When it comes to personal documents, you want to be sure that you keep them securely stowed. This will prevent issues like identity theft, financial theft, and simply the cost and timely process to replace lost documents. By keeping your important and personal documents in a safe, you will guarantee that they stay out of harm's way. As locksmiths that specialize in safe opening in Orlando, we have helped many home and business owners install safes that keep their prized possessions and personal documents safe and secure. There are three different types of documents that determine how securely they need to be stowed.
Important personal documents that keep your identity safe should be kept forever. These should also be kept in a secure location, like a safe, that only you know about. This way, they will stay protected from theft and being lost. These documents include birth certificates, social security cards, pension plan documents, ID cards, and marriage licenses. You should also keep records of any property ownership you have, like a business license, house deeds, and mortgage documents. These are important for any future informational documentation you may need to fill out for your job or bank. These documents should be kept in a locked safe forever.
There are certain documents that you want to be sure to keep for a short amount of time. You should keep these properly stowed and organized inside a filing cabinet. It is recommended to organize them into files that are properly labeled, so that you can easily find them when you need them. These documents are often financial related, like tax records, receipts, pay stubs, and bank statements. These may help with the tax filing process. It is recommended to keep these filed for a year or two after the taxes have been filed, just in case anything were to go wrong in the process.
When you get rid of important documents that contain personal information, like your social security number, address, bank information, and credit card information, you will want to properly shred them to hide information before they are thrown in the trash. These documents should include past tax documents that are no longer needed, used airline tickets, expired credit cards, and expired ID cards.
Understanding the types of personal documents will help you prevent issues like theft and identity theft. When you need to keep documents in your home or business, you should always keep them securely in a safe. As a locksmith that helps with safe opening in Orlando, we can help you find the best safe for your documentation storage needs. Contact us today to hear about how we can help keep you and your belongings safe from harm's way.