IF YOU needed the deed to your home, title to your car or passport, could you quickly locate it?
We all know it’s important to organize personal documents. Knowing where certain documents are can be crucial in case of a family emergency or natural disaster. Equally important is where those documents are stored. It’s also important that other family members or a person you trust knows where your documents can be found.
Some documents can be kept at home, others in a safe-deposit box at your local bank and or a fireproof box at home if a safe-deposit box is unavailable. Examples of documents you might need but that should not be kept at home include:
- Deed, title and closing papers to your home
- Marriage license or divorce decree
- Birth certificates for all family members
- Adoption papers
- Military records
- Social Security cards for all family members
- Important citizenship papers
- Stock certificates
- Car titles
- Insurance policies
- Home inventory
- The following documents should be kept at home, perhaps in a fireproof box:
- Insurance policies
- Passports
- Tax returns for the last seven years
- Wills (never store your will in a safe-deposit box at the bank; it may be impossible to get to in the event of your death)
- Documents regarding your child’s legal guardian
- Copy of durable power of attorney, medical directives, funeral and burial instructions
- Location of and key to safe-deposit box
- List of financial institutions and products
- List of doctors and contact information
Make a master list of all your documents and where they’re stored. Keep a copy close at hand and give another copy to a trusted friend or advisor. Be prepared, should you have to evacuate, to grab the fireproof box or other container where your documents are stored. Doing so may provide some peace of mind if you need these documents in the event of an emergency and can quickly put your hands on them.
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If you suspect a scam, call the NICB hotline at 1–800–TEL–NICB.
For information about auto insurance and insurance fraud, contact your insurance agent. (Advertising Supplement)
( Published November 14, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. C4 )
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