Really worried about my parents finances

*Margaret*

My parents are a bit older than the OPs (my Dad is 80). My parents don't manage their finances in the way I would - what makes me feel secure and organized makes them feel constrained. I know it's frustrating to watch people make decisions we perceive as ill thought out, but at the end of the day it's their money and their life.

Not everyone finds the end of their life or even the thought of growing older something that is easy to think or talk about. A jokey response when you try to talk about Wills could indicate that your father is uncomfortable discussing these things.

Your parents aren't in a disastrous situation - they have two properties, one pension and may be entitled to other benefits now they don't have savings sitting in the bank. At some point in the future they may decide to rent out the second home, or to move. Or they may change their minds entirely. I think all you can do is offer to help them research options when they are ready. You can certainly make suggestions, but your parents are free to ignore them.

I'd try not to let this worry you too much - I went through a phase of waking in the night and panicking about my parents and their unsuitable house, my Dad's falls, their dwindling savings and my mother spending hundreds of pounds on bird food. It did me no good at all and it changed nothing about the situation. Live your own life and let your parents live theirs, knowing you're around to help if they feel they need it.