Imagine having to remember and describe every item in your home, especially after you’ve been the victim of a fire, theft, or natural disaster.
Rather than relying on your memory, you may want to prepare a home inventory — a detailed record of all your personal property.
This record can help substantiate an insurance claim, support a police report when items are stolen, or prove a loss to the IRS. Here are some tips to get started.
Tour your property.
A simple way to complete your inventory is to make a visual record of your belongings.
Take a video of the contents of each room in your home and spaces where you have items stored, such as a basement, cellar, garage, or shed.
Be sure to open cabinets, closets, and drawers, and pay special attention to valuable and hard-to-replace items. You can also use the tried-and-true low-tech method of writing everything down in a notebook, or use a combination approach. Mobile inventory apps and software programs are available to guide you through the process.
Be thorough
Your home inventory should provide as many details as possible. For example, include purchase dates, estimated values, and serial and model numbers. If possible, locate receipts to support the cost of big-ticket items and attach copies of appraisals for valuables such as antiques, collectibles, and jewelry.
Keep it safe
In addition to keeping a copy of your inventory in your home where you can easily access it, store a copy elsewhere to protect it in the event that your home is damaged by a flood, fire, or other disaster.
This might mean putting it in a safe deposit box, giving it to a trusted friend or family member for safekeeping, or storing it on an external storage device that you can take with you or on a cloud-based service that provides easy and secure access.
Update it periodically
When you obtain a valuable or important item, add it to your inventory as soon as possible.
Review your home inventory at least once a year for accuracy.
You can also share it annually with your insurance agent or representative to help determine whether your policy coverages and limits are still adequate.
About 360 Financial Group
360 Financial Group, founded in 1990, provides a holistic approach to comprehensive wealth management as well as tax and accounting and investment management services. At 360 Financial Group, our MISSION is to be our clients’ primary advisor. We believe our knowledge, experience, and intuitive approach to tax and financial planning gives our clients the confidence they need to help them realize their dreams.
Registered Representative, Securities Offered Through Cambridge Investment Research. Inc., a Registered Broker-Dealer, Member FINRA, SIPC and Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Small Business Group, Inc. and Cambridge are not affiliated.
About Cambridge
Cambridge Investment Group, Inc. is a privately-controlled firm with a national reach across the financial services industry consisting of multiple broker-dealers and RIAs, including Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. – a large corporate RIA; and Continuity Partners Group, LLC – a special purpose broker-dealer and registered investment advisor; and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. – an independent broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, that is among the largest privately-controlled independent broker-dealers in the country supporting approximately 3,000 independent financial professionals nationwide who serve their clients as registered representatives and investment advisor representatives, choosing to use either Cambridge’s firm Registered Investment Adviser or their own. For more information visit www.joincambridge.com.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES
Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances.
To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circumstances.
These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable—we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.
Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2016.
