In the event of a natural disaster or other unexpected emergency, it’s vital that you move quickly and limit the amount of time you spend scrambling for essentials. In addition to having a bag packed with necessary items like medicine, food and clothing, you should also have an emergency financial kit ready to go. This should include a collection of the most important documents you have in your possession; having these documents safely secured in one place can grant you peace of mind, especially in a situation where you need to evacuate as quickly as possible. Learn more at Essexfinancial.net.

1. Essex Financial | Essexfinancial.net
WHAT TO
INCLUDE IN AN
EMERGENCY
FINANCIAL KIT

2. In the event of a natural disaster or other
unexpected emergency, it’s vital that you move
quickly and limit the amount of time you spend
scrambling for essentials. In addition to having a
bag packed with necessary items like medicine,
food and clothing, you should also have an
emergency financial kit ready to go.

3. This should include a collection of the
most important documents you have
in your possession; having these
documents safely secured in one
place can grant you peace of mind,
especially in a situation where you
need to evacuate as quickly as
possible.

4. Photos of Your
Possessions
Whether you have renter’s insurance or a
homeowner’s policy, you’re probably covered
for the personal possessions you own.
However, filing a claim will be difficult if you
don’t have an inventory of your possessions
prior to an emergency. Photos are the best
way of verifying your possessions, but just be
sure to take new photos anytime you buy
something new for your home.

5. Another good idea is to walk around your home recording a
video and narrating the important details should you need to
replace any items or provide additional information to your
insurance company.

6. Identification
Birth certificates, driver’s licenses,
passports and social security cards
are the main things that fall into this
category. Original copies of your
birth certificate, passport and social
security cards are best kept
someplace very secure, such as a
bank safe deposit box, with copies
of these documents in your home
should you need them.

7. You can also scan and upload copies of these
documents to online document vaults or other
cloud based storage options. The important thing
to note, is anything you are storing in your home
should be kept organized and in one place so that
you can grab it and go should you need to
evacuate quickly.

8. Insurance Policies
Your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance
policy should be kept in this kit along with
health insurance and life insurance
policies along with your advisor’s names
and contact information. You can also add
your auto insurance policy to these
documents. It may also be a good idea to
keep copies of your registration and your
official title in this kit, as well, for the sake
of verification.

9. Automobile titles are another item
that may be best kept offsite in a safe
deposit box at a bank. When you
keep these items together, you’ll
know where to find them whenever
you need them, and they will also be
easily located in case of emergency.
These are also documents that you
can scan and email to a cloud based
storage device or service.

10. Estate Planning
Documents
Your emergency financial kit is also the
best place to keep your will, living trust,
and other estate planning documents.
This should also include your healthcare
proxy and powers of attorney. Another
good reason for including these
documents in an emergency kit is to
ensure your loved ones can find them
easily.

11. Keeping these items together in one kit is
essential, but you’ll also want to make sure
they’re protected and that other people
know where to find them should something
happen to you. Keeping the original
documents secure in a bank safe deposit
box is a very good idea, again, just make
sure others know where to find them.
Keeping copies of these documents in your
emergency kit will make things much easier
should there ever be a reason you need to
grab your kit and go.

12. It may not be pleasant to imagine
situations that require you to grab
your essentials and flee, but
thinking ahead can save you and
your family considerable time and
mental anguish in the case of an
emergency.

13. Please visit Essexfinancial.net to learn
more about independent wealth
management and financial planning.
THANK YOU FOR READING.