Physical storage

At home

If you don’t have many documents you can store them in a concertina file – it’s easy to pick up if you need to leave home in a hurry.

If you have a lot of papers, keep the most important ones in a getaway kit (bag or folder) in a safe place. What’s most important? Civil Defence suggests your birth and marriage certificates, passports, insurance policies and family photos.

Your getaway kit could also include a USB stick or a CD of digitally stored documents and photos.

Lawyers and the Public Trust keep originals of documents that people have drawn up with them – such as wills, enduring power of attorney, and trusts. Your bank holds the original of your mortgage document or loan.

Safe-deposit

Bank safe-deposit boxes have been the traditional place to keep the family jewels and important papers, but banks are stopping or reducing this service.

We contacted all the major banks: only Westpac, ANZ and National Bank said that most of their branches offered “safe custody” storage in an envelope or small box. The annual fees for the service are between $14 for a small envelope and $100 for a box. These three banks also offer safe-deposit boxes in vault facilities in Auckland; and the National Bank in Wellington as well.

Larger cities have private companies that rent safe-deposit boxes for an annual fee of between $140 and $550, depending on the size of the box.

Tip: Make a friend or relative your “co-signer”. This means they can open the box if you’re incapacitated.

Back-up

You need several layers of protection for your important documents – you don’t want to lose them all if there’s a fire or flood. Even a leaky pipe can cause problems if you’ve been storing your papers in a shoebox in the basement.

Keep a copy of all important information in a separate location and tell a trusted friend or family member where it’s kept. Remember to update this information if your circumstances change.