Where do you keep your valuable documents?

[niccig]

We just signed our estate planning papers - the lawyer said to keep the originals secure, preferably in a bank safety deposit box, and to keep a copy in the house. Which gets me thinking about all the other documents we have - birth certificate, passports etc. I was also going to get a fire safe for things that we keep at home. But what should be kept where. Currently everything is in the filing cabinet that doesn't have a lock. So not very secure to say the least!

What have you done with your documents?

Thanks.

[Davids-Coco]

We have a safe. It has our wills, and anything else we might need in a pinch. There is a copy in the bank box too. However, I find that this is really only useful if SOMEONE ELSE knows how to access them in case of emergency. So, my parents and our close friends have a sealed envelope in their safes with the info on how to get into ours in case of emergency.

Some lawyers also keep a copy with them.

[BabyMine]

We also scan everything and keep it on a disk.

[infomama]

All our original docs are in a fireproof safe INSIDE a large (bolted down) safe that holds everything (valuables like jewelry) else. My mom has copes of our wills/power of attorney at her home. Good idea to scan them, thanks!

[belovedgandp]

I have things split between our bank box and a small fire safe in the house. I did make copies of everything that's in the bank box and put them in the fire safe because I easily forget what is there.

Our bank box has:
birth certificates
marriage certificate
bonds the kids have been gifted
estate planning papers

Fire safe has:
additional birth certificates (I finally got smart and order 3 for each kid, just in case)
estate planning papers - including a helpful sheet our lawyer recommended that would tell someone else where everything else is in the house (insurance policies, bank statements, etc).
passports
car titles - that's our one odd thing. When we decide to sell it's almost always impulse or forced fast, so we've needed quick access.

[hillaryb]

We have a fire safe in our bedroom closet for heirloom jewelry, birth certificates and passports, car titles, educational degrees/certificates, and estate planning papers.

Our parents have a copy of our estate planning papers, since they're currently named as advocates/executors if both DH and I are gone. We also will give them a copy of the safe combination...I like the idea in the PP of putting that in a sealed envelop. My mom has her copies of our stuff in her bank box.

Insurance and finance papers are organized in the file cabinet, but now I'm thinking that it'd be good to put a list (at least policy number and agency contact info) of everything in the safe, too.

My dad kept a file folder with multiple pockets and a handled cover, which you can get at office supply stores. Each divider was labeled and that's where they kept all their paperwork. It was handy when he was battling cancer to have everything in one place, and it was very "grab and go." Might be a good idea for 2nd copy of things. Keep it near the bed. :)

[MartiesMom2B]

We have a safety deposit box.

[niccig]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Great idea to keep a scanned copy and to get extra copies of certificates like birth certificates.

I'm going to tell our good friend and the executor of our will where to find things. I also need to create an "alien abduction" notebook that's an inventory of where everything is in case I get abducted. I need to do this for DH as he told me yesterday that he wouldn't know how to contact my family overseas. He said he would have to get on Skype and wait for one of them to get online! I put them all into his phone last night, you think he would have done this about 5 years ago when we got married!

ETA. I had a look online about safety deposit boxes and this articles says to NOT put original copies of Wills etc. as the executor may not be able to open the safety deposit box without an original copy of the Will saying they are the executor.
http://autostockblog.com/article/28238-tip-on-what-not-to-store-in-a-safe-deposit-box

They also give suggestions for what to put in there http://soundmoneytips.com/article/3992-tip-for-safekeeping-of-valuables