Work with any family members who are near you to begin to reconstruct your financial life on paper. It can provide a little sense of order. What you're trying to do on paper is to reconstruct your financial life that is tied to papers, that is tied to computers.

If you give one to your insurance adjuster, you go to the front of the line.

A lot of it depends on their age and the family circumstance and what role that person has to play in the family, but it can accelerate issues and concerns regarding estate planning. The cost of medical care is still a consideration, and there's uncertainty with regard to employment.

You can borrow a camcorder or a still camera and take pictures of everything. Or you can walk from room to room with a tape recorder and note everything you see.

The perception is that it is more generous than it is. Grants are generally only for those that are completely wiped out or uninsured.