Important Documents Organized
Being organized helps you live better—and maybe even longer. Having important papers in a single location allows you to grab them when needed, which could be during the chaos of an emergency when seconds count.
In addition, being organized can help lower your stress. You’ll have important documents or within reach, when you need to simply pay a bill or maybe hurriedly evacuate your house.
Print this list and insert it into the cover of your important documents binder. Keep the binder in a fireproof box. Make copies of all documents and keep them in the cloud or at another safe location (see #17).
This is a list of important documents and how they can be stored. They can be kept in a single binder, so it is ready to go, if needed. Purchase numbered dividers which will make finding items in the binder even faster and sheet protectors to keep pages protected and organized as you use access these items on a more regular basis.
Marriage certificate, divorce documents, death certificates and annulment records
Birth certificates for each family member (if your are ordering replacements, order 2-3 as backups.)
Passports for each family member (store in 3-hole DVD holders.)
Insurance policies. List out insurance companies, policy numbers, and agent names and phone numbers
Immunization records. (Depending on the size of your records, these also can be held in DVD holders.)
Adoption papers
Property titles and deeds
Car titles and registrations
Current report cards
Savings and checking account information
Credit card account information
Copies of Powers of Attorney
Medical records
Medical Insurance information
Important phone numbers, addresses and email addresses (updated yearly)
Safety deposit box information and keys (store in 3-hole business card holders)
Random cards or records (everyone in my family has a dive card, if I didn’t keep them here, I would never be able to find them.)
Location of all digital and hard copies of this information
Rebuilding after a personal or natural disaster is stressful. Knowing you have documents to verify insurance claims, children’s school or adoption status, financial questions, etc., can reduce the stress. Rounding up all documents and information now can help save you a great deal of time looking for the important documents on a regular basis or in times of crisis.