50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Disaster-Proof Your Finances

Book excerpt: The best time to plan for trouble—the death of a spouse, the collapse of a business, the loss of your home—is before you’re overwhelmed by it. This is especially important if you have a family or a small business or are beginning to save for your retirement. But what should you do first? In 50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Disaster-Proof Your Finances, money and real estate expert Ilyce Glink walks you step by step through the things you need to do to protect your family and your money so you can survive any crisis. Topics include: * Getting organized: What do you have and where is it? * Banking and credit: The credit, accounts, and emergency cash you need * Travel: Traveling safer—and for less money * Insurance and health: How to buy the important policies and save * Investments: Diversifying to help you weather the tough times * Family matters: Planning for your children’s and aging parents’ futures * Estate matters: Wills, living wills, and more * After the disaster: Finding the emergency aid you need In her friendly and easy-to-understand style, Ilyce Glink shows you how to avoid the ten most common mistakes people make in planning for their future, helps you add up the numbers with simple worksheets, and guides you to the leading websites for more information. With this indispensable guide, you’ll know you’ve done the best you can do for yourself and your loved ones.