Hurricane Melissa as seen around noon ET on October 28.
CSU-CIRNRAMMB/NOAA via CNN Newsource
October 30, 2025 - In this week’s article about the rise of natural disasters and their potentially destructive effects on our homes, a primary asset for most of us, Barron's quotes Aaron Schindler CFP® on preparation and protection. He stresses the importance of annually reviewing your homeowner’s and flood insurance policy coverage as part of your financial plan, plus the valuation of your home.
Please read the excerpts from Barron's below and contact Aaron to review your life, long-term care and homeowners insurance policies, plus your investment portfolios. He can be reached at 917-715-2233 and aschindler@osaicwealth.com
Extreme weather and rising insurance premiums have bolstered the need for disaster planning. Advisors can help.
By Cheryl Munk Barron's, Oct. 28, 2025
As Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica, the island nation is bracing for flash flooding and landslides. Although the likelihood that the storm, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever, will affect the U.S. remains low, Melissa serves as a reminder of nature’s destructive power—and underscores the need for prudent planning in an environment where deadly and costly natural disasters are proliferating. Certainly, the U.S. has had its share of devastating natural catastrophes this year, too, with January’s California wildfires and July’s Texas floods serving as just two examples. And such events have been on the rise in recent decades, according to a report posted on the government’s Climate.gov website in January: “It is clear that the number of billion-dollars disasters and their total costs have risen since 1980.”
In this environment, financial advisors are taking steps to help clients stay one step ahead of Mother Nature. They’re increasingly talking to them about the need for advance planning, taking into account home prices, insurance premiums, age, and other factors.
Proper planning transcends geography. Disaster planning is important for clients regardless of where they live. Aaron Schindler, a Certified Financial Planner affiliated with Osaic Wealth in New York, had clients on Fire Island who suffered damages from flooding after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Many of his clients also own homes in Florida, where natural disasters and insurance premiums have spiked.
Proactively inquire about insurance. Many financial advisors don’t sell insurance, but they try to arm clients with information to help them make informed decisions.
"It is critical to pay careful attention to the policy details", Schindler says. "If a hurricane strikes and your house is destroyed by flooding and wind, how will coverage be applied?" He encourages clients to ask these tough questions of their carriers so they are prepared in the event of an issue.
Help clients make good decisions. Schindler has clients considering selling the family home. "The property near Studio City in Los Angeles is worth double what they’d get from insurance to rebuild the house in case of a fire like the ones in January that devastated the nearby area." The children are in college; it’s easy for the couple to move, so he’s helping them weigh their options.