Minnesota Law Aims to Protect Accounts of Vulnerable Seniors

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ A new Minnesota law gives bankers and financial advisers some new tools to report suspicious activity tied to the accounts of potentially vulnerable seniors.

The Safe Seniors Financial Protection Act took effect on Wednesday. It gives advisers the authority to delay certain financial transactions while they investigate, making the process of reporting suspicious activity easier.

The law gives financial professionals a detailed way to report concerns, including a timeline on when to approach their clients about suspicious activity and when to get in touch the state Commerce Department or other regulators.

Deb Marquette is the manager of vulnerable adult programs for the Minneapolis-based Thrivent Financial. She says the new process will encourage professionals to report fraud when they suspect it and ease fears of violating client trust.