Benefit from having your own family binder

Life can be unpredictable. The scouts have thus developed their motto: Be prepared. No matter what comes their way, they are ready. This week, we’d want you to be prepared, too.

13 years ago, close friends of ours lost their home and everything they owned to an explosion. It was a terrible night for them. Luckily, they escaped unhurt and had a family binder where they kept all important documents. We couldn’t even imagine how you get through the shock while trying to get help. Remember those where the days without Dropbox to keep the electronic versions of your insurance policies!

You, too, need a family binder!

Your reference folder

In the office, you probably save all documents in specific folders. You and your colleagues have agreed where which files belong and everyone can easily find them even if a team member is out of the office.

A family binder becomes your go to location for your family. Everyone in your family knows where you’ll keep the important information.

Having all information in one binder makes your life easier. In case of an emergency, you just grab one binder and have everything you need there. Like our friends, you can get help a lot faster.

What to include

There are three sections in your family binder: 1. Emergency numbers, 2. Important information and 3. Important documents.

You can use the plastic pocket pages to hold and protect your documents. You won’t need a hole puncher to file the documents and can simply push them in and out when you need to replace them.

Emergency numbers

• Contact numbers for you and your family members (you may also list a next of kin)
• Work places
• School information
• Doctors (including dentist and vet for your pets)
• Hospitals
• Landlord’s contact information
• Utility and telcom providers

Important information

• Social security numbers
• Medication
• Allergy information

Keep important documents

• Passport copies
• Visa and residence copies
• Birth certificate
• Marriage licence
• Divorce papers
• Will
• Power of attorney
• Death certificate, if you’ve lost a loved one recently
• Insurance documents
• Lease or proof of purchase for your home
• Utility agreements
• Phone contracts
• List of all bank accountants (including contact details of the financial institutions)
• List of your investments (including broker information)
• Report cards of your children
• Degrees

Where do you currently keep your important documents? Use an older binder and create your family binder today.

Until next time,
Agni