Card stolen or banking hacked: what to do now
Stop the money moving first, then report it and get your accounts back.
25 itemsStart
Lost your job: money checklist for the first two weeks
What to claim, what to pause and what to sign, day by day, when your income stops.
25 items · 5 sections · money, career, personal-finance
Days 1 to 2: paperwork (5)
- Get the end date and the reason in writing
- Ask when final pay arrives, and about unused leave, bonus and notice pay
- Read any severance or release agreement before you signYou can ask for time and have a lawyer or union adviser read it.
- Save payslips, tax forms, your contract and work contacts before access ends
- Note when health cover ends
Days 2 to 5: claim what you can (5)
- US: file for unemployment in your state right awayBenefits are not automatic.Open
- US: compare COBRA with marketplace coverYou have 60 days to choose either one.
- UK: check Universal Credit and New Style JSAOpen
- India: collect the experience letter, Form 16 and PF account details, and keep your UAN safe
- Check any job loss cover on your loan, mortgage or card
Days 3 to 7: know your runway (5)
- Add up cash you can reach within a week
- List monthly essentials: rent, food, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments
- Divide cash by essentials: that is how many months you have
- Cancel or pause what is not essential
- Move auto-pays so that they do not bounce
Days 5 to 10: talk to lenders (5)
- Call your lender or landlord before you miss a payment
- Ask about hardship plans, deferred payments or lower interest
- Get any change in writing
- Do not take out your retirement money or PF as your first moveTaxes and lost growth often make this the most costly choice.
- Avoid payday loans and credit card cash advances
Days 10 to 14: start the income side (5)
- Update your resume and LinkedIn
- Message 10 people you have worked with
- Set a budget for job search costs and a date to review it
- Look at short-term work to stretch the runway
- Book one thing each week away from the job search
Written from www.usa.gov