Why You Need a Virtual Safety Deposit Box

Advances in information technology, paired with recent weather-related disasters and a growing awareness of the need for access to vital documents has lead to the creation of a new solution designed to protect your most important documents: a virtual safety deposit box. Whether you are looking for a safe place to store vital records such as birth certificates or marriage licenses, or other important documents such as health records, insurance policies, living wills or financial data, a virtual safety deposit box can help keep your critical documents just a few keystrokes away from any computer in the world.

Considered a safe alternative to traditional archives in bank deposit boxes or in-home lockboxes, a virtual safety deposit box provides peace of mind paired with instant access in times of need. Gaining popularity during the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, this safe method of document storage has become a preferred method of protecting assets around the world. The news media is filled with stories of families who lost everything during the hurricanes, banks whose records were in shambles and law offices whose records perished in high water and storm-damaged conditions.

Elsewhere in the country and the world, stories are common about houses burning to the ground with vital records still inside, families denied access to important documents after a loved one’s death and important paperwork swept away by vicious tornados. Any asset that you have that is paper-based can easily be converted for storage in a virtual safety deposit box. For a small monthly or yearly fee – comparable to the price you would pay for a bank deposit box and less than the purchase price of an in-home safe – you can choose to upload copies of your documents on your own, fax or mail documents to secured processing sites, or have a technician visit your home or office to complete your archival work for you.

After your virtual safety deposit box is set up, you can access your information safely and securely 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year from any internet-connected computer on the planet. All archived data is guaranteed against breaches in security and fraud and virtual safety deposit box providers utilize many reliable, prove and trustworthy safeguards against any wrong-doing. Securing your family’s future and well-being is job one, and using a virtual safety deposit box only makes that job easier.

What You Should Know About Probate

Death is never easy to deal with and knowing what to expect in probate will ease your concerns and allow you to think only of your dying loved one. The definition of probate is legally settling the deceased’s property, also known as their estate. When a death occurs, the debts, property, possessions and money of the deceased will need to be dealt with in a legal manner and according the wishes of the deceased. There are few instances when probate is not needed in the event of a death. If the person is married, in most cases without a legal will, everything belonging to the deceased will be transferred to their spouse upon their death. If a will does not exist, the courts will need to ensure that all the property left by the deceased is legally distributed. If a will does exist, the will names a person chosen by the deceased as an executor of the will. This is generally a family member or an attorney. The executor is responsible for following the instructions the deceased has written into the will and ensure that the probate process is followed as they wish. When it comes to probate, the process will take place in what is known as probate court. What will happen during probate will depend on where you live. However, the general aspects of probate court are as follows. The entire purpose of probate is to ensure that your debts are paid and your assets are properly transferred to your loved ones. Upon the death of a person, the executor is sworn in as such. All creditors, the public and heirs are notified of the death. Then all the property is inventoried and finally the estate is distributed in an orderly fashion. It is important that you understand there are some possessions or property that cannot be presented to the courts. A good example is a life insurance policy. If there is a beneficiary listed on the policy then this will transfer to that beneficiary. The only time this will not occur is if the named beneficiary is also deceased and no other beneficiary is named. Other types of assets and property that cannot be presented to the courts include anything that is payable upon death to named beneficiaries. These instances do not require probate because the deceased has already named who these assets are to be released to.