Losing important documents like birth certificates, passports, bank statements, or other financial reports can be stressful, frustrating, and time-consuming. Misplacing these items can disrupt the process of accepting job offers or potential vacation plans.

The process to replace these documents can be lengthy, with the current processing time for a US passport ranging from 8 to 11 months - or 5 to 7 weeks for expedited processing. In the best-case scenario, that's over a month to replace a single document.

In this guide, we'll cover the best document storage strategies and discuss how to keep valuable items safe. We'll also highlight some solutions for keeping your life more organized and secure.

These days, filing cabinets and other filing systems are outdated. Even safety deposit boxes, which guarantee security for sensitive paperwork, are not particularly accessible. People often have difficulty accessing their safe deposit boxes after hours, during weekends, and over holidays.

For this reason, you'll want to invest in a high-quality at-home safe you can install in your residence. When you store documents in a home safe, you don't have to worry about driving to the bank to review your insurance policies or medical records when needed. Safes provide unlimited access for you - and tough security for burglars.

Home safes come with many distinct features, so it's vital to do some research before selecting your best fit. There are several key questions to ask before getting a safe. We'll cover some of the most essential ones below.

Decide on Size

The last thing you want is to buy a safe that can't fit all your documents. Check the internal and external dimensions to ensure that your safe meets your storage needs.

The typical safe size is between 1 and 2 cubic feet, but you can always buy a bigger safe. Options like the Biocube Professional can store up to 6 rifles or other large items, all while integrating seamlessly into your home.

Since we know there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, Mycube offers a range of safe sizes to accommodate different lifestyles.

In addition to our standard Mycube Classic, we offer the Mycube Mini. This more compact at-home safe option can fit laptops, jewelry, and crucial personal documents. The Mycube Mini comes in four colors so that every aspect of your organizational layout can be deeply functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Choose Between Wall and Freestanding Safes

A hidden In-Drawer Safe or Wall Safe is perfect for storing important documents and items from intruders - but a freestanding safe can be just as secure if bolted down.

Mycube's safes include pre-drilled bolt holes for quick, easy installation. Intruders won't have the time to unscrew a safe and run off with it, so bolting down your safe is vital.

If you choose to store your prized possessions in a larger, free-standing safe, design attributes become an imminent concern. Safes that prioritize features like striking neutral colors paired with sleek minimalism guarantee that your visible at-home safe will add to your space, not detract from it.

Pick a Locking System and Access Code Carefully

Regardless of the type of safe you choose, you'll want to change your access codes regularly to ensure intruders can't hack them. Choose secure codes that are hard to guess. Don't use birthdays, house numbers, graduation dates, or anniversaries. That information is in the public record, which individuals of ill-intent can access.

You can avoid the trouble of remembering and changing codes with a biometric lock like the Biocube, which uses a fingerprint scan to grant access. Every fingerprint is unique, making this far more secure than access codes.

Consider the Types of Documents You're Storing

Before purchasing a safe, you'll need to determine the type of documents you want to store.

Paperwork you'll want to keep in your safe includes:

• Birth certificates and social security cards
• Tax returns and IRS communications
• Credit card statements and other financial records
• Health insurance policies
• Passports
• Homes and vehicle titles
• Living trusts, wills, living wills, and other legal documents
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce or death certificates
• Power of attorneys

Assess the Fire Threat

To choose the right safe, you'll first have to analyze what kind of protection you need, including fireproofing. Home fires cause an average of 7.3 billion dollars of damage a year. Many people might benefit from a fire safe, and not just those who live in high-risk fire zones.

The Firecube is a stylish yet sturdy fire safe. It offers commercial-grade fire protection for up to an hour in 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures - all within a small, sleek package.

Organizing your documents in file folders and storing them in cabinets and boxes is a good way to tidy your space. The question is, what if an intruder steals the folder?

Digitizing sensitive documents guarantees you'll always have a copy of your paperwork, even if the tangible folders leave your vicinity. Scan documents like pay stubs, tax records, and bank statements and transfer them to a flash drive or small external hard drive.

The advantages of creating digital copies include:

• Ensure easy access to records
• Save space in your house or office
• Reduce paper clutter
• Protect documents from natural disasters and theft

Once you've digitized your documents, you can place the hard drive (and any remaining paper copies) in a small safe for optimal protection.

Use Encryption on Digital Files

Encrypting personal documents is another excellent step to protect digital paperwork. When you encrypt personal files and folders on your laptop or computer, you add a layer of protection that makes it much more difficult for hackers to access.

Data encryption also preserves the integrity of your documents and enables the secure transfer of files when you need to share personal information with authorized parties.

A full home protection plan includes storing items like jewelry, precious metals, and firearms.

Sentimental and valuable jewelry and metals are best kept in the Biocube, equipped with pre-drilled bolt holes and biometric locking technology. Available in three colors, the Biocube can be unlocked with the touch of a finger for ease of access.

You won't want to keep your guns just anywhere, either. Instead, you'll need to ensure the locking system allows you easy access when you need to get your firearm.

A biometric safe like the Biocube Professional is faster than a traditional keypad safe since it only requires your fingerprint to open. The Biocube can accommodate 10 different fingerprints. If you are not home, other trusted and verified individuals could access the contents of this at-home safe. The tamper-proof bolts and auto-locking doors ensure that access is limited to the correct parties.

You might store smaller firearms like a revolver in a smartphone-enabled safe like the world's best-connected and smartest safe, the iCube. This at-home safe allows you to control access from your smartphone and view an in-app catalog that showcases the exact contents inside.

The iCube pairs with an end-to-end cloud security platform and user management tools to send tamper alerts and change the password remotely. Connect to WiFi or Bluetooth to safeguard your most essential documents and possessions from nearly anywhere.

Improve Document Organization

Customers with a passion for organization and style may choose to include add-ons for protecting their paperwork.

The Mycube Passport Holder includes space for cash, credit cards, passport, and other ID cards. The black leather case is discreet, sleek, and practical - suited for any number of adventures.

Mycube also offers a signature green leather Folio to organize your most pertinent documents. The lush leather Folio has space for 8.5" x 11" papers and key documents like deeds, marriage certificates, contracts, and personal letters. The internal snap mechanism and even dividers create a stunning and practical solution for both your daily commute and long-term storage.

Securing Sensitive Documents

Whether you're shopping for a safe to store your vital documents, expensive jewelry, or firearms, you can find an option that meets your needs and budget at Mycube. You'll have a variety of options to choose from, including size, color, and locking system.

With Mycube, you can rest assured that your documents and valuables remain secure - in style.

Sources:

Processing Times for US Passports | US Department of State

Want To Keep Personal Data Secure? Here's How to Encrypt a File | MUO

10 most common passwords: Tip – Don't use these | al.com

Home Structure Fires | NFA