Disaster-proof records
Would your documents be protected in a natural disaster?
Floods, fires: severe weather events are on the rise. If your home was hit by high water or a wildfire, would your important papers be safe?
Here’s what you need to do to protect those documents.
1 What you should keep
safe The most important items to keep safe are things that are difficult to replicate.
Here are some to consider, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
• Birth, adoption, death, marriage and divorce certificates.
• Passports, green cards and Social Security cards.
• Property documents pertaining to your home or rental properties, mortgage or lease, and vehicles.
• Tax records.(For a complete checklist, visit ready.gov.)
Store copies in the cloud “It’s also a good idea to 2
keep scans of your critical documents, as well as backups of all your computer files on a storage device at a separate location, or in the cloud,” said Pete Duncanson, senior director of training and development at ServiceMaster Restore, a restoration service company, in an email.
You can take a photo, scan a document or create a PDF of an online statement, and use a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox for storage. If you use an external drive, keep that somewhere safe as well.
3 The video you should make If you need to file an insurance claim, your insurer will need proof of what you owned. Keep a record of your things with your smartphone.
“Start from the front door, turn on the video camera, take a quick two-minute walk around your house,” Sev Tamayo, an agent with Goosehead Insurance in Palm Coast, Florida, said. “Save it on the cloud.”
Do this once a year. Let your insurance renewal be your cue, or set a calendar reminder, and refresh it when you’ve made a major purchase or renovation.
4 Where to keep your
documents Store important documents in a container. Here are some options:
• Fireproof safe: You can get a fireproof safe box for under $50, but keep in mind that they come in a variety of sizes and temperature ratings.
• Safe deposit box: A safe deposit box at a bank can weather a lot of events.
• Plastic bin: At the very least, you can put important documents in a watertight plastic bin on a high shelf.
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Want to suggest a personal finance topic that Quick Fix can address? Email apmoney@ap.org