Get important documents in one safe place and make sure people you trust know where they are. Make sure you have duplicates as well. The Australian Government’s Money Smart website provides a list of important documents to consider:
Personal documents
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- will
- enduring power of attorney or guardian details
- Tax File Number
- Centrelink Customer Reference Number or Department of Veterans’ Affairs file number
- list of your assets
House documents
- house deeds
- home and contents insurance
- deeds and insurance policies for any other real estate you own
- mortgage documents
Financial documents
- bank account details
- list of direct debits
- superannuation papers
- documents related to loans
- investment documents (securities, share certificates, bonds)
- prepaid funeral plans
Health documents
- advance care directive (also called a living will)
- Medicare card
- medical or life insurance details
- details of your My Health Record
- pensioner concession card
As many documents are electronic nowadays, ensure that you have the passwords securely retained, otherwise this can lead to all sorts of frustrations!
Organise important documents
- Get important documents in one safe place and make sure people you trust know where they are.
- Make sure you have duplicates stored elsewhere as well.
