Financial Security For Dummies

Chapter 3

Coping with Personal Crises

IN THIS CHAPTER

Coming to terms with personal challenges and earthquakes

Making a sound decision when the pressure is on and the outlook is cloudy

Surveying checklists of key things to do during personal tough times

In Chapter 2, I discuss bigger-picture crises that happen in the overall economy or country. Unfortunately, those don’t represent the totality of problematic events that can upset our lives. Personal crises happen too, and that’s the important subject of this chapter.

Some of life’s crises come unexpectedly, like earthquakes. Others you can see coming when they’re still far off, as sometimes happens with a serious illness or a big storm moving in off the horizon. Whether a life change is predictable or not, your ability to navigate successfully through its challenges and adjust to new circumstances depends largely on your degree of preparedness.

To those who have stored no emergency rations in their basement, the big storm with high winds, downed trees, and associated power outages during a hot spell that traps you in your home can lead to problems. But to the prepared person with plenty of food and water (and a good generator), ...