Important Stuff

Dozens of pieces of personal data float around, in both the physical and digital worlds, for each of us. Old bank statements. Last year’s tax returns. The title for your car. An exercise in living a more organized life is pulling all of it together and having a designated place for things. Keep all your important documents in one secure place so that you can refer back to them easily. Then, ultimately, do yourself a favor and share this location with loved ones in case of travel, illness, or your eventual absence.

But where do you start collecting it all—both offline and online? Here’s how.

Offline

Papers stacked on your office desk. Files stuffed into cabinets and drawers. Official documents sitting in safety deposit boxes at the local bank. These are pieces of data that only exist in the physical world. Keeping track of the location of each is key to staying organized with your important documents. Begin the adventure of compiling all of this together and placing it into a personal safe or secure firebox. 

Online

Websites. Accounts. Passwords. It’s easy to forget your digital data or how to even log on once you get there. You might have a password-protected spreadsheet file on your computer’s desktop—but who will know it’s even there if you can’t point them to it? Putting all of your digital info onto a sheet of paper that you keep in a safe place can help bring it out of your machine and into the real world.

Information Locator

Download the PDF of this article to record all of this information for your future reference. Having one easy-to-use source that indicates where to find this important data can make everyone’s lives a lot easier. Be as specific as possible and indicate where to find accounts in addition to account numbers. Attach one statement, where applicable. Print it out. Then secure it.