We spend endless hours crafting financial plans for clients, but there’s another kind of plan that’s just as crucial yet often overlooked: an emergency plan. Life doesn’t always give us a heads-up before throwing chaos our way—earthquakes, fires, floods. These are the kinds of unexpected events that don’t wait for a convenient moment.
Growing up in the Bay Area, I swore I’d never work in downtown San Francisco. Too many tall buildings and a fear of a large earthquake. Fast forward 20 years, and where did I end up? Bear Stearns. In the CitiBank building on the 36th floor. A sleek, towering structure with marble walls and a beautiful courtyard—gorgeous, yes, but not exactly where I want to be in a large earthquake or fire!
Eventually, after stints at Bear Stearns and JP Morgan, we started One Wealth and moved to the Mission in San Francisco where there are no skyscrapers and fewer disaster-movie scenarios. It got me thinking, though: What’s my plan if I ever have to leave in a hurry? Because when disaster strikes, the last thing you want is to be standing in your doorway at 3 AM, debating whether to grab your passport, your phone charger, or that bottle of your favorite drink you’ve been saving.
That’s why everyone should have a go-bag—a bag packed and ready with essentials so you can leave at a moment’s notice. Sounds smart, right?
So, let’s fix that. This week, let’s put together our go-bags. Check out Ready.gov’s suggested basic disaster supplies kit. The best time to prepare is before you need it. Worst case? We never use them, and we’ve just created the world’s most over-prepared weekend getaway bag.
Win-win.
