Safe Deposit Boxes

If you decide to rent a safe deposit box, consider what size you’ll need, who else will have access, and appropriate items to keep in the box.

How to use your safe deposit box

• Access your box regularly and keep a list of what it contains.
• Make sure you choose the right size based on the items you plan to store.
• Determine who's allowed to access the box.
• Keep the key(s) to the box in a safe place that you'll remember.

Note:The contents of a safe deposit box are not insured by the institution that provides it.

What to keep in your safe deposit box

A safe deposit box is ideal for storing items that are valuable for different reasons. Those items could include:

• Appraisals
• Backup data files from your PC
• Cash
• Coin collections
• Confidential records
• Contracts and business agreements
• Copies of important documents:
• Household inventory (videotaped or written)
• Items that aren't easily replaced
• Adoption papers
• Birth certificates
• Citizenship papers
• Divorce papers
• Family heirlooms, historical records and photos
• Military documents
• Jewelry
• List of insurance policies
• Real estate deeds and mortgages
• Stamp collections
• Stock certificates and bonds

What not to keep in your safe deposit box

It's important to remember that only you can open your safe deposit box without a court order. Items that others may need to obtain if you're not present shouldn't be kept in your box.

Avoid storing original documents such as:

• Insurance policies
• Living trust documents
• Original wills
• Other trust documents