A young friend of mine recently passed away and her poor parents were, in the midst of their crippling grief, completely incapable of accessing her documents and records. It was a not-so-gentle reminder that we all need to organize our key documents in such a way that we can find them when we need them.

Also, we are all susceptible to a weather event, fire or other unforeseen circumstance that could force us to leave our homes in a hurry. It’s great to have one thing to grab that will keep you on track even if there is a power outage or loss of connection to the internet. We have become a smart phone dependent society. How many numbers do you have memorized?

By creating a Key Documents Binder, we can be prepared for anything that comes our way.

What should be in Your Binder?

Emergency Contacts

Doctors and dentists

Veterinarian

Utilities

Family and friends addresses and phone numbers (in state and out of state)

Kid’s school and day care centers

Supervisor and Key Co-workers

Alarm companies

Vital Document Copies (for ALL family members)

Drivers License

Passport

Birth Certificates

Marriage/ Divorce Records

Adoption Records

Immigration/ Naturalization Records

Social Security Cards

Credit Cards (front and back)

Bank account information

Military Records

Lease or Mortgage Documents/ Deed

Car Title and financing records

Current photos of all family members

All insurance policies with agent information

Medical Information

Immunization Records

Medical Power of Attorney

Medical History with current prescriptions

Blood types

Allergies

Other

Key web accounts Username and Passwords

Social Media Username and Passwords

A little cash

Extra Keys

Home Inventory

A flash drive with digital copies of all documents and video of home contents by room

Make sure you store your binder in a fireproof and waterproof safe, pouch or lockbox. It is a great idea to duplicate this binder on a secure virtual lockbox like Assets in Order. Taking the time to organize this information in both a physical and digital format will save you and yours a great deal of frustration.