Document Gathering:
April 15th, 2010
It's tax day in America and it brings to mind people sifting through saved documents to find important information. While in an emergency, we certainly would not be thinking about filing taxes, we need to think of the very long time it would take to find important documents. We might have saved them all in files from one room to the other, but we might not have thought, "If we had to leave, could we do so in short order with the most essential documents in hand or confidently stored elsewhere"?
I must admit, I never really thought much of it before either. However, this week is our "Emergency Document Week". I know from the get-go that my original documents are scattered in 4 different safety deposit boxes in two different states. I know that it's important to keep these original documents probably right where they are in the safety deposit boxes, however in an emergency I would want some chosen copies with me. I might want a plan to put all originals close to my location in a safety deposit box and copies or duplicate originals in another safety deposit box in a different place. Then I need to organize them and let my trustees and guardians know where they are located.
This is the goal: Document originals and copies of all important information kept in an organized fashion and safe place with information given to a trusted family member or friend as to where we have our information located. I realize as I write this, that it may feel uncomfortable placing copies of all your important documents together, as though it were a perfect packet for identity thieves. I will leave the resolution of these fears to each person. Some might have a safe or safety deposit box, some might have some person they could trust that could hold their document copies or some might not care because they are insured against such theft. In any event, whether your documents are organized well in a safety deposit box or other place, knowing that you have all important items is crucial. So we will focus on this.
The following are documents that should be organized and safely kept and represent "if applicable" to any person's situation:
*Copies of all church ordinance and membership records:
Priesthood ordinations, temple ordinances, and membership records
*Copies of all birth certificates
*Marriage certificates
*Adoption decrees
*Copies of passports
*Copies of all school diplomas, certificates, and trade licenses
(If in K-12, maybe a copy of the latest grade advancement for each child)
*Copies of latest seminary term sheets
*Copies of the last 7 W-2s or 7 year's tax forms (remember this is for emergencies and certain documents must be kept longer by law)
*Quarterly reports of 401s, Roth retirement documents, pension forms, or any other investment report. Keep the most recent one. **A note: We experienced a "computer emergency" once where our retirement account was completely in error by the holding company. Luckily, it is a practice at our home to copy these reports monthly. We were able to get the error fixed and we were glad we had proof!**
*Monthly or weekly bank account statements on all accounts--(again computers can go down and they "hold" our money information--if you transact a lot, you may want to copy as often as needed)
*Titles to cars, RVs, or anything of value
*Titles or current mortgage statements on homes
*Copies of proofs of insurance on all vehicles and homes
*Copies of vehicle registration
*Medical and dental insurance cards
*Copies of driver's licenses or personal state ID cards
*Important photographs, photo discs, or negatives
*Divorce decrees
*Court orders of any sort, including alimony and child support orders
*Trust documents
*Powers of attorney
*Wills
*Death certificates
*Life insurance policies
*Burial or funeral plans, pre-paid mortuary arrangements, or plot information **One emergency we might face in life is an unexpected death. By gathering documents in a single locale, we make things easier for the grieving.**
*Current appraisals of items of value
*Photo documentation and written file of all items of value in your home, including the structure itself.
*Photos of cars and other vehicles including their VIN numbers
*Copies of most recent credit report
*Copies of any specialty insurance or rider **To note: It wasn't until a family member got cancer that people began to pull his documents together. Upon gathering they found a cancer rider he had purchased years earlier that was still active. They were able to take his medical bills retro active have them paid for and get some added benefits in his care.
*Keys
Again, another long list and I probably forgot some very vital detail in writing this--so please consider your own situation and use the list as jumpstart to your own list. The idea is the whole "All is safely gathered in" motto and making sure we have our documents safe and organized and WE KNOW WHERE TO FIND EVERYTHING and our family knows where to find it too! Also, we need to think of having duplicates either with us or in another place in case of a regional problem. Original document copies can be obtained for about anything. They do cost, but these can be a good idea. Best place to start is your county records department where you were either born or married, etc.
If you feel storage of your documents is too large, which it isn't if you keep the most essential, you can also scan copy your documents onto the computer and burn a CD. This project to complete will maybe take longer than a week, however challenge yourselves to take a week and gather most of it. Consider updating your trustees, beneficiaries, etc. on where you have everything located. Do what you can do in a week and write a plan of what you will do as you can. Do your best and remember that something is better than nothing!
