In today’s world of increasing climate volatility, helping your clients build a strong financial safety net is no longer a best practice, it’s a necessity. Hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and other catastrophic events are not only becoming more frequent, but also more financially devastating. While many clients understand the importance of home insurance, fewer have a clear plan for managing the financial aftermath of a natural disaster.

That’s where you come in. As a trusted advisor, you not only offer coverage options but play a key role in helping clients evaluate their financial preparedness, from emergency savings to supplemental insurance.

Start with the Emergency Savings Conversation

According to a 2024 report from Empower Research, 37% of Americans don’t have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency. Now imagine the financial burden of being displaced for weeks after a hurricane or losing essential income due to a wildfire. When disaster strikes, it’s rarely just a $400 problem.

Encourage your clients to evaluate their emergency savings with this simple question: If a disaster hit tomorrow and you couldn’t return home or work for 2-3 weeks, how would you cover your costs and protect your savings?

This may prompt the realization that their savings could be depleted or worse, fall short, opening the door to a more proactive conversation about building financial resilience through insurance and emergency savings.

Match Coverage to Risk and Lifestyle

Every client has a unique risk profile, and their coverage combination should reflect that. Encourage clients to consider their:

  • Location: Is their area prone to hurricanes, wildfires or earthquakes?
  • Household: Do they have dependents, elderly family members or pets to care for during evacuation?
  • Income stability: Can they afford to miss a paycheck, or two, without dipping into long-term savings?

Using risk maps and claims data can be powerful tools in the conversation. Between 2013 and 2023, 88.5% of all U.S. counties declared a natural disaster—proof that no region is immune to severe weather, and financial fallout is real.

Help your clients visualize the potential out-of-pocket costs:

  • Temporary housing expenses
  • Lost income if work is disrupted
  • Paying deductibles to kickstart support from insurance

Bankrate’s 2025 Emergency Savings Report found that 1 in 4 Americans would rely on credit cards to cover an emergency expense—a number on the rise. By aligning insurance with a solid savings plan, clients can avoid going into debt or draining long-term savings when disaster strikes.

Identify the Gaps in Traditional Coverage

Many clients either underestimate their financial vulnerability or assume that their standard homeowners insurance is sufficient. This creates a valuable opportunity to educate them on where those policies fall short and how those gaps could affect their ability to financially recover.

Here are a few common misconceptions to address:

  • “It’s covered by my homeowners” Homeowners policies typically cover structural damage, but one’s specific policy may not address all their financial needs after being displaced by a disaster.
  • “I’m covered for earthquakes and floods.” Earthquake and flood damage are not typically covered under standard homeowners or renters policies, which many clients aren’t aware of until it’s too late.
  • “I’ll file a claim and get help right away.” Clients may not realize that insurance claims can take weeks, and even months, to process, especially after large-scale disasters. That delay can leave families without critical funds when they need them most.

That’s where supplemental disaster coverage, like Recoop Disaster Insurance, can play a crucial role. Recoop offers up to $25,000 in fast and flexible funds for a variety of perils that clients can use however they need, when they need, to fill in the gaps left by traditional policies.

Offer a Layered Protection Plan

The most resilient financial plans are layered with (1) emergency savings for immediate needs, (2) traditional insurance for major structural and property damage and (3) supplemental disaster insurance for flexible, fast-access cash when it matters most.

Show your clients that supplemental coverage isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a practical, affordable way to protect their finances when disaster strikes. Recoop provides lump-sum cash within days, giving clients quick access to funds that can make all the difference in a chaotic aftermath of a disaster.

The Bottom Line for Agents

By proactively helping clients evaluate their emergency savings and optimize their insurance coverage, you’re not just selling a policy, you’re offering peace of mind. In the face of a disaster, that kind of preparation can make all the difference. And for you as an agent, it builds lasting trust and deeper client relationships.

Now is the time to start these critical conversations. The next disaster may be unpredictable, but your clients’ financial preparedness doesn’t have to be.

To learn more about how Recoop can act as a safety net and help bolster your clients’ financial wellbeing, visit www.recoopinsurance.com.