Perhaps you have not given any thoughts about securing your passport, driver’s license, or medical records. After all, you can always depend on your parents or guardians to take care of these papers. But as early as now, you must learn the life-saving skill of document-keeping. 

What important documents should I keep a copy of? Where do I put them? These matters may feel overwhelming, but do not worry because the following paragraphs will answer these questions. 

Legal Identification

Among all other documents, you should put prime consideration on those that attest to your identity. These legal identification documents include birth certificates, passports, adoption and citizenship papers, driver’s licenses, social security cards, and even school IDs. 

It is almost certain that you will be required to submit these legal identification documents in your future endeavors. For instance, admissions for universities and scholarships require the applicant to submit a birth certificate. In case you don’t have a copy of it, it may make the application process more difficult. 

You will also need to present valid IDs when traveling. Immigration officers in airports uphold strict regulations when it comes to passports and travel documents. Failure to present them may cost you your flight and may also lead to more inconvenience. 

You have to note that keeping duplicate copies of these documents is strongly advised. This way, you will have a spare copy you can pull out whenever you need it. 

Tax Documents

At your age, the idea of keeping tax documents may seem preposterous. But once you start working or building your business, you will realize that these tax-related papers are there to protect you from conflict with the law. 

Valuable tax documents include income tax returns, 1099 forms, and other receipts. As they get renewed yearly, you need to make sure that your tax returns are updated. The Internal Revenue Service suggests that one should store tax documents of the last three years, but you can always go beyond that. 

Medical Records

Health conditions are delicate concerns, and they should not be taken lightly. For instance, having severe allergies to some food items means that you need to get special meals during flights. By presenting the relevant medical records, you are letting the people around you know that you have specialized needs and you are also protecting yourself from possible harm. 

Some of the medical documents you need to have in hand are immunization records, allergic reaction response plans, personal medical history, and family health history. You should also make it a point to visit your physician from time to time so that you can update your medical records. 

School Records

For future ventures such as university and job applications, school records would be an essential item in your checklist. Your transcript, diploma, and other certificates give the employers or the admissions department an idea about your academic competence. As such, you have to ensure that you have these important docs always ready.

You may secure copies of your diploma and transcripts from your school or university registrar. Because a lot of students are requesting these certificates, it may take a couple of days or even weeks to claim them. So, it is better to request your school records ahead of time. 

Financial Documents

Financial papers might be another set of documents that you feel are too “adult” for you. However, setting up one’s finances does not have an age restriction. The sooner you can start organizing your financial documents, the easier it will be for you once your assets start growing. 

In terms of finances, important documents to keep include investment statements, bank account records, insurance policies, and the like. You should get your parents’ help in securing these documents, especially if you are under 18. 

How to Keep These Documents Safe?

Now that you have the important documents list, your next step is to identify the proper way to keep them safe and secure. There are two main methods of storing documents – physical and digital. 

You may store physical copies of your documents in any file cabinet you have at home. You may even use a safe or vault. Just make sure that the area is dry and is not infested with insects. It should also be easily accessible so that you can find it quickly should you need it. 

For digital storage, you may opt to upload digital files to cloud-based services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. As a backup, you can also save copies on your hard drive. This method of storage will come in handy, especially for online transactions. 

It is better to store your documents using both physical and digital storage methods. Doing both maximizes convenience and helps give you more options. So, what are you waiting for? Get up and start collecting these documents now!