Now that Tax Deadline Day is behind us (April 18 this year), it’s time to organize our files so we don’t hand in a shoe box full of random paperwork to the CPA for next year’s deadline.
Even if your files are neat and tidy, experts recommend keeping copies of your most important documents in a portable file, stored in a location that is both secure and easy to access in case of an emergency.
You can use a fireproof/waterproof strongbox-style file case, or simply an accordion file in a discreet location in your home, and store copies of:
Computer passwords (you can access these when you occasionally forget them yourself!) Remember that you should never use the same password for all your files, and secure passwords contain a combination of upper and lowercase letters, plus at least one number and one symbol.
Copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, passports, and Social Security numbers.
Copies of your Will and your Medical Directives.
Copies of all your property, including Real Estate, personal property (jewelry, art, collectibles, etc.), appraisals of said personal property, titles (or lease information) on any automobiles in your possession, and titles or deeds on any property in which you have ownership or investment interest.
Financial information, including bank accounts, trusts, safety deposit box information, credit card numbers and PINs, and information about investments, pensions, and other assets.
Income and benefits information, as well as information about loans or mortgages.
Copies of insurance policies: home, auto, life, and health.
A list of all prescription medications you take, and the pharmacies where they are filled.
Contact information for your attorney and your primary care physician.
“In Case of Emergency” contact list (friends, neighbors, family members).
A list of neighbors who have access to your home.
You may also want to keep a flash drive in the file, updated frequently with backups of important files from your computer.
Today’s Active Adults often live far from the places of their birth, and may not have family members who live close by. But Windsong homeowners do have a circle of friends with whom they form close bonds, thanks to shared life experiences and similar values.
Each Windsong community is designed to encourage social interactions that lead to lifelong friendships, with comfortable clubhouses that make gathering easy, walkable sidewalks for amiable strolls, and wide front porches and private courtyards designed for chats over a cold beverage or conversation over al fresco dinners.
Welcome to Windsong – Where Life’s A Breeze!
