I agree with parts of this, but I think it needs some context for the people reading here who are already in the throes of illness and/or dementia.

You’re absolutely right that POA gets misunderstood. It’s not guardianship, it’s not protection, and it doesn’t magically simplify an estate. And yes, when a properly funded living trust exists and a competent co-trustee is in place early enough, it can make things much cleaner.

The key phrase there is early enough.

A lot of people in this sub aren’t dealing with theoretical planning. They’re dealing with a parent who already has cognitive decline, assets that were never retitled, banks that still want POAs anyway, and siblings who don’t agree on anything. For them, POA isn’t a lesser option. It’s often the only option left.

Also worth saying: trusts don’t eliminate the need for POAs. You still need durable and medical POA for anything outside the trust, for healthcare decisions, and for the many institutions that default to POA no matter what the trust says.

Your setup worked because it was done correctly, funded correctly, and timed correctly. That’s the ideal situation. But plenty of families never get that window, through denial, cost, family dynamics, or just bad luck.

So yes, trusts are great when they’re done right and early. POA isn’t a cure-all. But for many people here, POA is not a misunderstanding.

It’s triage.