Those that know Fred Mills know that he is a man that wears many hats. Many people know the St. Martinville man for the time he has served on the St. Martin Parish Council and as a Republican state Senator. Lots of people know him from his commercials for his pharmacy, Cashway Pharmacy, in Parks (see video below). Some people may even remember him spending time both in the booth and as a sideline reporter for High School football broadcasts done by "Big Dave" Thibodeaux and Mike "Bandit" Bernard, when he was needed. But Fred Mills is also the President and CEO of FM Bank (see video below). So, when we decided to seek advice for financial tips during Hurricane Season, we decided to turn to T-Fred.

"We have to remember: Cash is King," says Mills. "Because in the event of a major disaster you will need cash. Because electronically certain things may not work, certain ATM networks may not work, your debit card may not work. So, I would save a little bit of cash, have a little bit of cash handy and if you have that emergency and you have to evacuate, you have it there with you. And if you see a storm's coming a few days ahead of time, go to your bank and withdraw a few dollars and have it handy for you."

Mills also stresses that you get organized and declutter "and make sure you are storing it in the right place where it's waterproof." He cited how one bank had a major flood and all of the safety deposit boxes flooded. "So, even go right now to your safety deposit box, take your paper valuables and just put it in a ziplock bag," says Mills.

Mills also recommends enrolling in an online banking account. "Right now, with everything being electronic, it would really make sense to have direct deposit, that way your payroll would go directly into your bank accounts," says Mills. "If you do have to evacuate, you won't have an interruption there. And then the second thing that would make a lot of sense: Just enroll (whatever bank or credit union you are with) in an online banking account. You can do a lot of services there." Mills also recommends you get an ATM card and a debit card for shopping, especially if you're in "a remote place and they don't know you it'll help get what you need done."

Mills also advises that you keep all of your records in one place. "Have it consolidated and in one place," says Mills. "Have it in a good file. Just don't put it in a drawer and all of a sudden you've got to start looking for stuff...Make sure your insurance coverage is up-to-date. And make sure you've got your flood insurance. A lot of things you take for granted. Right now is the time to do a little summer cleaning, instead of spring cleaning."

And, of course, Mills recommends getagameplan.org for any hurricane-related questions you may have.

You can listen to his interview on "Your Afternoon Drive Home" by CLICKING BELOW:

For your entertaining pleasure, here is one of Fred Mills' well-known commercials for Cashway Pharmacy:

And here is another well-known commercial, this one for FM Bank and their "Loan Phone:"

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