In light of Hurricane Matthew, it’s a good time to think about planning for whatever the next natural disaster could be.
Natural disasters can destroy personal property and severely impair your ability to conduct financial transactions.
If you had only a few minutes to evacuate your home and had to be away for several days or weeks, would you have access to cash, banking services and the personal identification documents you would need to support your family?
The Better Business Bureau and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. offer tips on what to have ready if a disaster should strike without warning:
FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION: These include driver’s licenses, medical insurance cards, Social Security cards, passports and birth certificates. While it is best to have originals, it is also important to have copies in case originals are misplaced or destroyed.
CHECKS AND DEPOSIT SLIPS: Even if you rarely write checks, consider having your checking account number handy. That way you can authorize payments over the phone. If you do rely on checks, have enough blank checks and deposit slips to last a month or so.
ATM, DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS: These give you access to cash and the ability to make payments on outstanding bills. Make sure you know your PINs; do not write them down or carry them with the cards!
CASH: ATMs, credit card machines and gas pumps might not be functioning, so it is a good idea to have cash available for purchases. The amount will depend on the size of your family, your needs and your ability to use debit or credit cards to make purchases.
PHONE NUMBERS FOR FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS: Make a list of the local and toll-free numbers for your bank, credit card companies, mortgage lender, brokerage firms and insurance companies. You might need to contact them to defer a payment, replace lost cards or open a new account.
ACCOUNT NUMBERS: These include bank and brokerage account numbers, credit card numbers and auto and homeowner’s insurance policy numbers. Copy the front and back of your credit cards.
SAFE DEPOSIT BOX KEY: You cannot get into your safe deposit box without your key, no matter what forms of identification you present.
After you have gathered this information, store it in a safe, protected place that will be easily accessible should you have to evacuate. Do not leave it out in the open. Many identity theft victims have been “robbed” by family members or workers within their homes.
For more, visit bbb.org.
Article found here.