One of the most common mistakes you can make with your important records is keeping them in different places around your home or office. You should organize your files to ensure you don’t lose track of them. The files you keep longest are the easiest to misplace, so you should use the most efficient ways to archive documents. Keep reading to find out how to keep your records secure.
Archive Important Documents
Document archiving is the process of filing your most important records in a safe and out-of-the-way location. You won’t need these files regularly, but they’re necessary to keep for legal purposes. Some of the most common records you should archive include:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Wills
- Adoption papers
- Tax records
- Investment statements
- Insurance documents
- Stock records and certificates
Reasons to Archive Documents
In addition to having a safe place for your most valuable records, you should archive the documents you must keep for multiple years to save space in your home and stay organized. With an organized archive system, you’ll always know where your most important records are. Further, you can protect your records from theft by archiving them in a lockbox or encrypting your digital files.
Pro Tip: Archiving your files might be a requirement depending on the business you run. Some industries require you to protect your data in specific ways.
Choose Efficient Document Archiving
Using paper archives has its benefits. Paper isn’t susceptible to hacking or easy alteration, but it is vulnerable to weather and other elements. The preferred method these days is to digitize your documents so that you have easy access to them. You can free up space in your home or office by scanning documents that you need to view regularly. Use document imaging vs. scanning if you don’t want your files to be alterable.
Pro Tip: Regardless of how you archive your documents, you should back them up to a cloud service or hard drive to ensure you don’t lose access to them.
The most efficient way to archive documents involves digitizing them for quick and easy access. Organize your records and keep them safe from natural disasters when you implement a document management plan for your business.