So,
you are familiar with the hazards most likely to impact your community, and you
have an emergency kit, an evacuation plan, and a family communications plan. You have even
taken action to prepare your pets. But what about your
finances? Pre-disaster financial planning is essential to help you and your
family maintain financial stability in the event of an emergency. You should
have a plan to pay your bills and access important records and accounts after a
disaster, when mail services may be delayed, original documentation may be
damaged or lost, or Internet access may not be available. It is also a good
idea to have cash on hand to cover your expenses in case banks are also
impacted by disaster. Protecting your financial records also facilitates the
process of applying for income-based assistance following a disaster.
Take
some time to review a few of these tips on financial preparedness:
·
Place important documents in a safe
space. You can use the Safeguarding Your Valuables activity and Emergency Financial First Aid Kit to help get
you started. These documents provide the basics of how to identify
valuables and what low-cost options are available to protect them.
·
Use the FEMA phone application to access disaster
preparedness, response and recovery resources including disaster assistance.
·
Enroll in Go Direct to minimize disruptions in receiving
any federal benefits you may be entitled.
·
Explore other resources to help you
get started including Recovery After Disaster: The Family Financial Toolkit
and the Disaster Recovery Log which can help your
family get back on their feet after a disaster.
The
Financial Literacy Education Commission can
help you increase the financial preparedness of your household, workplace, and
community. We encourage you to use the tools listed above or visit Ready.gov/financialpreparedness. Start early
on being financially prepared!
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