Introduction

Have you ever been faced with an emergency such as a fire or flood and not remembered where you kept your disaster insurance documents? Have you ever tried to draft a resume for a new job but couldn’t remember specific information about your former employers and training? If you are like most adults you will be faced with one or more of these types of situations where you need to have access to specific documents and information in a hurry, but are unable to remember where the information or documents can be found. To help alleviate the stress and frustration associated with trying to hunt down important documents in an intense situation you should collect and store eight categories of documentation in a fireproof and waterproof container for quick access. Also to help make retrieving specific pieces of information, they should also be filed by category in either individual pocket portfolios, or in a multi-pocketed accordion folder with each pocket properly labeled: Identification, Insurance, Medical, School, Work, Death, Legal, and Banking/Financial.

Each of these categories will have important documents for every person in your immediate family. You should try to keep each individual’s information separate and if you are able to, try to create a document kit for each person instead of keeping everyone’s documents in one folder. Pocket folders can be purchased for about 10 to 20 cents a piece, so even for a family of four making a document kit for each person, and with each kit containing seven folders, the folder cost for the entire family would only be $2.80 - $5.60. (If a category isn’t applicable to a specific family member than a file doesn’t have to be used for that category.)

Personal Identification

Under the category of personal identification you should keep a photocopy of your drivers license, green card, and an authorized copy of your birth certificate. In addition to these copied information you will also want to keep your original social security card and passport in the file.