How to Safely Store Documents

Ensuring your important documents are stored in a secure and accessible manner can help you avoid additional stress during the difficult days following a death, accident or disaster.

what documents should I be sure to safely store?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published a checklist entitled “Safeguard Critical Documents and Valuables”. This is a comprehensive list of items you’ll want to be sure to appropriately safeguard. Included on this list are items like: wills, trusts, power of attorney documents, passports, Social Security cards, military service identification, vital records (birth certificates, marriage licenses, child custody papers), house and property deeds, vehicle titles, insurance policies, tax statements, and more. In addition, it is worthwhile to also record and securely store usernames and passwords to all of your online accounts (online banking, social media accounts, etc.).

where should I store this information?

We recommend you store all important documents in both paper and electronic form. Paper copies of important documents should be stored either at home in a fire and waterproof box or safe or at a bank in a safe deposit box. Be sure to store the keys to the safe and/or safe deposit box in a secure location that is known by more than one trusted friend or relative. If you use a safe deposit box, be sure you regularly confirm who can and cannot access the box if you die or become incapacitated. Please also remember that your safe deposit box is sealed upon your death; this means that if the original copy of your will is stored within the safe deposit box, it may take the executor of your estate a long time to access it. For those looking to store important documents electronically, we recommend considering an online solution. There are many solutions available, including a free online tool from Fidelity called FidSafe*. FidSafe enables you to store your important documents electronically, giving you access to your documents even if you aren’t at home, and allows you to share copies of your documents with your trusted contacts. Please visit www.fidsafe.com for more information.

* There are other electronic storage solutions available. This article is not intended to be an endorsement of FidSafe, and we are not responsible for any breaches of Fidelity’s FidSafe system.