need info on what to tell them. Power of Attorney, Authorized signer, what????
Thanks for your help.

This is one of those cases in which you need to know the options your bank provides, lay them out and let the customers decide what best fits their situation. I don't recommend that you steer them one way or another, since the choices they make can affect what happens when one or both of them die.

You can explain the mechanics -- a power of attorney ceases to be effective on the death of the individual who grants it. An authorized signer's authority to sign on the account also ends with the death of the individual who authorizes it. Adding the children as joint owners could have tax implications.

If the customers don't know which route is the best for them, they should consult an attorney for guidance. You should not try to fill that role.

I had a situation with an elderly woman and a granddaughter from across the country who had recently moved here to take care of her elderly grandmother. Granddaughter said the woman was going to put her on her account. The granddaughter asked to take the signature account home to the elderly woman because she was on oxygen and it was difficul for her to get out of the house. I said no. When the elderly woman came in with the granddaughter and I explained the rights of a co-owner on the account grandmother adamantly insisted that was not what she wanted and the change in ownership did not take place. A few weeks later Grandma died and granddaughter didn't stay around. It was clear to me she was intimidating the grandmother. Although you cannot give legal advice I think it is wise to talk to the elderly couple and make sure they know the legal rights of joint account holders. Elderly abuse is hard to spot but more common than we think.

I agree with Trail Hiker. We've had instances where an elderly customer was in the hospital and needed another party to be added to the account. In one case one of the tellers went with the customer’s son to the hospital so a new sig card could be signed. I would never recommend adding a new signer to an elderly customer's account unless it's done in person and the customer know exactly what adding them as a joint holder means.