How safe is online document storage for private documents?

You do a good job of managing your money and finances, and you're a record-keeper extraordinaire, but if you're storing documents at home with personal confidential information such as insurance policies, personal, family and medical documents, copies of tax returns, W2 forms, 401(k) statements, or any document with your Social Security number on it, you're taking a big risk.

If you are doing paper document storage, it's hopefully at least in a safe deposit box, but beware: Fire, flood, theft or natural disaster could wipe out your home storage container or vault and its contents. Sure, the insurance carriers can find your information and your accountant can track down filings, but you'll lose precious time, especially if they're swamped with requests from others in similar situations. If you're seriously injured or killed, would your spouse, partner or family even know about those policies or whom to call? While a traditional home safe or bank deposit box from a brick-and-mortar bank is a better option than a box under your bed, banks aren't open round-the-clock and lock box keys can be lost or stolen.

Consider finding yourself a reputable online storage provider where you can store electronic copies of your private documents. If you're looking for select document storage, national insurance quote provider www.einsurance.com recommends companies like My Vault which provides online safe deposit box storage and digital asset management tools to securely store insurance policies and other vital personal or business documents. And, no, you don't need to be a geek genius to use an online document storage option like My Vault. If your needs are for mass document storage, consider a company like SugarSync.

Compared to home storage or a bank vault, boutique storage providers offer a number of advantages and conveniences:

1. Encrypted remote access anywhere anytime: If you have Internet, you can access and digitally manage your documents from work, on vacation, at the doctor's office, in a hospital bed or an automobile showroom.

2. Easy, personal file organization: No hanging-file folders to wrestle, no sticky tabs, no paper cuts. You can manage your files and folders digitally, using simple drop-and-drag functionality, as well as built in file-tag, file-sort, file-type and file-label management functionality.

3. Share selectively: Forget asking a neighbor to check in your bottom desk drawer. With an online safe deposit box you decide who to trust with what and when. If your partner, spouse, attorney, accountant or Uncle Fred has a need to know, you email that individual a pick-up link and password permitting limited access to just those documents you designate. These can be set with an expiration date, too.

4. Enhanced security: Like we already know, accidents and disasters happen. If your vital documents are in a home safe a burglar can discover it and force you to open it. If your information is digitally stored in an online storage vault, the robber won't even know it exists. Documents stored and digitally managed online are safe from fire, flood, tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes that can destroy your home or the safest brick-and-mortar bank.

No storage system, whether physically in a bank or online, is completely secure. Online storage services are convenient, secure document storage options that stack the odds in your favor with advanced security standards and features - good reasons to say goodbye to paper storage and paper cuts for good.