Disaster financial records: what to gather, and where to keep it

If you wonder what records your household would need to recover financially after a disaster, this guide gives you a place to start. It walks through what FEMA's Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) says to collect, then gives you a worksheet to track where each record is and an access plan so the right people can find it. It does not cover tax rules, disaster-relief eligibility or insurance claims. It is about getting organized.

Key takeaways

• FEMA's EFFAK groups records into four categories: household identification, financial and legal documentation, medical information and household contacts.
• The EFFAK suggests keeping copies in more than one place, such as a fireproof and waterproof box or safe, a bank safe deposit box, or with a trusted friend or relative, plus password-protected electronic copies.
• The EFFAK says it does not recommend keeping written lists of passwords, PINs or security answers with the kit.
• The EFFAK says to revisit and update it regularly, especially after significant changes in your life.
• A kit makes records easier to find. It does not ensure any particular recovery outcome.

This guide is for US readers. It is educational, not individual investment, tax or legal advice. Valora is not a registered investment adviser and is not arranging advisor matches or introductions at this time.

What the EFFAK is

FEMA publishes the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (FEMA P-1075, September 2019), which it says was created in 2004 by the nonprofit Operation HOPE in partnership with FEMA. The kit says that after a disaster, having your insurance policies, bank account information and other household records and contacts will be very important as you begin recovery. FEMA's EFFAK page lists the kit in several formats, including large print, fillable forms and several languages. This guide does not reproduce the kit's forms. It points you to them and shows one way to track where your own records are.

The four steps the EFFAK describes

The EFFAK describes four steps:

1. Assess and compile. Gather important financial documents and contacts. The EFFAK suggests printing or downloading statements for bills you pay automatically, photographing or recording a video of rooms and valuables, and keeping some cash with the kit in case ATMs are not working or banks are closed, based on your household's basic needs.
2. Review. Check that insurance policies and paperwork are still accurate and current.
3. Safeguard. Store paper and electronic copies in safe locations.
4. Update. Revisit the kit regularly, especially when your life changes significantly.

What the four categories cover

The EFFAK's checklists fall into four categories. Below is a plain summary of the kinds of records each one covers, using the kit's own examples where it gives them. Your household may not need all of them.

Category	Kinds of records the EFFAK lists
Household identification	Identity documents such as a driver's license, birth certificates, Social Security cards and passports, plus military service records and pet records
Financial and legal documentation	Housing payments, bank and retirement accounts, insurance policies, sources of income, tax statements, will or trust and power of attorney documents
Medical information	Health insurance cards, medication and prescription lists, physician contacts, a living will
Household contacts	Landlord or mortgage representative, insurance agent, lawyer, financial advisor, banks, health care providers

A worksheet to track your own records

This is Valora's own worksheet, not a copy of the EFFAK forms. The point is to know where each record is and who can reach it, without writing account numbers or passwords on the page. The EFFAK's own forms ask only for the last four digits of an account number. Here the examples are generic.

Record	Paper copy: where	Electronic copy: where	Who else knows	Last checked
Homeowners or renters insurance policy	Fireproof and waterproof box, hall closet	Password-protected drive, bank safe deposit box	Partner, sibling
Primary bank account: institution and phone number	Fireproof and waterproof box	Downloaded statement on protected drive	Partner
Photo ID copies	Fireproof and waterproof box	Password-protected drive	Partner
Medication list	Fireproof and waterproof box, wallet card	Phone and drive	Partner, caregiver
Insurance agent contact	Fireproof and waterproof box	Phone	Partner

The rows above are examples. Replace them with your own and add the rows your household needs. The "Last checked" column is yours to fill in each time you review.

An access plan

A worksheet tells you where things are. An access plan decides who can reach them and how.

1. Who needs to know where the kit is? The EFFAK says to share the kit with everyone in your household so it is useful in an emergency.
2. Where do the copies live? The EFFAK suggests, for paper, a fireproof and waterproof box or safe at home, a bank safe deposit box, or a trusted friend or relative. For electronic copies, it suggests a password-protected removable drive kept in that box or safe, or a secure offsite storage service. If you use a safe deposit box, the EFFAK says you may want to ask your bank or check state law about who can and cannot access it if the owner dies or cannot access it.
3. Does someone outside your household hold a copy? The EFFAK says you may give a lawyer, financial advisor or trusted person a paper copy in a sealed envelope, with instructions to open it only with your approval or the approval of someone you have chosen if you cannot make decisions.
4. How do people unlock what is protected? The EFFAK does not recommend keeping written passwords, PINs or security answers with the kit, and says if you keep such a list, to consider a hint instead of the actual information. Do not write the real details on this worksheet.
5. When do you review it? The EFFAK suggests updating after significant life changes. Choose a recurring date you will remember.

If you lose or someone takes the kit

The EFFAK says that if you believe the kit or your documents have been stolen or accessed illegally, you should immediately contact your financial institutions, insurance companies and similar companies and explain the situation. This is general guidance from the kit, not a step-by-step identity theft plan.

Questions to bring to a professional

• Which of my insurance policies would I need to contact first, and what does each require?
• Who should hold a copy of my power of attorney documents, and who should know where my will is kept?
• If I use a safe deposit box, who can open it in my state?
• Is my sealed-envelope plan consistent with my legal documents?

Your insurance agent, an attorney in your state and your financial institutions can answer these.

Documents to gather

• Your own copies of the categories above, organized by the worksheet.
• A recent photo or video record of your home and valuables.
• A list of your insurance policy types and carrier contacts, without policy numbers on the worksheet.

Bottom line

FEMA's EFFAK suggests collecting records in four categories, keeping copies in more than one place, sharing the location with your household, leaving passwords out and updating regularly. Use the worksheet to see where each record is, and the access plan to decide who can reach it. None of this ensures how a recovery goes, but it can save time finding what you need.

Want help applying this to your own numbers?

Tell us what you are trying to figure out. Valora reviews inquiries and emails next steps; we are not arranging advisor matches or introductions. Do not submit confidential financial documents.

Talk it through

Common questions

What records should I gather so my household can recover financially after a disaster?

FEMA's EFFAK groups them into household identification, financial and legal documentation, medical information and household contacts. See the table above.

Should I write my passwords in the kit?

The EFFAK says it does not recommend keeping written lists of passwords, PINs or security answers with the kit, and says to consider a hint instead if you do keep a list.

Is this the same as an emergency savings fund?

No. This guide is about records. For the cash side, see Emergency savings: what they are for, and how to rebuild them.

How does this relate to insurance?

The EFFAK lists insurance policies as records to gather. For questions about coverage, see Insurance coverage questions.

What should I send through the inquiry form?

Describe the question you want to ask. Do not submit bank statements, account numbers or other confidential financial documents.

Sources

Federal Emergency Management Agency: Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) (page last updated March 22, 2023) and the kit itself, Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK), FEMA P-1075 (September 2019).