• GIVE US A CALL (561) 609-1000
  • (561) 609-1000
  • GET A QUOTE
  • CUSTOMER LOGIN
  • AGENT SIGN-IN
People's Trust Insurance
  • Customer Login
  • Agent Sign In
  • Insurance
    • Insurance ChoicesLearn about Florida homeowner’s insurance options
    • Flood InsuranceInformation about flood insurance in Florida
    • Insurance TermsInsurance Terms Glossary of terms
    • Buyers Guide HubHome insurance buying info
    • Discountsavailable discounts on home insurance
    • Homeowners InsuranceTraditional home insurance information
  • Policyholders
    • Policyholder InformationInformation for People’s Trust policyholders
    • Make a PaymentHow to make a payment
    • File a Claim24/7 claims support
    • Update InformationUpdate your information
  • Info Center
    • Homeowner’s AcademyArticles about home insurance
    • Q&A LibraryAnswers to frequently asked questions
    • CareersLaunch your career with People’s Trust
    • NewsroomView our latest news
    • Contact UsHow to contact People’s Trust
    • Hurricane Planning HubNeed-to-know hurricane info
  • About Us
    • Simply a Better WayLearn about our unique approach to protecting your home
    • Our CommunityWe don’t just insure your home, we live here too!
    • Executive TeamMeet our executive leadership team
    • Financial StrengthFinancially strong for when you need us most
    • People’s Trust ReviewsReviews from current policyholders
    • CareersLaunch your career with People’s Trust
    • People’s Trust TestimonialsTestimonials from current policyholders
  • GET A FREE QUOTE
Select Page
  • Customer Login
  • Agent Sign In
  • Insurance
    • Insurance ChoicesLearn about Florida homeowner’s insurance options
    • Flood InsuranceInformation about flood insurance in Florida
    • Insurance TermsInsurance Terms Glossary of terms
    • Buyers Guide HubHome insurance buying info
    • Discountsavailable discounts on home insurance
    • Homeowners InsuranceTraditional home insurance information
  • Policyholders
    • Policyholder InformationInformation for People’s Trust policyholders
    • Make a PaymentHow to make a payment
    • File a Claim24/7 claims support
    • Update InformationUpdate your information
  • Info Center
    • Homeowner’s AcademyArticles about home insurance
    • Q&A LibraryAnswers to frequently asked questions
    • CareersLaunch your career with People’s Trust
    • NewsroomView our latest news
    • Contact UsHow to contact People’s Trust
    • Hurricane Planning HubNeed-to-know hurricane info
  • About Us
    • Simply a Better WayLearn about our unique approach to protecting your home
    • Our CommunityWe don’t just insure your home, we live here too!
    • Executive TeamMeet our executive leadership team
    • Financial StrengthFinancially strong for when you need us most
    • People’s Trust ReviewsReviews from current policyholders
    • CareersLaunch your career with People’s Trust
    • People’s Trust TestimonialsTestimonials from current policyholders
  • GET A FREE QUOTE
  • GIVE US A CALL (561) 609-1000
  • (561) 609-1000
  • GET A QUOTE
  • CUSTOMER LOGIN
  • AGENT SIGN-IN
  • Celebrations
  • Florida Insurance Industry
  • Home Care
  • Household Finance
  • Insurance Online
  • Weather Preparation
Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

Safely Store Your Important Documents for Quicker Recovery

by PTI Marketing | May 16, 2024

Find Peace of Mind in A Home Safe or Safe Deposit Box

If a disaster hit your home, would you be ready with all of the documents you need to help your family recover?

Your home is full of many valuable documents and memories that you will want to keep, but home planning can often fail to keep these in mind. According to the Consumer Reports National Research Center, roughly 60% of Americans can’t quickly find and take their documents in case of an emergency when at home.

Imagine what would happen if a fire started while you were away or your house was damaged by water.

People’s Trust recommends that you safely store important documents and make copies of some personal information. There are a few different ways to protect your documents, but first, you should gather together all of your important materials. This lets you know how much storage you’ll need and quicken your flood recovery.

Documents to Keep

It’s best to have originals or copies of your documents that are easily accessible in case of a fire, water damage, or other disaster.

Documents that People’s Trust recommends you keep in a safe place are:

  • All of your insurance plans: homeowners, flood, life, etc.
  • Birth certificates, marriage licenses, trusts, and wills
  • Any relevant death certificates
  • Social Security cards
  • Passports
  • Title to your property
  • Credit card numbers and contact information for companies
  • Medical records
  • Vehicle registration
  • List of relatives and their phone numbers
  • Receipts for expensive purchases
  • Two recent tax returns

It’s best to keep these documents safe, no matter how well-maintained your home is in terms of safety. Remember that in Florida, you’ll want to protect against water damage as much as fire and theft.

Document Storage Options

Once you have your documents together, there are various ways you can safely protect your information. The two main goals of securely storing your documents are to keep everything easy to access and safe from emergencies and theft.

Some of the top home safety and storage options for your documents include:

  • Safe Deposit Box. Your bank or credit union likely offers a safe deposit box at one of its branches. These are great ways to store your information because they ensure that damage to your home will not impact the documents. The limited access also significantly reduces the likelihood of theft. The downside is that you cannot access these boxes at all times. Typically the delay won’t matter, but some information such as birth certificates may be needed more often and would make this storage inconvenient.
  • Home Safe. A fireproof home safe is one of the best ways to protect your documents inside your home. Some models also offer a water-tight seal and may be able to prevent water from reaching your documents. A professionally mounted, home wall-safe adds greater protection against flooding since it is high off the ground and can be sealed to prevent water damage. The danger with these items is in the case of theft – a safe is only as good as its lock.
  • Bonus Protection. Keeping your documents in plastic sleeves and folders can give you a little extra protection against sunlight, spills, and tearing if you take documents in and out of the safe often. These sleeves are great for birth certificates and older documents that become more brittle with age.

Digital Security

More and more of our lives involve the computer, including our memories and their safety. If you’re like us at People’s Trust, most of your photos and correspondence have moved online.

Backing up your photos, documents, and other information on a hard drive, like a USB key, can be a great way to ensure that a fire or other disaster won’t wipe away your memories. You can also scan your important documents and keep a digital copy to give yourself an extra layer of protection.

One quick note about these items is that you shouldn’t store them in your home safe to protect against a fire. Fireproof safes are engineered to preserve paper and keep the internal temperature below 350 degrees. However, at around 135 degrees, which a safe may reach, most of your digital media devices will be destroyed. Home fireproof safes can also have a steam and moisture buildup during a fire that won’t destroy paper but can damage these digital devices.

This Blog is sponsored by:
People’s Trust Insurance Company

Our Story

 

People’s Trust Insurance has created a better way to deliver Florida homeowners insurance protection to Floridians. Built on preparedness and rapid response, our unique approach provides the greatest value and a simplified recovery experience for our policyholders.

 

People’s Trust Insurance
18 People’s Trust Way
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441-6270

Policyholders

  • Policyholder Information
  • Make a Payment
  • File a Claim
  • Update Information

Info Center

  • Homeowner's Academy
  • Newsroom
  • Q&A Library
  • Contact Us

Insurance

  • Insurance Choices
  • Homeowners Insurance
  • Flood Insurance
  • Insurance Terms
  • Buyers Guide Hub
Better Business Bureau Accredited Business
member of faia
Enterprise Award Winner

© Copyright 2025 | People's Trust Insurance Company | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy