Financial Friday

We have definitely experienced the unthinkable recently with Hurricane Helene! Planning ahead does not necessarily keep us safe from the storms but they can help us to weather them. These are the types of things we think would never happen in our area but here we are cleaning up after a major storm has come through.
Many people now have generators who may not have had them before, and we know that we need to have gas to run them. Keeping a stock of non-perishable foods and water are also key to weathering these types of events.
Keeping some cash in a safe place in your home is a good idea as many places were unable to accept debit or credit cards due to power outages.
Post storm considerations include watching out for scammers who swarm on scenes proposing clean up services, roofing services, home repair services, etc. They may ask for money upfront to purchase supplies and you never see them again. Know who you are working with – check them out with the Better Business Bureau, get references, check their websites. Be aware of sites claiming to provide “emergency funding” that may ask for personal information – be sure these are legitimate sites and not scammers. Protect yourself from these types of scammers who prey on those hardest hit.
Be safe!
Regards,
Terry Richards, CFO