5 Ways to Keep Important Documents Safe

Valuables come in all shapes and sizes, including paper documents. Paper documents are incredibly hard to replace and very fragile, so it's especially important to keep them in a safe place. Here, SecuritySystemReviews offers 5 tips on keeping your paper as safe as possible.

1. A safety deposit box located at a bank is one of the most secure ways to store documents. Not only is stringent identification required to access a safety deposit box, but they’re also protected by alarms, security guards and a number of other mechanisms utilized in banks. The only downside to an offsite safety deposit box is the difficulty the individual will have in accessing the documents in case of an emergency.

2. Documents such as a power of attorney and health care directive should be stored within one’s home. This is because it could be difficult for family members to access these documents if they were stored in a safety deposit box. Also, upon an individual’s death, their safety deposit box is sealed, which means it can take a long time to gain access to information stored there.

3. Choose safes for storing documents that are fire safe and waterproof. This is very important for documents, to avoid having them damaged or destroyed in the case of an emergency. When choosing a fire-resistant safe, carefully consider its UL rating, which will indicate how long it can withstand extremely high temperatures, as well as the maximum temperature it can withstand while still protecting documents.

4. Never rely on only one set of documents. Have several copies of each document. The original, for example, could be stored in an offsite safety deposit box, while photocopies could be stored in a home safe, and electronic copies could be stored on a computer or on a CD or external storage device.

5. Important documents should include: home and property documents, such as mortgages, car titles, and insurance policies, medical records, prescriptions and health insurance information, and bank statements, W2s and financial information.

For more information, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/protecting-valuables-tips/document-protection-tips/prweb11030149.htm