My mother-in-law wants to put my husband on her bank account. What are the pitfalls, and is there a way to do it without being responsible for her bills? Here are pros and cons of adding someone to your bank account.
Pros: If you become ill and can’t handle your finances, the joint owner will have access to pay your bills. Often a parent may want an adult child to use the account to assist with paying bills or monitor for suspicious activity, such as possible fraud. If there are shared expenses, having a joint owner can eliminate the need to transfer funds. You can bypass the complications of probate after the death of one of the owners. Generally, under the right of survivorship, the money in the account passes directly to the other joint account owner.
Cons:A joint owner can withdraw all the money from the account without the other owner’s consent. The money in the account could be seized by creditors to pay the other person’s debts. If you want to leave the money to other heirs, having a joint account holder may complicate the distribution. In many cases, you can’t remove a joint account owner without that person’s consent. Joint ownership could open the door to fraud or misuse by either account holder. If one person overdraws the account, both owners can be held responsible for overdraft fees. Adding someone’s name might affect that person’s eligibility for public assistance or benefits such as Medicaid.
Finally, adding someone to your bank account generally does not make that person responsible for the other owner’s bills or personal debt. As an alternative to a joint account, a parent might consider something like granting the power of attorney to an heir.Michelle Singletary
