If a person has a power of attorney, can they obtain a debit card on that account or are they limited to just writing checks? A second question: if there is an IRA account, can the person holding the Power of Attorney close the IRA and move it to another bank?
The Power of Attorney itself should indicate what authority it allows this person to assume for the person who issued it, the principal. In many cases there may be advantages to using a debit card over a check. I would see accessing the account in this manner as being reasonable, but again, it depends on the document itself. As to closing an account and reopening it elsewhere, the authority to do that may well exist in a General Power of Attorney. The purpose of this document is to allow one person to act in the affairs of another. If the authority is not limited, almost anything may be done.
Whether or not a bank would issue a debit card for use by an attorney-in-fact will be a matter of bank policy. If the bank is satisfied that the power of attorney is valid and permits the attorney-in-fact to access the deposit account in question, we see no reason -- other than bank policy -- to prevent it.
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The Power of Attorney itself should indicate what authority it allows this person to assume for the person who issued it, the principal. In many cases there may be advantages to using a debit card over a check. I would see accessing the account in this manner as being reasonable, but again, it depends on the document itself. As to closing an account and reopening it elsewhere, the authority to do that may well exist in a General Power of Attorney. The purpose of this document is to allow one person to act in the affairs of another. If the authority is not limited, almost anything may be done.