September is National Preparedness Month. This month we will be sending out regular posts about things you can do in your home to be prepared if an emergency or disaster occurs.

 #12-  Create an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit

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.

If a disaster or other emergency strikes, you may only have seconds or minutes to react. In those critical moments, your focus will be on your family’s safety. Once the immediate danger has passed, having your homeowners, renters, or flood insurance policy, bank account information, and other records and contacts in one secure location will help you recover faster. 

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. 

Be sure to safeguard these critical documents. Be cautious about sharing personal financial information, it might be a spammer asking. Remember- the government will never ask for sensitive information over the phone or at your door.