The Money Management Program is designed to aid older and at-risk adults who are finding difficulties managing their personal financial affairs. Money Management helps ensure that your essential bills are paid so that your most important needs are met including shelter, food, clothing, and healthcare. Undeposited checks or unpaid bills can lead to discontinued utility services, late fees and foreclosures. 

Missoula Aging Services (MAS) professionals are here to provide money management assistance, act as your advocate to prevent exploitation or abuse, and enhance your quality of life by providing peace of mind.

Eligibility for Service:

• This service is available to anyone 60 years and older.
• Missoula Aging Services provides this service at an affordable rate.

Each new potential client is interviewed to evaluate their needs.  If you wish, our friendly staff can provide you with information about additional services you may qualify for. 

We welcome family and professional referrals.

Services Provided:

Bill Payer:  Bill payer staff will partner to assist with your bill-paying activities. You make the final decisions about your finances, retain check-signing authority, and keep your own bank accounts.  Additional bill payer services include balancing checkbooks, maintaining financial records, and preparing financial budgets.

Representative Payee: As a representative payee, we partner with each client to create a budget and provide a monthly statement that shows how your money was spent and any remaining monthly account balances.  Your representative payee will stay in contact with you frequently to ensure we understand your individual needs.  

A representative payee is appointed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) when people who are receiving monthly Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits need help to manage their money. The representative payee is appointed to manage Social Security funds only.  Money Management program staff must follow SSA agency rules for handling client funds, submit annual reports to SSA, and be subject to a random audit every 3 years.

Veterans Administration (VA) Fiduciary:  A VA Fiduciary is appointed by the VA to receive funds on behalf of a beneficiary for the use and benefit of the beneficiary.  

Debt Management:  The Money Management specialist will assist you in creating a budget that allows for repayment of debt. If it is not financially possible to include debt repayment in your budget, staff may work with you in an effort to find programs to assist with your debt or help negotiate with creditors. The Money Management staff will also assist in the collection of debts or other revenues owed to you.