Posts Tagged ‘ items to put in safe ’

What to Keep in Your Safe Deposit Box

Oct 29th, 2008 | By Wise Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

safe4 What to Keep in Your Safe Deposit BoxIt’s normal to be inundated with junk mail, bills, certificates and the like — what’s important is that we distinguish documents that need to be filed away and preferably kept locked away in a safe.  Showing foresight by stowing away valuables and important documents in a secure place can save us a lot of unnecessary hassle should anything happen.  Whether it’s in a secure safe at home or in a safe deposit box at the bank, here are the things you should stash.

Certificates of ownership. If you have a title to a car or a deed to a home, put these documents in a safe, secure place.  It’s very foolish to keep the title to your car in your glove compartment.  If your car was ever stolen, having the title readily available to the car thief means your vehicle could “legally” be transfered with a few forged signatures.

Wills and bequests. People tend to not have wills until they have more assets and/or children, but if you have one, put it in a safe place.  In addition to keeping the files with your lawyer (assuming you used one to help you draft the will in the first place), keeping an updated copy in your safe can help resolve a number of sticky issues.


Identification documents. Put away birth certificates, social security cards, and other legal documents that you don’t want stolen or lost.  You generally will have little use for these documents, so why not keep them protected?  You definitely don’t want these items getting into the wrong hands and losing them is a huge nuisance.  If you’re an infrequent traveler, I’d suggest putting your passport away as well — this way you’ll know where it is when you do need it.

Valuable jewelry (or bars of gold). Many of us don’t have bars of gold to stash away, but don’t overlook expensive jewelry that you only wear for special occasions.  If you don’t wear your expensive diamond engagement ring on a daily basis, stow it away until you wear it.  Yes, it’s possible to purchase insurance for your ring… but something like that has more than just monetary value.

If you don’t have a lot to store, a small standard size safe deposit box at the bank should suit your needs.  They generally cost $40-$50 dollars per year to rent with a one-time $25 deposit for the keys.  A small cost for your peace of mind.

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