What is the solution for this? My personal use is items that should be locked and protected, and I don't really have a place in my house to bolt a fireproof/waterproof safe. Bank safety deposits also have downsides in case of death.
1. Buy private safe deposit box insurance. I won't link it to avoid impropriety, but easily found via Google.
2. Have joint ownership, so that death isn't an issue.
3. Keep all your items in a dry bag if the bank is in a flood-prone area.
4. Assess the probability of the bank emptying your box (nearly zero) vs a safe in your house being stolen.
5. Digitally scan irreplaceable original documents, so you at least have a copy.
6. Print out a high quality document with a fake letterhead of your favorite 3-letter agency, informing the opener that they are committing a federal crime and will be personally liable. Maybe claim that the bag (See #3) is a diplomatic pouch and opening it is an international incident. Or other stern warning. Print a phone number on it to call immediately. Also put a fake gun in the box to give an air of danger. YMMV.
Modified #6: a notice that opening the box has sent a signal to a safe deposit box monitoring company. Maybe include a device that starts buzzing as soon as the box is opened.
What is the solution for this? My personal use is items that should be locked and protected, and I don't really have a place in my house to bolt a fireproof/waterproof safe. Bank safety deposits also have downsides in case of death.
> What is the solution for this?
1. Buy private safe deposit box insurance. I won't link it to avoid impropriety, but easily found via Google.
2. Have joint ownership, so that death isn't an issue.
3. Keep all your items in a dry bag if the bank is in a flood-prone area.
4. Assess the probability of the bank emptying your box (nearly zero) vs a safe in your house being stolen.
5. Digitally scan irreplaceable original documents, so you at least have a copy.
6. Print out a high quality document with a fake letterhead of your favorite 3-letter agency, informing the opener that they are committing a federal crime and will be personally liable. Maybe claim that the bag (See #3) is a diplomatic pouch and opening it is an international incident. Or other stern warning. Print a phone number on it to call immediately. Also put a fake gun in the box to give an air of danger. YMMV.
Modified #6: a notice that opening the box has sent a signal to a safe deposit box monitoring company. Maybe include a device that starts buzzing as soon as the box is opened.
Further idea: to stop the device from buzzing you have to enter a code.
oooh, prepaid phone + raspberry pi with battery charger (so you don't have to go to the bank every few days) that sends email when light detected
That should work.
If you've got millions of dollars worth of stuff to put in a box, divide it up into multiple boxes in separate locations.
Secure vault places do exist which aren't run through banks.
they made it the whole article without calling it a SAFETY deposit box. my father would be thrilled.
(its a safe deposit box, not a safety deposit box)
Vaults containing boxes can also flood (see Katrina).