By Faye Griffiths-Smith, UConn Extension Family Economics & Resource Management Educator
By gathering important information now, you can make it much easier for family members and yourself to recover from an emergency or disaster situation. For example, in the event of a severe storm, it might be necessary to quickly evacuate your home. There may not be the time enough to collect all your important information likely to be needed to help you recover as quickly as possible. Also, trying to locate records following a natural disaster or an emergency can be more difficult to accomplish and add more stress to a challenging situation.
Having your records organized can help you:
- provide proof of ownership,
- save time as you will know where your records are and not have to search for them,
- document transactions, and
- locate documentation related to taxes.
The following pages are provided as a template to help you identify, collect, review and record your documents. Though at first the task of recording important family and household records may seem a bit overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a couple of different approaches you might use to compile your information. One way might be to make a plan to complete two or three sheets each week. Another method might be to start with the documents you receive online or in the mail over the next few weeks and then continue on to complete the rest of your documentation. Once completed, you will want to consider where to keep your record of important family and household information. It is important that your records be kept in secure and accessible locations should you need to refer to it, update it, or quickly evacuate your home. Make extra copies to keep in different locations.
- fireproof/waterproof safe
- trusted family member/friend who lives in a different community
- safe deposit box
Completing this documentation can give you some peace of mind that you have taken action to improve and secure your records. Here are the records that you should have:
- Family Members’ Information
- Children/Other Adult Members of the Household
- Pets Identification
- Emergency Contacts
- Health Care and Personal Advisors
- Legal and Financial Advisors
- Insurance Policies
- Financial Accounts: Checking and Savings
- Income and Assets
- Financial Obligations
- Credit Cards
- Health Records
- Location of Important Family Documents
- Membership in Organizations, Associations, and Clubs