ARE YOUR FINANCES READY FOR THE STORM?

As Tropical Storm Erika inches closer to SE Florida we all are pulling out our storm checklists to make sure that we are ready. I’ve heard on the news that water is already becoming scarce, so hopefully you’ve already stocked up on bottled water along with batteries, propane, and all the other necessities that are the first to disappear off store shelves.

BUT what about your finances? There are three important things to do before the storm hits:

1. Seal up important documents in zippered plastic bags
2. Document all your belongings with photos and/or video
3. Get cash

I’m sure you all know that even if Erika dissipates over the weekend, we are still in line for a heck of a storm and that will mean a LOT of rain along with flooding. Water can cause a lot of damage to a home and can destroy important documents if they aren’t protected. So be sure to stock up on plenty of large plastic bags that have a seal so you can put all those important documents safely inside. Make sure to keep them off the ground as well…just in case.

In addition, make sure to take some time in the next few days to take pictures and/or video of all the belongings in your home, it will help in case you need to file an insurance claim if you can show exactly the items that were damaged or destroyed in a storm. In addition make sure you have protected that policy in one of those plastic bags and have the phone number to your agent printed out and close by…without power you may not be able to access any websites.

Before the weekend gets underway you should also stop by the credit union or an ATM to get a little extra cash. Remember if there are power outages, card machines and ATMs may not be working so it’s important to have a little extra cash just in case.

Regardless of what Erika does over the weekend, she is an important reminder that we always need to be prepared for storms by having a plan and sticking to it. It’s a small price to pay when you live in paradise! Be safe everyone!!

^Amy

START THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF RIGHT!

This week marks the start of a new school year for students all over Southeast Florida. Looking back I remember always looking forward to the first day of school and wondering if I would like my teachers or make new friends. One thing about me is I'm always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd, and often I did that by finding humor in things and thinking creatively…like turning the required uniform tie, into a bow tie. 

Yes this is actually me, with my over-sized bow tie

High school can be an exciting place to experiment with your personality and if it is a new school, then it is practically a clean slate where you can recreate yourself however you see fit.

I also always loved learning so I always got excited about what kind of things I was going to learn in each class. Now that I’m out and I can look back I realize there really were no classes on how to take care of my own finances as well as be responsible with my money so that I could structure the lifestyle I wanted once I graduated. If I could go back to high school, I would have looked for ways to get a head start on finances so that I didn’t feel so panicked and out of place after graduation.

As part of the Gen Next Program, Tropical Financial CreditUnion is visiting schools across South Florida for this very reason. We are teaching students about everything from the difference between debit cards and credit cards, to budgeting basics and the difference between leasing and financing a first car. If you would like us to come visit your school, head over to www.tropicalfcu.com/GenNext to submit a request.  

High school is the best time to get a head start on skills you will need for the rest of your life.  The more you learn, the better off you will be in the next stage of life.

^Alec