I traveled to New Orleans and saw the devastation of the 9th Ward and spoke to the people directly effected by the horrific hurricanes. Houses were down all around me and no one had electricity or lights in the 9th Ward. Walking through the area got me thinking of my owns finances. Would I be ready in the event of a natural disaster? Here are a 10 tips to help you prepare for a horrific event.
1. Make use of electronic storage.
I do my banking online and have records of my accounts, debts and files on my banking site. It keeps everything together in a secure environment and in an event of a tragedy I could retrieve this information. Sign up for online banking at your bank or consider banking up important files once a month.
2. Put your money in a bank account.
This may seem obvious to you but there are still people putting their money into mattresses. while in New Orleans a person cleaning out a house found $30,000 in a home. This was an honest person and they returned the money but you may not be so lucky this time. The government insures money in banks up to $100,000.
3. Keep all important papers in a centralized location.
This brings me to lessone three and that is keep all important papers filed neatly in a binder or folder. Important papers include bank statements, 401K statements, investing statements from stocks and mutual funds, mortgage/lease agreements, car rental or purchase agreements, passports, birth certificates, a copy of your driver license, your resume and portfolio. I have a folder that holds all my important papers that I could grab in an emergency.
4. Develop a plan.
No one knows when a tragedy could strike and it is better to prepare for the unexpected. Create a will, organize your finances and keep everything in a safe place. YOu might even consider using a safe deposit box at your local bank as a back-up.
5. Review all important documents on a regular basis at least once a month.
It is important to become familiar with what you have so you don't miss anything. I had friend who found out she had thousands in a bank account that she didn't remember. It was a great windfall for her but what if she had invested that money? She have more to be excited about.
6. Make sure you have adequate insurance.
Life is promised to one thing and that is to change so while you ar reviewing your current documents take an assessment. Ask yourself if you have adequate coverage for your health and property and make adjustments if you find you are over or under insured.
7. Have a list of cellphones of everyone in your family or contacts.
Many of the people affected by the hurricanes communicated by their cell phones. The ninth ward lacks electricty so people cannot be reached via land lines. It is also a good idea to have family members to sign up for cell phone with various area codes in case one area loses power.
8. Have a safe haven.
In the event of a tragedy set aside a safe place where you could go to connect with family members and/or friends. Communicate this location with people involved. When the hurricane struck New Orleans many people scattered and it took a lot of time to locate loved ones.
9. Be prepared to move quickly in an emergency.
I always keep a half tank of gas in my car and I wear comfortable shoes to work. During the 9-11 tragedy people had to run to safely. It is important not to panic during a tragic event but don't wait it out either. Check out weather reports and listen to alerts to make educated choices. Also make sure you know where all the exits are in an emergency and never use the elevator in an event of a fire.
10. Keep Emergency materials in your car, home and job.
I always keep water, bandaids, blankets and nonperishables in my desk, home and car. The Hurricane Katrina tragedy taught us that it might takes days for help to arrive so be prepared. Make sure you have adequate medicine and emergency funds you can get to quickly in the tragedy event.
Organizing everything will not only help you in a tragedy it can also help you when you plan for to do your taxes. Many people miss out on additional tax benefits because they cannot find the correct paperwork. I admit that getting organized is not easy but it will be well worth the effort in the event you needed to leave your location quickly or you had to make adjustments for a lifechanging event. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by getting organized so don't wait another minute get your finances in order now.
