where to store vital documents

[ArtPhaneuf]

Hi,

My questions are directed to members living full time in the Philippines and who no longer have a residence in the USA.

1. How do you maintain a USA checking/savings account without a permanent USA address?
2. Where do you keep important documents such as marriage and/or divorce certificates, life insurance, social security cards and any other important papers?

Thanks!

[JeffersonFlies]

1) Have at least one friend who lives in the USA and is willing to get your mail (better yet, tell the branch you don\'t want mail).

2) Buy a GPS & shovel. Drive out to the middle of nowhere. Hike for 2 hours. Dig for 2 hours. Drop your box of goodies. Write down the GPS coordinates. Take the square root of all the numbers combined and have it tattooed on the inside of your eyelid backwards. Problem solved!

[ArtPhaneuf]

HAHAHAHA Your answer is entertaining; however, my question is a serious one. I don\'t know whether or not to bring that stuff with me or to leave behind here with some trusted situation. I was wondering what other people have done that works well.

[c_a_p_t_a_i_n_r_o_n]

1. bank safety deposit box
2. floor safe in the home

[dylanaz]

1. How do you maintain a USA checking/savings account without a permanent USA address?

Banks such as Wells fargo (who happens to have a Philippine affiliate bank you can link to as well) may offer paperless accounts where everything is accessed online. As long as you keep the minimum balance it should never go away. SOME banks note they require activity and/or minimum balance.

ACTIVITY = link your account to paypal... and simply buy something once a year. Great way to send a gift back home - or even order things locally as I have done both with my USA account.

2. Where do you keep important documents such as marriage and/or divorce certificates, life insurance, social security cards and any other important papers?

Thanks!

SOME banks have safe deposit boxes.. HOWEVER - they are VERY LIMITED IN NUMBER ! So keep your fingers crossed in finding one.

Prices I may recall correctly were

20x10x8 = 1500 pesos
20x20x20 = 1900 pesos

I was shocked at the high prices... thinking that\'s a LOT to pay each month.... until the bank manager informed me it was YEARLY !

[hdmule]

There are mail forwarding companies in the US that will hold and then forward your mail to you ...... as has been mentioned  they will send you a snapshot of the envelope  so you can judge if you want the mail discarded or sent ..... I just received my shipment from the company I use which is     http://www.usabox.com/   ..... they will also buy stuff for you and ship it if needed ...... check out their website for details on cost and other information ...... been using them for over 3 years with absolutely no problems ..... mail usually gets here in about 3-4 days ...... there are other companies out there ...... choose the best one for you ......

I keep important papers in a fire resistant safe (no such thing as fire-proof ... as even steel and concrete will deteriorate at certain temperatures) that is too big and bulky for one man to carry ......    

[suzukig1]

1. You need to maintain a U.S. address (I use a friend\'s house) or the bank might eventually close your account.  Part of the Patriot Act.  All communications are electronic.  Nothing sent to my friend\'s house.

2. I have a large fireproof safe.  It could be bolted to the ground but it took 3 men to move it into the house so it\'s not bolted to the floor (yet).

[c_a_p_t_a_i_n_r_o_n]

2. I have a large fireproof safe.  It could be bolted to the ground but it took 3 men to move it into the house so it\'s not bolted to the floor (yet).

I was thinking of a much smaller floor safe that\'s cemented into the ground......a heavy bookcase or similar could be placed on it to hide it\'s location

[Quinn]

Hi,

My questions are directed to members living full time in the Philippines and who no longer have a residence in the USA.

1. How do you maintain a USA checking/savings account without a permanent USA address?

I opened an account with Wells Fargo telling them I planned to move to the Philippines and they told me no problem, just go online and do a change of address. They don’t care where you live; they are very accommodating at taking anybody’s money, regardless of age, creed, color, religion, sex or physical location, as I think would be the case with any US Bank.

Quinn

[Quinn]

I was shocked at the high prices... thinking that\'s a LOT to pay each month.... until the bank manager informed me it was YEARLY !

Thanks for clearing that up! I just read the rates at BPI\'s site and thought the same thing.

[Quinn]

Anyway, the American guy we bought our land off in the PI uses a place in the USA that all his US mail goes to. They will scan him a copy of the envelope, send it to him, if he wants them to forward it, or open it, he tells them so.

They then open it, scan it, and e mail him a copy, or if he feels he needs it hard copy they will Fedex it to him as and when he wants it. I assume it is a highly trustworthy establishment.  

Google “Mail Forwarders,” there are lots of them with various services.

[gbrown6usa]

For my important documents we scanned everything years ago and emailed them to myself at a different account.  They are now in a sent file on one account and a saved file on the other.  This way no matter where I am in the world I am only an internet cafe away from anything I need.

Oh Ya I bought a printer after I arrived here.