3 Reasons to Start Becoming Financially Organized Today

How simple is it for you to get a complete picture of your personal finances? Can you easily access your account numbers of your various accounts: bank, retirement, stock brokerage or more? Can you find your various insurance policies' numbers, and the phone number to call for claims for each?

If not, today's the day to start getting organized! Here's why:

Reason #3: If something bad happened to you - unexpectedly - would your family or a trusted friend be able to easily  access the financial arrangements you have in place? Or would they have to paw through stacks of papers desperately hoping to find the right information  instead of using precious  funds and time needed for something else? If you care for a senior citizen whose memory is going, use this today to gather as much information as you can (including some tips on where to look for other relevant information).

Reason #2: If a weather disaster occurred, would you be easily able to contact your insurance company and calmly give them the details they request to settle your claim quickly? Would you know your policy numbers and how to reach the claims departments?

Reason #1: You deserve to experience the serenity that comes from having your financial affairs organized! You deserve to be able to have your assets - and debts - in one place, so that you can access them whenever necessary.

Getting organized does not have to be overwhelming. It involves finding one single fact at a time and writing it down. You can do this while opening your mail and e-mail, whenever you get some financial information. Add to it with information about your benefits from work.

To make it easier, The Financial Overview Template (www.myfinancialrecords.net), lists the details you will want to gather, as well as how to find missing documents you may need.

Imagine what it will feel like to be organized financially...to be able to find the information you need, easily and fast.... Get started today with the Financial Overview Template!

Are you prepared for this disaster?

In sections of the country, disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes occur with little warning.  Thousands of people have to make the decision to suddenly evacuate  to shelters, often with little warning.

If this happens in your community, and you have to suddenly evacuate, would you be prepared to quickly take your vital financial papers with you? Obviously, saving lives is most essential, but how would you put your financial affairs back in order after the event? Would you know the names of the car insurance and flood insurance companies to call? When the clerk asks, "What is your policy number?", would you know what to say? How about needing copies of your professional license or other credentials, if you decide later to move elsewhere, or your bank account number? If you have a pension or stocks and bonds, are you going to remember the account numbers? Your employer's computer systems may have been damaged.

Before a disaster strikes your community, prepare now! You may not have much warning.

The Financial Overview Template© is a simple form to complete online, listing all of your financial information. This includes details on your bank accounts, insurance policies, retirement accounts and much more. You can do this a little each day, if that helps.  Doing this helps you feel secure that you have all the information in one place. It also helps a spouse or other family member if something happens to you. Lastly, in the event of a disaster, with a hard copy printed out in case there is no electricity for the computer,  you are more prepared.

(Put the hard copy in plastic page protectors, in a notebook, along with hard copies of all your licenses, birth and marriage certificates, first pages of your passport,  military records, diplomas, house deed and car title. Put this all in a sealed plastic bag, and it will be easy to grab in the event of a disaster.)

The Financial Overview Template © can easily be updated online, so the information stays current. (Password protect the page for extra security, or print out the template and fill it in by hand if you prefer.) Should you or your family experience disaster, you will be so thankful you had the foresight to have this information in writing, in one place!

No-one wants a disaster to happen. However, it is always better to be prepared - and that includes getting your financial affairs organized. Do it the easy way: use the Financial Overview Template!

Hurricane Sandy and your personal financial records

You've got your 3 days' supplies of food and water. You have clothes, blankets, prescriptions, a weather radio, flashlights and extra batteries as well as a cell phone charger. Do you also have copies of your personal financial records - in at least 2 formats? Financial records are crucial at this time. If they were to get wet and/or lost, it would take a lot of work and time to get them again. Gather together copies of birth and marriage certificates, drivers' and professional licenses/certificates, diplomas and transcripts, and green cards. You also need insurance papers, such as car and home-owners or renters insurance. If you are lucky enough to have flood insurance, get that as well. Get your medical, dental, disability and long-term care or other insurance cards and policies as well as bank records. Also collect information about retirement accounts, such as IRAs, and investments. Write down the names of your utilities, contact information and account numbers. If you need to cancel your accounts, you will be able to do this more easily. Take photos (maybe using your cell phone) of your property. Take close-ups of valuable things, such as jewelry, furniture and your car. Write down any details listed on the jewelry or furniture if you have time. The power may fail, so bring some cash for emergencies in the event you cannot use your credit cards. Speaking of credit cards, photo-copy the front and back of them. The back has the telephone number to call if your card is lost. Of course, if your card is lost, you won't have this number - and will be liable for the cost of goods charged to it. (Nice racket, isn't it?) If you have a business, get your liability and other business insurance policies, as well as business licenses, too. Get names and contact information for all your employees. That may mean cell phone and e-mail addresses. Get a list of all your creditors and those who owe you funds. If you are an employee, write down the contact information for co-workers and your boss, if possible. Make a list of your relatives' and close friends' contact information, so you can contact them later if needed. Designate one person outside of the anticipated disaster zone to be the contact person for the family - and send him or her a copy of the list of the relatives. As each person arrives in a shelter or other location, that person calls your contact person if possible to say she or he is safe. If you have time, also make a list of this information above. For example, write the name of your bank, its' address, phone number and URL, as well as your bank account numbers. Write your credit/debit card numbers here, as well as the number to call if they are lost or stolen. Do the same for all your insurance policies, with the name of the company, contact information, your agent's name if you have one, the policy number and the number to contact if you have a claim. Be sure to list when the information was last updated. Then scan the actual documents or the list above and put a copy onto a password-protected flash-drive you take with you. Make a copy of the documents and/or the list and put it into a sealed plastic bag that goes with you, as well. (This is especially helpful if there is no power and you need the information on the list.) If you are not in the path of this hurricane, prepare this information anyway. It not only will help with a disaster, but will also make it so much easier when you need to make changes to your financial information and need account numbers and contact information. It will also be invaluable to your heirs or other executors of your estate. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills. Check out our coaching and e-books! The information above is provided as a public service.