How to Preserve Valuable Documents

We do not realize how important it is to preserve our important, valuable and sentimental papers until we live through a Hurricane Katrina or other disaster and find we need all of our papers to make our insurance claims, to file our income taxes or just to see our treasured photos. We need to know where to find our wills, our receipts for appliances or other household purchases, credit card statements, household inventory, deeds, licenses, marriage certificates, baptismal certificates, birth certificates, adoption papers, prenuptial agreements, car titles, stock and bond certificates, naturalization papers and employment contracts. Having access to all these papers will make surviving the aftermath of the disaster go more smoothly.

Things You'll Need

• Safe-deposit box, or
• Separate 'safe' place to store papers, or
• Fireproof household safe
• List of the locations of each important record
• CD's or DVD's

Instructions

1. Keep copies of any important documents in a safe-deposit box or with an accountant or lawyer. Keep your copy in a stable environment away from sunlight, bright lights or water pipes.

2. Store the following in a safe-deposit box: certified copies of deeds, licenses, marriage certificates, baptismal certificates, birth certificates, adoption papers, prenuptial agreements, stock and bond certificates, naturalization papers and employment contracts. A regular copy can only prove the original existed. The certified copy can be used to establish identity.

3. Use a fireproof, moveable safe at home to store titles to cars, boats, insurance policies, bank statements, W-2 forms, extra copies of wills, income statements, employment benefits and passports.

4. Save all records of home improvements. This can help resolve insurance company disputes later.

5. Keep at least 3 years of tax returns. If you own a small business, keep them forever.

6. Keep receipts and credit card statements for any appliance under warranty.

7. Inventory, photograph or video all household contents. Store the video or inventory in a safe deposit box.

8. Scan or copy items with sentimental value like photographs, cards, or letters. Burn the scans to a CD or DVD.

9. Back up your computer files. Do it often. Keep a copy away from your house. If you must evacuate, take your originals with you.

Tips & Warnings

• You have no idea how much your important papers will mean to you if you must evacuate your house and when you return, your house is gone. Your papers can make the ensuing weeks and months easier for you and your family as you attempt to return your lives to normal.

• Leave a list of locations of all your papers with family members, your lawyer, accountant, bank officer, or family friend in case you do not survive the disaster.