Be Prepared: Essential "Go Bag" Items

Recent natural disasters, including the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, are a serious reminder of how quickly emergencies can arise and how important it is to be prepared. Many of us have likely asked ourselves, “What would I do if this happened to me?”

People have probably heard of, "go bags," from the movies, or maybe even from a prepper friend. My father in law is retired military & he used to have to keep a go bag in in his car at all times. In fact, one of the favorite stories they tell is of a morning where beepers started going off in church & all the guys from a certain unit got up during the service & headed out. The family could usually guess where by watching CNN over the next few days.

On the financial side, one of the most effective steps you can take to help your family and finances is to assemble a well-thought-out emergency “go bag.” In the event of a sudden evacuation, having vital documents and resources ready can help you feel prepared and be ready to act quickly. Below is a list of essential items to consider including in your go bag:

Important Documents and Records:

• Birth Certificates
  
  
• Passports/Visas
  
  
• Marriage license
  
  
• Social Security card
  
  
• Driver’s licenses
  
  
• Home insurance documents
  
  
• Car insurance documents and registration
  
  
• Health insurance documents/Medical cards
  
  
• Prescriptions
  
  
• Credit cards
  
  
• Cash and check book
  
  
• Power of attorney
  
  
• Wills
  
  
• Titles/Deeds/Property documents
  
  
• All military and VA records
  
  

Additional Items:

• Thumb drive with a video of your house and its contents
  
  
• Video documentation of everything in your house, all rooms, all drawers open, closet contents, basement, garage, attic, and any valuable artwork
  
  
• Veterinary records for pets, including rabies and other necessary information for boarding
  
  

Getting these together in one place also helps when trying to keep these documents both physically secure, in a fireproof safe, and digitally backed up in the cloud so you can access them when needed, even if physical copies are lost or damaged.

Important Tax Relief Information

In light of the recent wildfires, the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) have provided significant tax relief for those in Los Angeles County. All taxpayers in the county—whether directly impacted by the fires or not—are now granted an extension until October 15, 2025, to file 2024 tax returns and make payments originally due between January 7, 2025, and October 15, 2025.¹

This relief includes extensions for:

• Quarterly estimated tax payments
  
  
• Passthrough entity elective tax payments
  
  
• Business entity corporate or passthrough entity tax returns
  
  
• Individual tax returns and payments
  
  
• Tax-exempt organization returns
  
  

Additionally, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is providing an automatic three-month extension for qualifying taxpayers and offering relief from interest and penalties and flexible payment plans for businesses. We encourage you to consult your tax, legal and accounting professional before modifying your tax filing strategy, however.²

If you're unsure how this tax relief may impact your financial situation or have questions about preparing for emergencies, I am here to help. Please feel free to reach out to me for guidance.

^{1. gov.ca.gov, January 13, 2025}

^{2. gov.ca.gov, January 11, 2025}