<prompt> Human: I opened a ROTH IRA through Vanguard online, and I recently got a packet in the mail with forms to fill out to give an agent access and power of attorney to my account. This scares the hell out of me. What are the advantagesdisadvantaged of this, and do I need to sign this stuff and mail it back?  <response>: Strange because I have roth IRAs through them and did everything online. The key thing you should do is ensure you have a clear beneficiarys named online. As for the paperwork you got in the mail, if it were me, I would call or write Vanguard for more information. I wonder if you maybe checked a box during account setup that i didnt making that packet get sent to your home. 