What To Keep In A Safe Deposit Box

A safe deposit box is a good option for anyone who has irreplaceable or valuable documents or items. It’s always a good idea to have a home safe for valuables, but home safes aren’t the right place for everything. The value of a safe deposit box is in its extra level of security – they reduce the chance of theft and they are also fire and water resistant.

But not everything of value should be stored in your safe deposit box. Remember that you’ll only be able to access your box during the bank’s open hours – so it’s not a good place to keep things that you need to get to regularly or on short notice. For most people, passports and similar items should be stored securely at home. 

One of the most common uses of safe deposit boxes is for documents that are hard or impossible to replace, and that aren’t used regularly. Your social security card is a good example of this. You don’t use it often, and replacing it can be a major hassle. Important certificates – such as birth, death, and marriage certificates – should also be stored in your safe deposit box. 

Property records, like your deed, surveys, and settlement documents, are also best stored in a safe deposit box. These are things that you’ll want to keep safe over the long term, but you’ll likely only need to access them when you sell your property. Similarly, car titles should be kept in a safe deposit box until you need them to sell your car. 

Although they’re no longer in use, many people still have old paper stock or bond certificates. A safe deposit box is the perfect place to store these irreplaceable certificates. 

Other documents that you may want to keep in your safe deposit box include diplomas and school transcripts, copies of your will or power of attorney, and sensitive documents that you want to protect from discovery by anyone in your home. 

Safe deposit boxes are also a good place to store items of either sentimental or financial value. Jewelry and collectibles are much more secure in a safe deposit box than in your home safe. However, it’s important to note that the contents of safe deposit boxes are not insured by the FDIC, so you’ll need to make sure your personal insurance covers them. 

Originals of family photos or heirlooms are examples of the kind of sentimental items that many people choose to store in safe deposit boxes, along with papers or documents like old diaries or memoirs. It’s always a good idea to make digital or paper copies of these things to keep at home and store the originals away safely. 

Looking to store items safely outside your home?

Piscataqua Savings Bank offers safe deposit boxes in the following sizes at varying rates.*

Note: Safe deposit boxes are not FDIC insured or insured by bank.

*Rates accurate as of April, 2022. Please contact Piscataqua Savings Bank at (603) 436-5250 to verify current rates.