Investopedia / Laura Porter A power of attorney (POA) is a legal authorization that gives the agent or attorney-in-fact the authority to act on behalf of an individual referred to as the principal.

For more, see the Government's EPA info. If you lose mental capacity, unless you've already filled in the Power of Attorney forms, your loved ones will need to apply through court to become 'deputy', ...

One of the broadest forms of POA is a general POA. A general power of attorney gives the agent broad authority over several different situations. If you’d like, you can give the agent the power ...

Designating a power of attorney will protect your interests. A durable power of attorney gives someone you designate, known as your agent, the authority to make decisions if you become incapacitated.

States usually have their own durable power of attorney forms online that you can print and fill out. Many financial institutions also make power of attorney forms available to customers.