K-State Research and Extension

search

Prepare Kansas

Tag: #preparedness

#PrepareKansas – Week 3, Creating a Financial Grab-and-Go Kit

Posted on by dekiss4

September is National Preparedness Month. It is also our annual Prepare Kansas online challenge. Prepare Kansas 2017 will provide tips on getting financially prepared ahead of disasters and emergencies. This year’s program will be conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook and this blog at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents. Today’s post is written by Elizabeth Kiss, Family Resource Management Specialist.

If you had a few precious minutes to leave your home or office, what would you take? This week’s challenge is to create a financial grab-and-go kit.

Why is this important? If you have your most important documents and information at hand in a grab-and-go kit, it can help to get you back on firm financial footing more quickly.

Your kit should be a waterproof, fireproof container that can be taken with you at a moment’s notice. Be sure to keep it in a secure place in your home.

What should you include in your kit? At a minimum you’ll want to have some cash and the financial information and personal identification needed to conduct your day-to-day financial life.

Other information to include in your grab-and-go kit:

  • Personal information such as copies of driver’s licenses, passport, and social security cards and key documents that may be needed to restore your financial records
  • Account information such as financial account numbers; copies of ATM, debit, and credit cards; insurance cards, policies, or other proof of insurance coverage; and contact information for all financial service and insurance providers
  • Household inventory
  • Safe deposit key
  • Information about prescription medication
  • Contact information (phone, email, or web site) for family members, doctors, veterinarians
  • Pocket notebook and pen or pencil

Family records, such as birth, marriage, or death certificates may be kept in a safe deposit box. If they are, consider making copies for your grab-and-go box. Other items that may be in safe deposit box include wills, contracts, deeds, stocks, and bond as well as titles to vehicles. Again, if the original is in a safe deposit box, you still may want to make copies for your grab-and-go box.

Want to learn more? Download this fact sheet from the K-State Research and Extension bookstore https://www.bookstore.ksre.k-state.edu/pubs/MF3055.pdf

#PrepareKansas — Week 2 Challenge, Reviewing Insurance Coverage

Posted on by dekiss4

September is National Preparedness Month. It is also our annual Prepare Kansas online challenge. Prepare Kansas 2017 will provide tips on getting financially prepared ahead of disasters and emergencies. This year’s program will be conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook and this blog at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents. Today’s post is written by Elizabeth Kiss, Family Resource Management Specialist.

Things change. Circumstances change. This week’s challenge is to review your insurance coverage. Why does this matter?

The purpose of insurance is to cover major losses, such as can occur with storms and other weather-related disasters. It is important to have adequate coverage on your home, vehicles, and possessions so that they can be repaired or replaced if damaged. It is recommended to review your insurance coverage at least annually. Every few years you may want to schedule a face-to-face review with your insurance agent.

Last week’s challenge was to create, or update, a home inventory. With that information you now have an accurate picture of your home and its contents in the event of damage or loss.

Review your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to be sure you have adequate coverage and understand the terms of the policy.

  • Policy limits. If your home and contents are not coverage for at least 80 percent of its replacement cost, rather than actual cash value, it is likely that the full cost of rebuilding after an insured loss is not covered.
  • Coverage. It is important to be clear about what disasters (perils) are covered. For example, not all policies cover damages caused by earth movement, flood, or sewer back-up. Some policies exclude certain types of property.
  • Deductibles. Insurance policies typically require that the policy holder pay a specific amount of money before the insurance company will pay a claim. This is the deductible. If possible, set aside emergency funds equal to the amount of the deductible. This can speed up the recovery process.

Review your auto insurance too. Vehicles depreciate and there is no reason to cover the car for more than it is currently worth. Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your auto resulting from events other than collision such as windstorm, hail, or fire. Collision coverage is limited to damaged caused to your car from a collision.

Want to learn more? Download this fact sheet from the K-State Research and Extension bookstore https://www.bookstore.ksre.k-state.edu/pubs/MF3055.pdf

Another informative resource is this new guide: Disasters and Financial Planning: A Guide for Preparedness and Recovery. The National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) partnered with the American Red Cross and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to produce the guide. Chapter 2, Protecting Your Property, is a good place to start.

What are your plans for this weekend, how about working on your household inventory?

Posted on by dekiss4

September is National Preparedness Month. It is also our annual Prepare Kansas online challenge. Prepare Kansas 2017 will provide tips on getting financially prepared ahead of disasters and emergencies. This year’s program will be conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook and this blog at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents. Today’s post includes a link to a video by Jamie Rathbun, Midway District Family and Consumer Sciences Agent.

TGIF and happy weekend! While it might not be the first item on your weekend to-do list, how about starting or updating a household inventory this weekend?

Not sure how to get started? This video from Jamie Rathbun, K-State Research and Extension Midway District family and consumers agent walks you through the process step-by-step with lots of helpful information.

Starting from scratch can be a big job. Start small and break it down room-by-room. Here is a link to the Kansas Insurance Commissioner’s Personal Home Inventory that Jamie talks about in the video http://www.ksinsurance.org/documents/department/publications/personal-home-inventory.pdf

#PrepareKansas – Week 1 Challenge, Preparing a Household Inventory

Posted on by dekiss4

September is National Preparedness Month. It is also our annual Prepare Kansas online challenge. Prepare Kansas 2017 will provide tips on getting financially prepared ahead of disasters and emergencies. This year’s program will be conducted through the K-State Research and Extension Facebook page. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook and this blog at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents. Today’s post is written by Elizabeth Kiss, Family Resource Management Specialist.

Disasters don’t plan ahead. You can. Prepare Kansas this year will help you take steps to be more financially prepared to weather any challenges, plus it’s a good way to stay organized.

You don’t know where to get back to if you don’t know where you started, right? This week’s challenge takes you step by step through preparing a household inventory. Why does this matter?

Emergencies and disasters may result in insurance claims. Your insurance company will likely require a listing of items lost or destroyed in order to document the claim. A household inventory is an itemized list of the contents of your home, including basement, attic, and garage. If you have sheds or storage areas on your property or if you rent a storage unit somewhere else, be sure to include a list of the contents of those too.

While it is true that there is an initial investment of time and effort in preparing the inventory from scratch, once completed it will be useful into the future with regular updating. Your challenge this week is to prepare, or update, a household inventory, include storage areas. Here are some tips to get started:

  • Household inventories can take many forms. Use the format that best suits your needs. Don’t get hung up on being perfect, if you are starting from scratch focus on the big ticket and hard to replace items.
  • When describing furnishing and equipment, be as specific and accurate as possible.
    • Include the original cost, date purchased, any alternations or repairs done on the item, and corresponding cost.
    • Photograph or videotape every wall in each room of your home and storage areas.
    • Include open closets, cabinets, cupboards, and drawers.
    • Take close-ups of unique or expensive items to document their condition
    • Date photographs; when videotaping verbally describe the contents as you move around the room
  • Don’t forget to include personal items that might not always be stored at home and items that are in your vehicles.
  • Save copies in more than format and more than one place. For example, keep a paper copy and store copies of the document, video inventory and pictures to a flash drive and the cloud.

Here are links to two examples of household inventory forms.

Personal Home Inventory (Kansas Insurance Department) http://www.ksinsurance.org/documents/department/publications/personal-home-inventory.pdf

Household Inventory (eXtension.org Financial Security for All) http://articles.extension.org/pages/11274/household-inventory

Want to learn more? Download this fact sheet from the K-State Research and Extension bookstore https://www.bookstore.ksre.k-state.edu/pubs/MF3055.pdf