Prepare yourself for the unexpected

Are you ready for this? September is National Preparedness Month. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Preparedness Month seeks to educate Americans on preparing for natural disasters and other types of emergencies. But you’ll also need to prepare for unexpected events in many other areas of your life — particularly those events related to the financial security of you and your family.

Here are some of the most important of these events, along with possible preparations for them:

• Unanticipated early retirement – If you encounter a “downsizing” or other occurr...