4 Types of Financial Documents You Should Keep Together at All Times in Case of Emergency — Here’s Why

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Life is full of the unexpected. You never know when you may find yourself in dire straits or faced with an emergency that’s totally out of your control. Sadly, Americans are affected by weather-related disasters now more than ever before.

According to the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2024 alone was full of “billion-dollar” weather-related natural disasters: There were 27 individual weather and climate disasters with at least $1 billion in damages, which is only one less than the record of 28 events in 2023. Last year’s natural disasters took nearly 600 lives and cost approximately $182.7 billion in total.

With natural disasters on the rise, you’ll absolutely need to be prepared for whatever comes your way. This includes having a “financial go bag” at the ready.

A financial go bag is basically what it sounds like: It’s a bag with everything related to your finances, identity, emergency contacts and medical information that you need to keep on your person.

Here are four specific categories of items you’ll want to be sure you have in your financial go bag.

Financial and Legal Documents

Having copies of any applicable financial and legal documents printed and at the ready is critical, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). For example, if your home is destroyed in a fire, maintaining copies of these documents in your go bag may be the only physical proof you have of account ownership.

These include but are not limited to the following types of documents:

• Credit and debit card statements
• Checking account statements
• Savings account statements
• Retirement and investment account statements
• Utility bills
• Student loan statements
• Alimony and child support documents
• Elder care information.

Identification

When faced with a catastrophe, you’ll need to have at least a few forms of identification in your bag, according to FEMA.

Two important reasons are you may need to be identified to receive emergency medical attention, or authorities may need to identify you if you’re attempting to cross a security checkpoint.

These include but are not limited to the following types of identification:

• Passport
• Driver’s license
• Social Security card
• Green card
• Military service identification
• Pet ownership papers and identification tags.

List of Emergency Contacts

FEMA also recommends keeping a list of emergency contacts in your bag in case of evacuation. For example, maybe your cell phone, which contains all your contacts, dies, and the only way to contact someone is by using someone else’s phone and referencing the list in your bag.

These include but are not limited to the following types of contacts:

• Doctors and specialists
• Dentists
• Pediatricians
• Veterinarians
• Family members
• Your children’s school
• Your employer
• Local emergency services.

Medical Information

If an emergency strikes, it could result in injuries to you or your family. In the worst-case scenario, you have to have all pertinent medical information ready in your bag, according to FEMA, to ensure you receive the care and benefits you’re entitled to get.

This includes but is not limited to the following medical information:

• Health insurance cards
• Medicare and/or Medicaid cards
• Dental insurance cards
• Any other health benefits, such as VA benefits
• A detailed and up-to-date list of medications you take
• Immunizations records
• Allergy information
• Medical equipment and devices you need
• Pharmacy information
• Living will, medical power of attorney and any disability documentation.

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