Rough & Crude Hurricane/Flood Trade

This article continues from yesterday's (September 06, 2006
"Protect Capital & Preserve Data When H.F. Imminent")

PREPARE YOUR PHYSICAL FACILITIES

Looting is likely to occur during and after the Hurricane/Flood ("H.F.). Don’t risk having your computer data stolen by identity thieves during the looting in your absence.

You’ll likely have to abandon your desktop computer during the H.F. So take the hard drive out of it before you leave. It’s very easy. Just take off the largest one or two screws on the back of the CPU. That releases the side panel which in turn releases the front panel. Then locate the hard drive, a box about 6 inches x 4 inches. Undo the clasp or screw that holds it in place. Then pull it out and detach the 2 or 3 cables from it.

You won’t be able to carry copies of your brokerage statements with you during the H.F. evacuation. So don’t leave copies around for identity thieves. After saving at least 2 digital copies of your brokerage statements as described in yesterday's article, shred all the hard copies except for the most recent one. Keep the most recent one in a sealed plastic bag in your physical possession. You might need the original to prove ownership and to prove the account balance as of the date of that statement.

PRESERVE YOUR TRADING RESOURCES

Do you have several shelves filled with books and literature about trading and investing? There’s no way you can save them all. Just save the ones you refer to at least once a month and the ones that are hard/impossible to replace. Limit the number to not more than what you can carry in one hand. Copyright laws prohibit making digital copies of books so govern yourself accordingly. Seal books in a plastic bag, taping the opening shut with duct or masking tape. You can also seal the books you leave behind and put them in a plastic container in case they survive both the H.F. and the looting that usually accompanies the H.F.

GET CASH

The Red Cross article mentioned in the article Septmeber 5 ,2006 ("Hurricanes & Flooding") about preparing emergency supplies says to get a “small amount of traveler’s checks or cash and a few rolls of quarters”. I think that’s not sufficient. You should have at least one month’s worth of cash to buy stuff like food, water, blankets, supplies, “protection” money for extortionists, and so on for your whole family. That could be several thousand dollars.

The cash should be in small denominations for reasons described in yesterday's article.

Decide for yourself if you need weapons to protect your cash, yourself and your entourage. Hey, if you think NYMEX crude oil traders are crude or that CBOT rough rice traders are rough, wait ‘till you try to trade your way around hoodlums you’ll meet in a lawless H.F. disaster.

continued tomorrow...

Copyright 2006 Raymond T. Lee. All rights reserved.
Leisurely e-Mini Futures Trading
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