Sometimes images of things from our youth (like cars) bring back fond memories ("goodies").

Oldies But Goodies

Karen CaccavoGetting organized, Important Documents, paper organizing, Paperwork Organizing, Working with Clients

It’s a new year and so tempting to try new things.  I’m with you!  But sometimes, when it comes to paperwork organizing, we at Personal Money Manager™ find that the tried-and-true can be the way to get things done for our senior clients.   Here are some examples:   Three “Oldies but Goodies” to start the New Year;   1)  …

Thinking about planning for the future

Beyond the Will — Part 1

Karen CaccavoFinancial Organizing, Important Documents, Organize my finances, Personal Owner's Manual, Working with Seniors

It’s challenging to get people to sit down and create a will (no surprise that over half the adult population is without one). Lack of time and focus, fear, even superstition get in the way. I am not an attorney:  I clearly leave will-writing (and all other legal work) to those professionals. As a financial organizer / daily money manager …

An "Owner's Manual" can help you -- or family members -- navigate key contacts, household bills, and financial accounts.

Everyone Needs an Owner’s Manual: Here’s How to Get Started

Karen CaccavoFinancial Organizing, Important Documents, Organize my finances, Owner's Manual, Personal Owner's Manual, Working with Seniors

No two Personal Money Manager™ clients are alike.  But one thing they do have in common is that they each have an Owner’s Manual—though they didn’t have one before we met! What is an “Owner’s Manual” for a household? While some clients have an abundance of files and filing cabinets and many have lists in their heads, they all benefit …

Looking closely at vital documents

Document Vital Information

Karen CaccavoImportant Documents, Living Independently, Organize my finances

I’m a financial organizer / daily money manager.  I help clients manage their financial paperwork.  In my previous career as an insurance broker, I learned the importance of documenting client needs and information, and I use that experience in my work with senior clients. Now more than ever my senior clients need the support of another set of eyes or …

As a financial organizer, I keep both the big picture and the details in focus at all times. It's a balancing act.

The Big Picture and the Details

Karen CaccavoDaily Money Managers, Financial Organizing, Important Documents, Paperwork Organizing, Working with Clients

As a financial organizer / daily money manager, I keep both the big picture and the details in focus at all times.  It’s a balancing act that’s essential to doing the job well. In a typical month-end client visit, I and my client open and review the bank statement. Using this as a jumping-off point, here’s how I zoom in …

Organizing your papers may not at first seem scary. Other than a few cobwebs and dust bunnies, what’s the worst danger that can be hiding in the far corners of an attic or file cabinet? You may be surprised!

Does Danger Lurk in Your Paperwork?

Karen CaccavoImportant Documents, Paperwork Organizing, Working with Clients

Organizing your papers may not at first seem scary.  Other than a few cobwebs and dust bunnies, what’s the worst  that can be hiding in the far corners of an attic or file cabinet? Does danger lurk in your paperwork? You may be surprised! In my work as a financial organizer / daily money manager, clients have shared with me …

keep vs. shred

Paperwork: Keep vs. Shred

Karen CaccavoImportant Documents, Paperwork Organizing

The question I get most often as a financial organizer / daily money manager (Personal Money Manager™)  is “What do I need to keep and what do I need to shred?”  Sometimes, anxiety over this question stops clients in their tracks—they’re afraid to do anything with their papers for fear that they will part with the wrong ones. As with …

After sorting and filing with my financial organizing clients, a few irreplaceable items often emerge that need special handling. The solution: a fire-resistent, waterproff locked box at home or ... a bank safe deposit box.

The Ins and Outs of a Safe Deposit Box

Karen CaccavoImportant Documents

After sorting, shredding and filing with my financial organizing / daily money management clients, a few irreplaceable items often emerge that need special handling.  The solution: A fire-resistant, waterproof locked box at home or  . . . a bank safe deposit box. Is there a safe deposit box already in place? Sometimes a client already has a bank safe deposit …

Seeking Life’s Important Papers (Not the Ones You Might Think)

Karen CaccavoImportant Documents, Working with Clients

A fellow professional organizer brought me in to locate a client’s important papers during a whole-house packing and moving project. The client had bolted across the country (that’s the only way to explain the dirty dishes left in the sink) for a lucrative new position.  He was climbing the ladder in the financial industry at a speed that left him …