By Cassandra Lucas-Moore
It was an early Saturday morning when I awoke to the sound of rain (this may not seem like it’s going to be about important documents, but I promise it is).
I thought to myself, “Wow, it is really coming down! I didn’t know that it was supposed to rain today.” I continued dozing and thinking about the plans for that day to be outdoors and hoping that the rain would clear by the time that we were heading out. The sound of the downpour was overwhelming as I rolled to look out the window. “Why is there no water coming off of the roof?”
Then I realized that the noise was coming from the direction of the bathroom. I jumped out of bed and landed in two inches of water. In the bathroom, I found that the water line going to the toilet had burst. A quick turn of the valve and the water stopped. Thank goodness. However, we still had water on the floor to deal with. As we swept the water toward the shower drain and used the shop vac, we had to get all the items off the floor to dry out. That is when I found my “important paper bag.” Yes, it was one of those reusable cloth bags from the grocery store with all the documents sitting on the floor, right in all that water.
This story is an example as to why proper storage of important documents is necessary. Originals should be kept in a fireproof (and waterproof) box. There are a number available at retailers such as Walmart, Meijer, Staples, or Amazon. A copy of all documents should be given to a trusted family member as well. The copy can be electronic on a thumb drive or paper copies in another safe box. Below is a list of documents that should be protected and kept safe.
Personal records such as driver’s license or state ID, Social Security card, Medicare/Medicaid and health insurance cards, birth certificate, Durable Power of Attorney and/or Guardian/Conservator Papers.
Asset records including life insurance, bank/credit union accounts, vehicle titles, real estate deeds, titles and mortgages, property tax statements, proof of prepaid funeral and deed of cemetery lot.
Income records with investment statements, IRA/401K/retirement/pension accounts, trust papers, endowment or annuity policies, Social Security income, Veteran’s benefits, military DD214, proof of service record, proof of income, long term care insurance and worker compensation.
Household expenses including rent/mortgage payment, water/sewer, trash, electric, heat, telephone, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, Personal emergency response system, prescription drugs and health insurance premiums.
Take some time to prepare a safe document storage system with a back-up! This will will make it easier to locate these papers for applying for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or other benefits in the future. It will also save you time and headache in the future if there is ever a disaster, like a burst pipe.
