Picture this: it’s a red-alert emergency and you have five minutes to leave your house. 😱 What are you grabbing? Kids, check. Pets, check. Your prized collection of Pogs and slammers? Check and check. 🤩✅
The recent Cali fires got us thinking. How prepared is your financial info for a sudden emergency? 🤔 If you’re scratching your head, we’ve got you covered right here.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on how to prep your financial stuff in case of an emergency:
- 🎒 In the Bag - First thing’s first, get yourself a waterproof, fireproof bag that you can stash important papers in. Inside, keep your original SSN cards, passports, and birth certificates. Make copies of things you usually keep in your wallet, like your drivers license, and put them in there too.
- 🛂 Got Proof? - If you have to evacuate your home, your neighborhood may get blocked off until it’s safe to return. Make copies of utility bills and keep them in your emergency bag. These will come in handy in case you have to show proof of your address to get back to your house later on.
- 📋 Love It and List It - Fire up the ol’ laptop, make a list of all your account numbers (bank accounts, insurance policies, mortgage, etc), and print a copy for the bag. Include contact information in case you have to make calls but can’t access the internet. What else should go on the list? Jot down any estate planning info, medical directives, and beneficiary details.
- 💰 Cold Hard Cash - Depending on the emergency, you might not be able to tap ATMs. Keep at least a few hundred bucks in your kit just in case, as well as a spare checkbook. Speaking of spares, make extra copies of house and car keys.
- 🔐 Safe Keeping - Once your emergency kit is good to go, store it somewhere safe…like an actual safe. Wherever you put it, make sure you can get to it quickly and easily. Make it a point to update your lists any time you have changes in account information, switch insurance companies, etc. A good rule of thumb is to give it a once over at least twice a year.
🔥Bottom line: OK, now that you’re prepped for a sudden disaster, let’s talk about the lottery. Are you prepared to handle a buttload of cash if you hit the Powerball? Before you go and spend it all in one place, read up on our lottery winning tips in this article.
Did we miss any emergency prep tips?
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