A part of emergency preparation that is often overlooked is having proper documentation in a safe location. But in so many emergencies, if you hadn’t thought of it before, this is a step you will wish you had taken.
Here is everything you need to know about what documents to keep, where to keep them, and why this is so important.
What Documents Should You Have In An Emergency?
The most important documents to keep safe in an emergency can be divided into a few groups: insurance papers, identification papers, personal documents, medical documents, and contact information. Insurance papers and financial records are critical for getting into contact with your insurance after a disaster strikes. In addition, you will want to keep these as proof that you were insured and what the specific insurance outlined, in case of losses. For your insurance papers, consider including:- Household and place of business inventory
- Duplicates of all insurance policies
- Mortgage documents
- Real estate deeds
- First two pages of your previous year’s federal and state tax returns
- Title paperwork
- Motor vehicle titles and bill of sale, serial or VIN numbers
- Wills and trusts
- Safety deposit box, including the location, number, contents, location of the key, and authorized persons to access the box
- Investment portfolio
- Stocks, bonds and other securities
- Bank, checking, savings account numbers or certificates
- Credit card accounts
- Citizenship papers
- Birth Certificate
- Marriage Certificate
- Death certificate
- Adoption/custody decrees
- Military papers
- Passports
- Visas
- Social security card
- Employment records
- Photocopy of documents kept in your wallet or purse
- Family photos, videotapes, or heirlooms
- Important books
- Personal family history
- Family genealogy records
- Family health and medical records
- Employee benefits information
- Letter of instruction in case of death
- Funeral and burial plans
- Name, address, phone number of the attorney, financial advisor, and insurance agents
Why Is It Important To Have Proper Documentation On Hand During An Emergency?
Proper documentation is critical to emergency preparedness. So much in our world is dependent on your identification documentation. Without it, you cannot drive, travel, start a bank account, access your bank account, or do too much of anything. If you had to flee your house quickly, or the original documents were destroyed, having identification documentation on hand would be necessary for rebuilding every part of your life. Medical documentation can literally save your life. In addition, they can help you continue to get your prescriptions and proper, personalized medical care. Financial and insurance documents, as well as personal and contact documents, can save you hours and hours of hassle and headache in an already stressful time. There are certain documents that are hard to replace. If all of your documents are suddenly destroyed, it is extremely difficult to “start over.” In case you have not prepared and end up losing important documents unexpectedly, the government has a program to help you start over. But still, this process is long, stressful, and difficult. It is worth the forethought to keep important documentation on-hand.Where Should You Keep Vital Documents In Case Of An Emergency?
These documents should be uploaded digitally, downloaded onto a flash drive, and printed out as copies to be kept in a safe location. To ensure maximum safety, consider opening a safety deposit box at a bank in case your first set of documents gets destroyed or lost. For some legal purposes, digital documents do not suffice. At the same time, hard copies can be stolen or damaged. Having hard copies and a digital file of all of your documentation is the safest way to ensure that you will have all of the documents you need in an emergency.How Do I Properly Store My Important Documents?
Safe locations to store your important documents include a fireproof lockbox or safe, a safety deposit box, or a three-ring binder with plastic sleeves into which you can insert documents. You will want to store the documents in an easily-accessible place in your home.Do I Need To Prepare These Documents For Everyone In My Family?
Start your documentation preparedness journey by collecting these documents for yourself, and then expand to your family members. Many of the documents will be replicas, especially if you have children, but some of them–such as birth certificates and social security cards–need to be stored for each person in the family individually.Related posts:
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