‘Money: It's Personal' — Financial preparedness tips for hurricane season

Hurricane season ends Nov. 30

SAN ANTONIO – Hurricane season is here, and now is the time to get your finances up-to-date and prepared in the event of a disaster occurring in the area.

The Federal Trade Commission has the following tips to make sure you're financially ready:

First, perform a household inventory of your possessions and take pictures and/or video of them, just in case you'll need to file any insurance claims later.

You can use technology to your advantage by using external or cloud storage to save your important documents. A fireproof file box that's lockable can also keep documents secure.

Bank safe deposit boxes can be used to store important documents and forms, such as leases and deed records, credit agreements, Social Security cards and military papers. Some banks even offer virtual safe deposit boxes for storing documents, photos and videos online.

You can also enroll in services such as online payments to make sure your bills are up-to-date.

Lastly, consider updating your personal information with your bank and anywhere you're going to store it at least once a year.

Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

Click here to access more tips from the Federal Trade Commission.

Click here for information on how to replace important documents.

“Money: It’s Personal” is a series on KSAT’s News at 9 that breaks down personal finance topics. If you have a suggestion or question on the types of topics you'd like us to explain, click here.

For more stories from KSAT's News at 9, visit KSAT.com/newsat9.


About the Authors:

Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. His work for KSAT 12 and KSAT.com includes covering breaking news of the day, as well as producing Q&As and content for the "South Texas Pride" and "KSAT Money" series.

Valerie Gomez is lead video editor and graphic artist for KSAT Explains. She began her career in 2014 and has been with KSAT since 2017. She helped create KSAT’s first digital-only newscast in 2018, and her work on KSAT Explains and various specials have earned her a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media and multiple Emmy nominations.