We do not always have the answers, but we have some people in the fast sphere who do it, so we present our series for your information, where we have experts explain if The lip balm is really bad, How often should you wash your hair? And more.
Social Security cards, birth certificates, marriage licenses, fiscal documents: we all have a series of documents in our home that it is important to keep safe. Safe from what? Several things, such as unexpected disasters, such as floods and fires or simply extravaging these articles in a messy room. “It is very easy for them to be damaged, destroy or lose when you do not have a system to preserve them,” says Ashley La Fond, founder of Home Organization Company of Space & Mind. “In addition, if you are ever subject to an event or meteorological fire, you will not be able to rescue documents if they are not in one place.”
Not having these documents when you need them can prevent important things in life, such as renewing your driver’s license or submitting taxes. Not only that, replacing these things can be arduous and annoying. To ensure that you always have these documents when you need them, we turn to the main experts in the organization to find out what documents you should pay special attention and how to store them to keep safe. We also obtained products that can make this organization a little easier.
Advance Why is it important to properly store important documents? | What documents are important to save and store safely? | What is the safest way to store important documents? | Products that help you organize your documents | Why trust NBC Select?
Why is it important to properly store documents?
There are several reasons why it is crucial to store important documents correctly. First, you want to be able to grab them quickly if you need them, either because there is a sudden disaster or you need to do something quickly with them. “People often waste a lot of time looking for important documents because they are not organized in any way,” says Robyn Reynolds, owner of the Organization Organization Company2harmonize. “Often, he spent too much time looking for things, which can lead to losing important deadlines.”
Beyond that, not correctly storing your documents can leave it at risk of other potential problems, such as losing them or, worse, having them stolen. “Identity theft is a real problem and not having stored documents correctly makes it an easier objective.” The fond says. “Birth certificates, passports and immigration paperwork should be stored where they are protected from theft and can be easily contact in case of emergency.”
What documents are important to save and store safely?
To some extent, what is considered an important document will vary according to the person or the family. However, some documents are likely to be universally important for all. “The most important types of documents are issued by the Government, since they are the most difficult to replace,” says Fond. “These are the things you will need in an emergency and have them scattered prevents a quick exit.” Next, experts told us that these are some of the most important documents to store safely:
- Birth certificates
- Defense certificates
- Passport
- Social Security Cards
- Marriage licenses
- Military and High Service Decrees
- Made of property
- Vehicle titles
- Insurance policies
- Business licenses
- Current documents of will and trust
- Fiscal documents
- Medical documentation
What is the safest way to store important documents?
By storing important documents, you will first want to consider where they should be. “Ideally, you want them to be in a centralized place in your home to be easy to arrive,” says Fond. “At the same time, you should avoid points that are super obvious or almost exit to safeguard against theft.” That means that the drawer of his desk in his office at home may not be a great place. Instead, think of a closet that is easy to access or a special cabinet in a library or domestic bedroom.
In terms of how to store them, the FOND suggests keeping everything together in a storage box with a closed fire start. “I always tell my clients to have what I call a ‘box to carry,” adds Reynolds. “The idea is that you want something you can quickly grab that has everything in it. Too many people store their documents in different folders in a filler, which is not the best if you need to grab everything and go out at any time. ”
Store digitally important documents
Another option is to store certain documents digitally. While you need printed copies of things such as social security cards and birth certificates, other things are too cumbersome to physically store. “Financial documents and fiscal documents must be stored electronically unless your accountant tells you otherwise, nobody needs to store boxes and boxes of old documents,” says the FOND.
It is worth having a digital version, even for documents that you need physical copies. “In this way, you always have a copy and you can even refer when you are not at home,” says the Fond. “Scan passports, licenses and certificates and score them digitally with an easy to follow file system. Don’t complicate it too much. If you have to think too much to present something, then it has gone too far. “
To store your documents electronically, you can download a scanner application and store them in a folder in your desk or cloud. One thing to keep in mind: if you use a shared computer, it may not be a good idea to keep these items on your desk, where other people can access them. Servers such as Dropbox and OneDrive are specifically created to maintain these safe documents and out of the hands of cyberdesides or computer pirates.
Products that help you organize your documents
According to our experts, storing their documents in something that protects them from water is key. Our experts also agreed that it is important to store files in something fast and easy to grab if you need to leave the house quickly with them.
DOCSAFE DOCUMENT BAG WITH BLOCK
This bag is larger than a shoe box, closed with zipper and has a handle so that it is easy to grab and go in case you need it. It is both water resistant and fire and has three mesh pockets with zip to maintain passports or licenses or computer units. The main compartment can contain several documents and have a block to keep everything safe. This bag has an average rating of 4.4 stars of more than 9,000 reviews on Amazon.
Black fire path with sentinels and waterproof box
If you prefer more filing storage solution, consider this small safe document. It is fireproof and waterproof in liquid up to 8 inches. You can store documents in hanging folders to keep them organized and ordered. One thing to consider: this security weighs just under 40 pounds, which makes it one of the heaviest options on this list. It has an average rating of 4.6 stars of more than 13,500 reviews on Amazon.
TAMFILE FIREPROOF ACCORDION ORGANIZER WITH MANGO
This mango bag resembles a laptop bag and has a 12 -pocket accordion file organizer inside to keep the documents separate but together. It also has mesh pockets for things such as passports, credit cards and other forms of identification and a zipper pocket on the front. It is waterproof and in the fire fire, according to the brand, and light.
Engpow Fireproof file folder
This folder is an elegant and compact option for those with few documents to be stored. It closes with a zipper and will easily adjust documents of legal size. Inside, you have a 13 -pocket accordion files folder to organize your documents. The exterior is coated with silicone to keep it in fire and waterproof, according to the brand. This option has an average rating of 4.6 stars of more than 8,200 reviews at Amazon.
Andyer two Fireproof Document Bag pockets
Even smaller than the previous option, you can slide a handful of documents in this firefire manga to protect them. It is also water resistant, according to the brand, and closes with a zip. Together with the papers, you can slide an iPad on it for its custody. This file folder has an average rating of 4.7 stars of more than 7,650 reviews at Amazon.
Know our experts
In NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are carried out independently and without conflicts of non -reveal financial interests.
- Ashley la fond He is the founder of the Company of the Space & Mind home organization.
- Robyn Reynolds He is the owner of the organization Organization2Harmonize
Why trust NBC Select?
Bethany Heitman is a collaborator in NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, he interviewed experts on how to safely store important documents.
