Here are some of the characteristics that you should consider when selecting your financial agent: Financial savvy Trustworthy and comfortable to work with Can devote enough time to perform the required financial responsibilities Accessible and lives near your residence so that you can easily discuss with him or her any pertinent concern about your POA Can commit to carry out his or her duties as an agent if you are unable to handle your finances for a long time Once you have chosen an agent, don t forget to discuss the tasks, including the financial duties involved. This is what is often called the Health Care Power of Attorney, which empowers the attorney in fact to make health care decisions for the principal or the grantor, even something as sensitive as terminating the hospital care in cases when machines are the only one keeping them alive. It includes the power to give consent or to refuse a medical procedure for the grantor. Just like the previous legal document type, it also ends at the death, mental illness, or disability of the principal. 3. Durable - It grants the agent the right to act on the principal s behalf even after he or she has become mentally incapacitated. Thus, the agent can make crucial decisions for you when you are unable to do so. The attorney-in-fact would only perform duties specified in the document until the principal revokes the document. Aside from revoking, both general and specific power of attorney is discontinued upon the principal s incapacity and death. Non-durable power of attorney The clear characteristic of the non-durable power of attorney is that it is for short-term transactions only. If not, he/she should be humble and wise enough to seek assistance from experts and professionals to make sure your finances are well managed and handled. To be able to handle and manage your finances better, your agent must always decide to keep his/her own money separate from yours. Thus, there would be no confusion. Use of the Power of Attorney Power of attorney is used within corporations where executives have tightly packed schedules that require them to travel in three different countries in a span of three days. This can either be physically impossible or at best, physically tiring. Thus, the power of attorney serves to lift the burden from the executives, allowing them to become more productive.