Critical Documents & Financial Prep

When borders close or banks freeze accounts, the person with cash and documents has options. The person without them is stranded. Preparing your paperwork and finances takes a single weekend and could save your family.

The Document & Finance Protocol

1. The Document Grab Bag

You need a single waterproof, fireproof pouch that you can grab in 10 seconds. Inside it:

• Originals or Certified Copies: Passports, national ID cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, property deeds, and vehicle registration.
• Medical Records: Vaccination records, blood types for every family member, prescriptions, and insurance policy numbers.
• Digital Backup: Scan everything and store on an encrypted USB drive AND a secure cloud service. Take a photo of each document on your phone as a third backup.

2. Emergency Cash Reserve

When ATMs stop working and card readers are offline, cash is king. Digital payments are useless without power and internet.

• How Much: Aim for at least 2 weeks of basic expenses in cash. Small denominations are critical — during an outage, nobody can make change for a 100€ bill.
• Multiple Currencies: If you live near a border, keep some cash in the neighboring country's currency. If you are in the EU, also keep a small amount in USD or CHF as universal backup.
• Hide It Well: Split your cash between your go-bag, your home safe room, and your vehicle. Never keep all emergency cash in one location.

3. Insurance and Legal Preparation

• War Exclusions: Review your home and health insurance policies. Most European policies contain war exclusion clauses. Know exactly what is and isn't covered.
• Power of Attorney: Prepare a basic power of attorney document so a trusted family member can act on your behalf if you are incapacitated or unreachable.
• Contact List: Write down (on paper!) the phone numbers of your embassy, your bank's emergency line, family abroad, and your insurance company. Phones die — paper doesn't.