With wildfires raging across California and plenty of people in the southern states still recovering from hurricane season, you might be wondering how you can plan ahead and secure your essential financial documents. The Mason & Associates secure online vault service helps protect you by providing a safe place to store all of your important documents online, such as wills and trusts, tax returns, and investment information. The vault makes it easy for you to organize and access these documents with peace of mind knowing that they are well protected.

Why Should You Digitize?

Regardless of what type of disaster you face, not having access to your Social Security card, birth certificate, or other documents might make it difficult for you to get the help you need and rebuild your life. A backup storage plan will save you time, money, and stress when you need the documents most.

At Mason & Associates, we offer a secure client vault to all of our clients at no cost! This dynamic tool not only organizes your financial information, so you can clearly see your accounts and investments, but also stores your important documents in a secure online vault in case anything happens to the original copies. Not only will this keep your paperwork safe, but you also have the added benefit of accessing the documents from any location. If you’re traveling or at work and need information immediately, you can access it easily.

If You Are Affected By The Fires…

What to do:

1. Find a safe place to stay
2. Contact your insurance – they will be the best point of contact for the process moving forward.
3. Contact your credit card customer service – some cards will reimburse you for your damaged/stolen items if purchased within 120 days in some cases up to $10,500.
4. Contact an architect, builder or your local real estate professional who can put you in contact with a trusted professional. The permit process and high demand during times such as these can often cause delays. Plan to start early.

These record-breaking fires have taken a catastrophic toll on our State. While they have left many stranded, homeless, and in need of assistance, it is a great reminder that we are a nation that unites to help our own. As such, we wanted to share a couple of resources that might make a difference.

Teladoc

If you are in the evacuation zones and have suffered physically from the fires, Teladoc is offering free conversations with doctors.

Ventura County Community Foundation

Ventura County Community Foundation has set up the Hill Fire/Woolsey Fire Sudden and Urgent Needs Effort Fund as a vehicle to collect the generous donations from our community.

American Red Cross

American Red Cross also has a wildfire disaster relief fund which helps them provide services to make sure people have the help they need.

If you want ideas of more ways to help or resources for those who have been displaced, check out this article.

Have You Taken Advantage Of Our Client Vault?

Whether the fires have turned your life upside-down or not, we recommend clients keep all tax returns, insurance policies, mortgage documents, deeds, estate plans, and any other warranties or service contracts. If you haven’t taken advantage of our secure online document storage service, please reach out to us at Mason & Associates today so we can help you set up your account and aid you in the process of digitizing your documents. Contact our office today by calling us at (323) 254-3072.

About Mason & Associates, Inc.

Mason & Associates, Inc. was founded in 1989, specializing in Life Planning for individuals, families and small businesses. Life Planning places a person’s core life values at the heart of the advice process and focuses on the human aspects of financial planning.

As a client, your personal story is key to our planning process. That is why we strive to build a close relationship that will encompass every aspect of your life. Together with our team of professionals, we guide you through the process of identifying what is important to you, your goals, your dreams. We then put into place a financial road map to set you on your way towards achieving your objectives.

Our responsibility does not end there. As you encounter bumps in the road, changes in goals or any other roadblocks, we are there to offer advice and guidance. We are there to celebrate your successes and cope with your challenges. We work alongside your other professionals such as your attorney and your CPA to be sure all of your legal and financial needs are aligned.