6 Ways to Preserve and Store Your Important Documents

Organizing Tips, Paper Management, , , ,

 

  1. Safety Deposit Box – Most banks have safety deposit boxes for a small annual fee for their customers.
  2. Fire Safe – You can purchase fire and waterproof safes for your home. They come in a variety of sizes and prices.
  3. Wallet- Certain important documents need to be kept with you and a good wallet is perfect for carrying these documents.
  4. Attorney and Financial Advisor – Often your Attorney and Financial Advisor will hold a copy of the important documents that they help draft. i.e. Will, Trust, Investments, Retirement Plans etc.
  5. Scan them and upload them – Store them in the cloud – Google Docs, Drop Box etc.
  6. Out of town friend or relative – Give a copy of the documents to a trusted out of town friend or relative.

 

The following is from ( Disaster-Proofing Your Documents, By Monica Steinisch)

Here is a general list of the kinds of documents and records you will want to keep safe.

  • birth certificates, Social Security cards, passports, citizenship papers
  • military discharge papers (DD Form 214)
  • your personal address book
  • your pets’ recent prescription and vaccination records
  • a list of usernames and passwords for online accounts
  • marriage licenses, divorce decrees, child custody papers, adoption papers
  • insurance policies
  • proof of ownership for real estate, vehicles, and other major purchases
  • photo or video records of furnishings and other property
  • appraisals of jewelry, collectibles, antiques, artwork, and other valuables
  • receipts for home improvements (necessary to reduce your capital gain when you sell the home)
  • contracts (employment, lease or rental, business, and so on)
  • estate planning documents (wills, trusts, funeral instructions, powers-of-attorney, and so on)
  • employment and government benefits documents
  • financial records, including recent federal and state tax returns, stock and bond certificates, investment records, brokerage and retirement account information, and a list of credit and bank account numbers
  • business records, including recent tax and payroll returns, and a backup of your accounting software
  • backups of important computer files
  • fingerprints and dental records for each member of the household, if you have them
  • photos, letters, and other personal papers, and
  • anything else you would not want to lose.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/disaster-proofing-documents-29960.html

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