My father always handled our family’s finances - bill paying, balancing the checkbook, even filing his income taxes by hand - until he suddenly suffered a brain injury. My mother and I were "lucky", he’d always taken the time to explain those things to us so we had a head start.
But even with some knowledge of how things worked, I quickly had to learn to navigate the maze of calling banks and finding someone authorized to handle our requests, getting my mother's signature notarized on just about every piece of paper, contacting the IRS about how to file and sign a joint return with only one spouse capable of signing... at the same time tracking down account numbers and certificates so that we could transition everything into my mother's name.
When he passed away, followed shortly after by my mother, the process was even more overwhelming. I had to decipher scribbled notes, request date of death statements for the estate attorney to file the returns, and try to remember everything from insurance to car titles, that had to be changed.
I now want to take that experience and use it to help others. Whether your loved one suffers a physical or mental impairment or passes away, you don't have to struggle to figure it out on your own. The emotional toll of seeing a loved one fall ill is hard enough without the never-ending paperwork and piles of mail to navigate.
About Jennifer Criso
I have a Bachelor's Degree in English from Montclair State University and a J.D. from Pace University School of Law. I have been a Daily Money Manager since 2013. I have served as a treasurer for a non-profit animal rescue, am currently a member of the Junior League of Morristown, and am a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association. I have practiced family and estate law.
My interest in this career began when my parents became ill and were no longer able to manage their affairs for themselves. I saw how difficult it was dealing with financial planners, consolidating accounts and otherwise making sense of statements and records. Banks, attorneys, and the IRS need specific documents and information and it can be overwhelming. I want to use the experience I gained from that to help others, no one should feel that they don't know where to begin or that they can't understand their own finances.
Whether you are recently widowed and your spouse handled all the finances, you have elderly parents that need assistance and your schedule prevents you from being there as often as you'd like, or you are retired and looking to travel and enjoy your hobbies, I can help you maintain control of your finances without feeling like you are drowning in paperwork. I never get tired of hearing “we don't know what we would do without you” from clients and their loved ones. I am lucky to have found a career I love and that I have the ability to pass on everything I've learned from navigating this journey myself. When I’m not working, I’m hiking with my dog, working in my garden, or tackling my never-ending ‘to be read’ pile!
Proud Member of the American Association of Daily Money Managers (AADMM) and the Greater New York Chapter.
I have passed a background check as required by AADMM and am fully insured. All Daily Money Managers are bound by the Code of Ethics of Daily Money Managers.