Money Talks

No sooner do we come out of the Safer at home executive order but it’s almost hurricane season. Today’s show is an encore broadcast from May 8th 2018. Our hosts, Dr Nancy Lottridge Anderson, President of New Perspectives and Ryder Taff, Portfolio Manager at New Perspectives give advice on how to prepare your financial first aid kit. 

http://moneytalks.mpbonline.org/episodes/5cd31f1533f6c1be55607d84

2020 Information:

https://www.msema.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/39779_MEMA-Hurrican-Preparedness.pdf

https://www.msema.org/preparedness-2/hurricanes/

https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1582162058237-59774592ecfffe4e9962d0e1ec3e4780/EFFAKToolkit_FormsOnly_20190906.pdf

https://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness

The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK), a joint publication from Operation Hope and FEMA, can help you prepare financially and provides tips to reduce the financial impact of disasters on you and your family.

For Organizations 

Encourage people throughout your organization or workplace to prepare financially. Here are some ideas to promote financial preparedness in your organization:

• Hold a brown bag meeting.
• Make a presentation at an existing staff meeting using Safeguard Critical Documents and Valuables to support your discussion.
• Include financial preparedness information in the staff monthly newsletter.

At Home

Store important documents either in a safety deposit box, an external drive or on the cloud to make it easy to access during a disaster. 

Take time now to safeguard these critical documents.

Household Identification

• Photo ID (to prove identity of household members)
• Birth certificate (to maintain or re-establish contact with family members)
• Social Security card (to apply for FEMA disaster assistance)
• Military service
• Pet ID tags

Financial and Legal Documentation

• Housing payments (to identify financial records and obligations)
• Insurance policies (to re-establish financial accounts)
• Sources of income (to maintain payments and credit)
• Tax statements (to provide contact information for financial and legal providers and to apply for FEMA disaster assistance)

Medical Information

• Physician information (in case medical care is needed)
• Copies of health insurance information (to make sure existing care continues uninterrupted)
• Immunization records
• Medications

Insurance Information

Having insurance for your home or business property is the best way to make sure you will have the necessary financial resources to help you repair, rebuild or replace whatever is damaged. Document and insure your property now.

Household Contact Information

• Banking institutions
• Insurance agents
• Health professionals
• Service providers       
• Place of worship

Get Your Benefits Electronically

A disaster can disrupt mail service for days or weeks. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, significant way to protect yourself financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal benefits:

• Direct deposit to a checking or savings account. If you get federal benefits you can sign up by calling 800-333-1795 or sign up online.
• The Direct Express® prepaid debit card is designed as a safe and easy alternative to paper.