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Simple Steps You Can Take to Prepare Your Family


Last Update: 9/02 1:00 pm
We may fear national crises, but few of us are prepared, financially or otherwise, for a real one – or even a small local or personal one. If a fire forced you to evacuate your home without warning or a stolen wallet left you without bank or credit cards, how would you prove your identity or get money to tide your family over?

  1. Secure your records. Gather your important family documents, such as birth certificates, passports, and social security cards, in a single folder or even a plastic baggie so they'll be ready if you have to leave your home in a hurry. Keep them in an accessible place – not up in the attic or in a corner of the garage.

  2. Keep emergency cash handy. You may have difficulty accessing an ATM, as Florida residents did in the days after Hurricane Andrew. Have enough cash (or traveler’s checks) on hand for basic family necessities for a few days.

  3. Establish online access to your financial accounts. You'll be able to get to your money, even from a remote location. Also, jot down your account numbers on a piece of paper and keep a copy tucked in with your records.

  4. Take inventory. Photograph or videotape the valuable contents of your home. That way, if you're the victim of a burglary or your home is damaged by fire, flood, hurricane,or any other natural disaster, you'll have a record for insurance purposes.

  5. Make backups. Keep copies of insurance policies, home inventory, and the title to your house and cars in the folder with your passports. Put the originals in the bank.

  6. Don't forget the photos. Keep pictures of loved ones and events in albums that are easily accessible in the event you and your family must evacuate. Key documents and financial account paperwork can be retraced; however,photos are often irreplaceable.
Copyright 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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