RFE - How to explain partially combined finances?

[SM & EF 41]

Yep, we sent full statement, but I guess we'll send more than 8, maybe 20 and include a letter explaining how our finances worked.

I just checked our credit card statements and there are no names on them!!! Only account numbers! Should we leave them out or send copies of the physical credit cards?

RE: Bank statements - As others have mentioned, why not send every bank statement that you have? I know it's a pain to print but they want more proof so don't hold anything back.

RE: Credit Card statements - Yes, send copies of the cards as well as all the statements. This will show that you are using them on a regular basis to pay for daily transactions.

[Morningmist 76]

I think you need to show a history of 2 years of living together and not just current state of affairs.

My husband and I still dont have fully joint finances but we showed a history of commingling our lives for 2 years. Plus we have a child together so we showed them pictures and expenditures we have done together with her like trips, daycare family gym memberships in all the gyms we had been with for 2 years.

We only had a joint account which we used for expenditures. We had car insurance together for 2 years so we showed a statement of that fact worth 2 years. we took vacations together, we sent itineraries and final statement from those trips showing how he paid for flights and I paid for hotels for pretty much all trips we took together.

We showed health insurance plans for 2 years. Same with life insurance, car insurance etc.

Our utilities were in separate names but we sent snapshots of how the account was being paid from the same joint account.

I think the evidence you are sending looks good. Just needs to span 2 years.

[Stevephoto 230]

That looks good for a response, but consider including EVERY statement, etc. from that time to now... 8 over a 3 year period is not many statements... you should have at a minimum one each quarter so 4 per year and 12 for your ROC... keep in mind that is probably the minimum I would send.

[jjbandero 39]

I agree with the posters who said you needed to show evidence spanning the two years, you can also explain why your financial arrangements changed. I don't think you need to show 100% joint accounts, my husband and I both contributed to a joint account for home expenses, and neither of us were putting anything even close to 50% into it, we were approved without RFE or interview.

Good luck

[Sukie 1,465]

OP - to answer one of your questions... there are two main types of Powers of Attorney:

1. the Medical Power of Attorney - which says if you are incapacitated and cannot answer doctors by yourself, you designate <this person> to make the decisions for you.

2. A general Power of Attorney, where you give a certain person (or persons) power to execute specific transactions in your name (such as real estate transactions)

You'll have to get the appropriate format for the state in which you live. You might have done these when you did your wills, but perhaps not.

I think the Medical Power of Attorney is pretty straight-forward, but let me give you an example of the General Power of Attorney...

Let's say you and your spouse are in the business of buying up old houses, fixing them up, and then reselling them for a profit (flipping houses). You buy and sell a lot - and both of your names are all the transactions. Unfortunately, you happen to be in a very serious accident where you are in a coma - just when a critical sale comes through. If both of you are involved in the sale, your signature must be on the sales document. If you cannot sign, then the transaction cannot go through. If you have given your spouse (or your father, or your lawyer) a Power of Attorney to act in your stead for real estate transactions, then the sale can go through. Otherwise, it will be in limbo, or the transaction will fail, because you cannot sign the document.

Hope this helps. In my opinion, the Medical Power of Attorney is just as important as your Living Will and your Will.

Sukie in NY