Could You Find Your Important Info in an Emergency?

If you were in a situation where you had to quickly get your important information together or for that of someone else would you be able to? Would you know what to look for and where to look? Would you know if you had found all of it and would it be up to date?

Odds are, the answer for most people would be ‘no’ but it really should be ‘yes’.

Why? Because ‘Life’ happens and not always the way we would like it to.

Unfortunately unplanned and immediate response situations such as natural disasters, accidents, illness, death, fire, theft, etc. do happen and having quick access to important personal information can be critical.

Information such as insurance policy numbers, banking account information, investments, mortgage & loan numbers, Credit Card numbers, passwords, medical information, utility numbers, contact info for next of kin, employer, doctor, dentist, lawyer, location of Birth Certificates, Social Insurance Numbers, Passport, Marriage license, Power of Attorneys & Wills, etc. The list can become quite large.

Imagine having to look for and collect all that information on a normal day. It would likely be a large task even for the most organized of filers. Now imagine having to quickly pull all that information together and “I’ll get to it tomorrow” isn’t an option. Going through all the files or worse yet piles of unsorted papers in various locations isn’t going to cut it. You need a system that is going to allow you to ‘grab and go’.

Fortunately there are many ways to help you create a ‘grab and go’ repository. While it will take some time for you to input the data, it will be worth it. If not for you, then for someone who may need to speak on your behalf.

First, a few things to consider:

— Choose a system that works with you style and one that you will actually take the time to fill in and maintain.

— Choose a system that you will be able to access when you need it and in circumstances that are less than ideal (ie power failure).

— Create a backup copy.

— Store it in a secure and stable location (ie a Safety Deposit Box).

— Keep the information up to date — out of date information can be more harm than good.

— Let someone you know and trust completely where the repository is located (ie perhaps the lawyer who has your POA/Will).

To help you get started on your the following are a few tools I have found.

— Old fashioned pen & paper can work quite well.

— Personal Records Organizers — typically available for free at Funeral Homes, Certified Financial Planners, etc.

— Book – “When I’m Gone” by Kathleen Fraser — Canadian (ISBN: 9781550465143)

— “Virtual Shoe Box” PDF available from the Canadian Life & Health Association (non-profit).

— “My Life Locker” available in both hardcopy and electronic versions

— “InfoSafe” Software

Keep in mind that new products come out all the time and the items listed above are not meant to be a recommendation of the product. You may want to conduct a search with your internet browser using a search term like ‘personal records organizer template’.

Once you have a look at the different options available you and populate it, you will be very glad you did.

Did you find this post helpful? I’d love to hear your feedback.

‘Til Next Time,

Love Your Life, Not Your StuffAÃ¯Â¿Â½

Lisa