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Recent hurricanes forced many of you to evacuate without IDs, credit and debit cards, checks and other documents that may be needed to conduct your everyday finances. Here are some tips to begin the process of re-establishing your financial life:

Replace your driver’s license or state identification card
Driver’s licenses and state ID cards (for non-drivers) are the most commonly used cards for proof of identity. These cards should be replaced as soon as possible. For information about procedures for replacing cards, contact the states as follows:

Alabama: 1-866-283-2838 or

Louisiana: 1-877-368-5463 or

Mississippi: 1-601-987-1212 or

Texas: 1-512-424-2600 or

Replace your checks, credit cards, ATM and debit cards, and inquire about your safe deposit box Contact your financial institution about how to replace your checks or cards or to find out if safe deposit boxes were affected by the hurricane. If you are unsure how to reach your financial institution, you can get contact information by calling the �౦��Ϸ���� toll-free at 1-877-ASK-�౦��Ϸ���� -- that’s 1-877-275-3342. This hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The toll-free TTY number for the hearing-impaired is 1-800-925-4618 (available 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday). The �౦��Ϸ���� Web site at www.fdic.gov also includes useful information and links for consumers, including updates on banks operating in areas affected by the hurricanes.

To replace a credit card, first try to contact the institution that issued the card. For help or information from the four major credit card companies, you may contact each one as follows:

American Express: 1-800-992-3404 or

Discover: 1-800-347-2683 or

MasterCard: 1-800-622-7747 (TTY 1-636-722-3725) or

Visa: 1-800-847-2911 or

If you don’t remember all the credit cards you had, consider getting your credit report from any of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. Your credit report should list all the cards in your name, and a copy may be free under a new federal law. For details, contact a central service set up by the credit bureaus at 1-877-322-8228 or go to .

Replace your Social Security card
The Social Security Administration’s card replacement process requires another form of identification, such as a driver’s license. For more information, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or go to and click on “Your Social Security Number & Card.” The Web site also provides information about Social Security benefit payments for people affected by the hurricanes .