April is Financial Capability Month, so we’ll be sharing financial prep resources throughout the month to help you prepare for disasters.

When emergencies happen, thinking about paperwork might be the last thing on your mind. Once the immediate danger has passed, having your insurance policies, bank account information, and contacts in one location will help you recover faster.

Below are three helpful tips to get you started. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has a short, helpful video with more information. Watch it here.

3 Financial Prep Steps

The free EFFA Kit from FEMA gives you the peace of mind that your important financial information is at your fingertips. It helps you organize financial, medical, and household information. The kit also includes a checklist of important documents and forms to gather. Download yours in your preferred language to get started.

Once you’ve completed the financial kit and gathered your documents, make sure you keep them somewhere secure. A small, fireproof safe is a great option. Consider backing up your documents digitally on an external hard drive or online using a secure cloud service. Having your documents backed up in multiple ways will help ensure you can access them when you need them most.

Finally, brush up on your insurance policies. Whether it’s for your health, car, home, or other valuables, knowing ahead of time what your policies will cover can help make recovering from disasters less stressful.

Learn more

Need more resources for your emergency planning? Visit our Plan and Prepare page for additional resources, like signing up for alerts, tips for evacuating, and sheltering in place at home.