Hurricane season is here, and now is the time to get your finances up-to-date and prepared in the event of a disaster occurring in the area.
The Federal Trade Commission has the following tips to make sure you’re financially ready:
First, perform a household inventory of your possessions and take pictures and/or video of them, just in case you’ll need to file any insurance claims later.
You can use technology to your advantage by using external or cloud storage to save your important documents. A fireproof file box that’s lockable can also keep documents secure.
Bank safe deposit boxes can be used to store important documents and forms, such as leases and deed records, credit agreements, Social Security cards and military papers. Some banks even offer virtual safe deposit boxes for storing documents, photos and videos online.
You can also enroll in services such as online payments to make sure your bills are up-to-date.
Lastly, consider updating your personal information with your bank and anywhere you’re going to store it at least once a year.
Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
