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Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 16, 2026 Sa Sa a Say y Senior enior Sen by Jim Miller Helping an Aging Parent Manage Their Money Dear Savvy Senior, Since my dad passed away last year, my 82-year-old mother has struggled to keep up with her bills. She’s proud and insists on doing things herself, but I worry she’s falling behind. How can I help her manage her fi nances without upsetting her? --Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, You’re not alone – lots of adult children step in to help aging parents with their fi nances. Whether it’s paying bills, handling bank accounts, filing insurance claims, or sorting through taxes, taking on these responsibilities can feel tricky. The key is to approach it with respect, organization, and the right safeguards. Here’s how to help your mom without stepping on her independence. Have a conversation Talking about money can be sensitive, especially with a parent who values doing things on her own. Start with a gentle, respectful conversation. Share your concerns and off er to help with her bills or other chores. If you have siblings, loop them in too. Knowing the whole family is on the same page can reassure your mom that everyone cares, not that you’re taking over. Get organized If your mom is open to your help, the fi rst step is getting organized. Make a clear list of her fi nancial info, including monthly bills like utilities, phone, cable, and credit cards; bank and investment accounts; company benefi ts like retirement plans or pensions; insurance policies, including life, home, auto, long-term care, and Medicare; and copies of recent income tax returns. Having everything in one place will make managing her fi nances much smoother for both of you. Locate legal documents Now’s also a good time to see if your mom has essential legal papers: a will or trust, an advance directive with a living will and health-care proxy, and a durable power of attorney for fi nances. If she doesn’t, now’s the time to get them in place. If she does, make sure they’re up to date and that you know where to fi nd them. Simplify fi nancial tasks To make life easier for both you and your mom, set up automatic payments for her bills and have her income go straight into her bank account. If her accounts and investments are scattered, consider consolidating them – it makes everything much simpler. You can also get her banking and investment accounts online so you can pay bills and monitor everything anytime, without digging through papers or making extra trips. Set up protections Protect your mom from scams or risky spending. A True Link Visa Prepaid Card (truelinkfinancial.com/prepaid-card) gives her access to her money but lets you set spending limits. Online monitoring services like Carefull (getcarefull. com) or EverSafe (eversafe.com) can watch her accounts, fl ag anything suspicious, and send alerts if something seems off . These tools give peace of mind while letting her maintain independence. Seek outside help If you live far away or just need a hand, professional services can step in. SilverBills (silverbills.com) handles bill payments, while a certifi ed daily money manager (aadmm.com) can come by once or twice a month to pay bills, make deposits, sort through health insurance statements, and keep everything organized. Think of them as extra hands to make life easier for both of you. Helping a parent manage fi - nances takes patience, respect, and tact. With clear communication, organization, and the right safeguards, you can support your mom while keeping her independence and peace of mind intact. Send your questions or comments to questions@ savvysenior. org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. nr ior Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 51 - Report No. 41 October 5-9, 2026 By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. On November 3, or prior to that for voters who take advantage of early voting between October 1730, all voters will have the opportunity to vote on nine ballot questions that will become law if approved by the majority of voters. To get on the ballot, the groups backing each ballot question were required to collect and submit at least 74,574 signatures last fall. The Legislature had until May 5, 2026 to act on the proposed law. The Legislature did not act on any of the proposals by the May 5 deadline. At which point supporters were required to collect another 12,429 signatures by July 1, in order to get their question on the ballot. All nine groups gathered suffi cient signatures to get their question on the 2026 ballot. Although neither the House nor Senate voted on any of the nine proposals, the Committee on Initiative Petitions did hold public hearings on the questions. The committee eventually issued a majority report recommending that the Legislature take no action on each proposal. The Legislature never acted on the reports which were simply “placed on fi le,” where they died. Secretary of State Bill Galvin has issued an 88-page book via the U.S. mail and online with details about each question. If you would rather not read the entire 88-page book, Beacon Hill Roll Call continues its look at each ballot question over the next several weeks prior to the election. This week’s report includes Questions 4, 5 and 6. BALLOT QUESTION 4 – Here is a look at Question 4: QUESTION 4: THIS PROPOSED LAW WOULD PERMIT ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS TO REGISTER TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. This question asks voters if they approve of allowing an eligible individual to register to vote on Election Day by going to their polling place and presenting proof of residency and signing a written oath. Proof of residency could be a valid photo identifi cation, or documentation showing the individual’s name and the address where the individual resides, including a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, residential lease, wireless telephone statement, paycheck, current student fee statement or other document from a post-secondary school, or another government document or correspondence. The written oath would require the individual to certify that they are a citizen of the United States, are at least 18 years old, are not legally prohibited from voting, and have not and will not vote in the same election at another location. The oath would require the individual to acknowledge that providing false information is a felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment or a fi ne of not more than $10,000, or both. WHAT SUPPORTERS TOLD BEACON HILL ROLL CALL Norma Shulman, a spokesperson for “Yes on Election Day Registration” did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her why voters should vote “Yes” on Question 4; why opponents are wrong and are they distorting the truth in their arguments; and how is the campaign for Question 4 going? Shulman did respond to Secretary of State Bill Galvin and her response was included in Gavin’s 88page book. “A vote for Election Day Registration ensures our democracy is truly representative, secure and modern,” wrote Shulman. “Allowing voters to register at the polls will give thousands of citizens the chance to participate in important national elections. This policy especially helps those who move frequently, like young people and renters. This law provides maximum voter access with rigorous security safeguards. It is a common-sense reform that guarantees every eligible voice is heard.” WHAT OPPONENTS TOLD BEACON HILL ROLL CALL Amy Carnevale, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Republican party, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her why voters should vote “No” on Question 4; why supporters are wrong and are they distorting the truth in their arguments; and how is the campaign for Question 4 going? Carnevale did respond to Secretary of State Bill Galvin and her response was included in Gavin’s 88page book. “The public welfare demands that elections be protected from fraud,” wrote Carnevale. “Sameday voter registration prejudices that welfare by eliminating the advance period during which election offi cials can examine a registrant’s identity, residence, eligibility or duplicate registration before a ballot is issued. Instead, offi cials would be required to make those determinations at the polling place, under substantial time pressure and amid the extraordinary demands of Election Day. Errors, false statements or confl icting records that escape detection may not be discovered until after the ballot has been cast and commingled with all others, when it can no longer be identifi ed or withdrawn. WHAT YOUR VOTE DOES: A “Yes” vote would allow Election Day voter registration. A “No” vote would make no changes to the laws governing voter registration. BALLOT QUESTION 5 – Here is a look at Question 5: QUESTION 5: THIS PROPOSED LAW WOULD LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THE STATE CAN COLLECT EACH YEAR AND PROVIDE THAT THE EXCESS AMOUNT, ABOVE THAT LIMIT, BE REFUNDED TO TAXPAYERS. This question asks voters if they approve of limiting state revenue in a given year to the net amount of state revenue from the prior year, increased by a rate equal to the average growth of wages and salaries in Massachusetts over the most recent three years. If revenue collected by the state exceeds the limit, the excess amount would be refunded to taxpayers the following year. WHAT SUPPORTERS TOLD BEACON HILL ROLL CALL “Massachusetts families are facing a real aff ordability challenge,” said Chris Keohane, a spokesperson for Taxpayers for an Aff ordable Massachusetts. “Housing, food, childcare, energy and other everyday costs continue to put pressure on household budgets. At the same time, state tax revenues have grown dramatically. Since 2010 our state budget has grown more than two times the rate of wage increases and 2.5 times the rate of infl ation. This is unsustainable -- particularly with stagnant job growth and a resident leaving our state every 11 minutes and 38 seconds. At a time when people are struggling, now is the time to put money directly back in people’s pockets.” BEACON | SEE PAGE 16

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