Markets Wired

As hurricane season swings into high gear, you may be more than ready with fully charged batteries, evacuation plans for loved ones and pets, refilled prescriptions, and other precautions. Perhaps you’ve considered how to deal with the possibility of storm surges, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding.

But are you financially prepared? For example, do you have a written inventory of your possessions, along with photos or a video? Do you have multiple copies that are kept in separate, secure locations?

This is one of various helpful tips from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, in “Financial Readiness: As Important as Fully Charged Batteries.” To learn more, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt170.shtm. For more tips on financial management during hurricane season, check out the FTC’s Web page on hurricane recovery: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/recovery/hurricane/index.html. Both of these FTC resources have links to other government agencies for general tips on hurricane planning.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.shtm or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For free information on a variety of consumer topics, click http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm.

(FYI Hurricane)