A Summer Guide to Disaster-Proofing Your Money
Summer often brings sunshine and family vacations… but it can also bring unexpected challenges. From intense thunderstorms to wildfires and floods, natural disasters can happen with little warning. While emergency kits and home checklists are essential, your finances need a disaster plan too. It protects your ability to respond quickly, recover smoothly, and keep your life on track during uncertainty.
Here’s how to make sure your money is storm-ready this season:
Back Up Your Important Documents
If you had to leave your home quickly, could you access your most important financial and legal documents?
Take the time to digitize and organize key paperwork including:
Insurance policies
Bank and investment account information
Mortgage or lease documents
Estate plans and wills
Identification documents
Store them securely in encrypted cloud storage and keep physical copies in a waterproof and fireproof container.
2. Review Your Insurance Coverage
Many people assume their insurance policies cover all types of damage, but that’s not always the case. Flooding, for example often requires a separate policy, and earth quake coverage is rarely included in a standard homeowner’s plan.
Ask your insurance agent:
Do I have coverage for disasters common in my area?
What is my deductible for different types of damage?
Will my policy cover temporary relocation or loss of use?
Being underinsured can lead to serious financial stress in the aftermath of a disaster.
3. Build or Replenish Your Emergency Fund
Storms and emergencies often lead to immediate out-of-pocket expenses like hotel stays, meals, pet care, or repairs. An emergency fund helps you respond without relying on credit cars or disrupting your long-term financial goals. If your’e just starting out, aim for at least $1000-$2000 in a dedicated savings account. Ideally, work toward 3-6 months of essential living expenses.
4. Set Up a Financial Contingency Plan
Think through the “what ifs.” If you couldn’t get home for several days, or your power was out, would you:
Know which bills are coming due?
Be able to access your accounts securely?
Have the tools to use payments or redirect deliveries?
Create a simple checklist with your recurring bills, login credentials (stored securely) and key contacts like your financial advisor, bank, and insurance agent. Share this with a trusted family member if appropriate.
5. Talk to a Financial Advisor About Risk Management
Your financial advisor isn’t just there for retirement and investments, they can help you build a resilient plan that includes protections for unexpected events. From insurance reviews to account accessibility, they can guide you through creating a well-rounded disaster plan.
Stay Ready, Stay Resilient
We can’t control nature, but we can control how prepared we are. Taking time to organize, protect, and plan now means fewer surprises and a faster recovery later.
At Arrow Advisors, we help families and individuals build financial strategies that are ready for life’s calm days and it’s storms. If you’d like to strengthen your plan, reach out today!
The information provided in this newsletter is based on carefully selected sources, believed to be reliable, but whose accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. All information and expressions of opinions are subject to change without notice and are those of Arrow Advisors.
Arrow Advisors offers Advisory Services through International Assets Investment Management, LLC.
Arrow Advisors is an independent and unaffiliated entity.
