Financial Elder Abuse Cases & Problems

A graduate of Hope College, Kristin Hetzer holds a bachelor of arts in biology and is the Principal of Royal Palms Capital LLC. Kristin Hetzer is also the author of Valle Egypt, a story of a family affected by financial elder abuse.

Financial elder abuse is a real problem and can happen to anyone as people start to decline with age and are easier to coerce and take advantage of. The elders that are the most at risk are those who are isolated or suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer's or dementia. Financial elder abuse occurs when a person steals something from an elder or coerces them into giving them something of value. This type of abuse can be done by anyone from family members, to friends, and even caregivers or lawyers.

There are many signs that can pinpoint financial elder abuse such as missing belongings, unusual money withdrawals, or changes in the will. This abuse specifically is harder to tackle and identify than typical elder abuse such as physical or emotional. Cases of financial elder abuse can be filed at adult protective services or financial institutions.

Valle Egypt Aims to Create Awareness

Kristin Hetzer is the owner and principal of Royal Hills Capital, LLC, in Rolling Hills Estates, California. A graduate of Hope College in Michigan, Kristin Hetzer is also the author of the book Valle Egypt.

Released in December 2020, Valle Egypt delves deep into the rising problem of financial elder abuse. The 390-page book published by Covenant Books is divided into two parts. Part one of the book tells the true story of how one family member aided by a lawyer from a prestigious law firm perpetrated financial elder abuse. This act led to the loss of a sixty-year-old family farm after the death of both parents. Part two gives practical financial planning lessons that can help readers protect themselves or those they care about from persons who prey on assets owned by the elderly.

The author of Valle Egypt hopes their book will create greater awareness about financial elder abuse. They also hope that by reading the book students and professionals in the legal and financial industries can see how unethical professional behavior can inflict emotional pain on the elderly during the last years of their life, and on their families before and after they pass on.

Valle Egypt - Spreading Awareness

A California resident, Kristin Hetzer graduated from Hope College and holds a bachelor of arts degree with a major in biology. She is the senior portfolio manager of Royal Palms Capital, LLC. Kristin Hetzer also recently authored a book, "Valle Egypt", a non-fiction book focusing on the topic of financial elder abuse.

Valle Egypt was published by Covenant Books of Murrells Inlet in South Carolina. The book functions as a case study and is based on the personal family story of the author. The book’s goal is to increase awareness about financial elder abuse and ways for people to mitigate the problem should it ever happen to them or their close family members. It enables people to learn about fiduciary duty, legal trusts, and estate planning so that they can be more prepared when facing such a problem, and ideally prevent it from ever happening.

By reading the book, people can also better understand the consequences of financial elder abuse, and the story questions and directs attention to the mental capacity of an elder parent and the undue influence of children. The story and legal case also showcase just how an experienced lawyer can come to aid in a situation involving financial elder abuse.