With the country's unemployment rate at a 25-year high, 12.5 million people are currently out of work—and millions more may be laid off in the coming months. Even if you still have a job, financial expert Suze Orman says it's never too early to start formulating an unemployment action plan. "I know a lot of you never thought in your wildest dreams ... that you'd have to go and get unemployment, as if there's some disgrace about it. There isn't," she says. "It is an entitlement that you actually deserve. But you have got to take an action."

4 Things You Need to Know About Unemployment:

• You have to be laid off to collect. You cannot apply if you quit.
• There is no time limit to apply.
• If you apply and are denied unemployment, you have a limited time to appeal. Each state is different, so check the time frame with your local office.
• You can apply online. "So you don't have to go down; you don't have to do all these things that could be embarrassing for you," Suze says.

• Read an excerpt of Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan

From The Oprah Winfrey Show Recession Rescue with Suze Orman