Safe Deposit Boxes

• When renting a safe deposit box, make sure you choose the right size
• Many people start by renting a small box only to discover that it quickly becomes filled
• Be sure to determine beforehand who will be allowed to access the box
• Keep your bank-provided key or keys in a safe place that you will remember
• The contents of a safe deposit box are not insured by the bank 

Safe deposit boxes are the best places to keep items that are valuable such as jewelry, stamp and coin collections, and negotiable instruments like stock certificates and bonds. They are also good places to keep items that are not replaceable or that have sentimental value. A household inventory (videotaped or written), appraisals, listings of insurance policies, and credit card numbers should also be kept in a safe deposit box.

Examples of items that are valuable 

• Valuable coin and stamp collections 
• Negotiable investment instruments like bonds and stock certificates 
• Jewelry

Examples of items that are not easily replaced

• Family heirlooms, photos, or historical records
• Adoption papers
• Birth certificates
• Citizenship papers
• Military documents
• Divorce papers

Examples of items that should be safe but available

• Vital back up data files from your PC 
• Passports, if they are seldom used
• Important contracts and business agreements
• Real estate deeds and mortgages
• Confidential records
• Copies of important financial records that you keep at home
• Copies of wills, living trust documents, powers of attorneys

What Not to Keep in Your Safe Deposit Box 
It’s important to remember that with the exception of a court order, only you can open your safe deposit box. Items that others may need to obtain if you are not present should not be kept in your box. Original wills, powers of attorney, living trust documents, and other trust documents should not be in your safe deposit box. You should also keep insurance policies on hand and not in a safe deposit box.  

Using Your Safe Deposit Box 

Use your safe deposit box regularly and keep a list of what it contains.