There’s a chance that you only have a few minutes to collect and protect important documents if you are confronted by flooding or fire in your home. The list of papers to keep is comprised of financial and medical paperwork; birth, marriage and death certificates passports and other identification and insurance policy information and title and deed documents. Replacing these documents can be difficult and time-consuming, which is why it’s crucial to keep them secure in case disaster strikes. Make a list of all your documents, make extra copies to have them easily accessible and keep them in a secure.
Safe deposit boxes at banks are a great place to store important documents. If you can’t afford it you can buy an insurance-compliant safe for documents and set it in your home. These safes come in different sizes and are designed to accommodate hanging file folders. You’ll want to choose one with a strong lock to avoid burglaries and that has an A UL rating of at minimum an hour in temperatures ranging from to 1,700 degrees F. The Honeywell 1104 is a great option and costs around $125. It’s the size of a mini refrigerator and weighs 56 pounds, meaning it’s not portable.
You can also put them in a filing cabinet or drawer with a combination or key lock to protect your important papers from theft. However, that won’t provide any protection from a natural disaster, and your documents could be susceptible to damage from heat or humidity. To protect your documents, think about using a labelled filing system and keeping them organized in labelled storage safe documents storage boxes or envelopes to prevent accidental destruction.
