Why You Need A Home Safe And A Safety Deposit Box

You may think that a home safe is really not good for much, particularly after watching crime shows where the bad guys easily gain access to them. In fact, a solid home safe is a great idea, even if you don't have many expensive items at home. Most people have a number of important documents and other items that need to be kept under lock and key nearby. Other things are better kept in a safe deposit box.

Home Safe

The most important items to keep in your safe are probably legal documents that need to be kept secure but where you can immediately access them. You and your family's birth certificates and passports should be locked up in your own home. You should also keep your Social Security cards in the safe simply because carrying them in your wallet makes losing or damaging them quite likely. You can spare yourself a trip to the Social Security office and some paperwork if you lock up the originals. Keeping a copy of your will in the safe is also a good idea. 

Although you don't want to keep a huge amount of cash in the safe, having an emergency stash just makes sense, especially if you can't access large amounts of money from your ATM when the bank is closed. Ironically, you should also keep the keys to your safe deposit box in your home safe. As a parent, you may also find the home safe a great place to store your teenager's cell phone when you are forced to confiscate it. 

Safe Deposit Box

You may want to store the original copy of your will and your property deeds in a bank's safety deposit box. In addition, you should consider keeping expensive jewelry that you rarely wear there. Make certain to place a spare copy of your safe's keys in the mix as well.

If you have personal items such as photos or other sensitive documents, keeping them out of the house and in the bank is a good idea. You may be better able to better protect your privacy in that way. 

Having both a home safe and a safe deposit box is an excellent idea. You can keep original legal documents in one place and the copies in the other. If you may need an item on a moment's notice, put it in the safe. The safe deposit box offers you all the protection of a banking institution's security.