If you want to keep your sensitive documents safe, it can be challenging to choose the right lockbox. There are many different types of lockboxes that are equipped with all sorts of features.

So what is the best lockbox for storing important documents?

The best lockbox for paperwork and documents is a digital lockbox. A digital lockbox allows you to store all your documents on a single online storage platform. You can then conveniently access your paperwork whenever you need it from any location. Trustworthy is the best digital lockbox for storing paperwork.

Modern times require modern solutions and a digital storage lockbox offers the most secure and convenient way to access and share your paperwork. I understand this may be the first time you’ve heard about a “digital lockbox”, so I’ll explain what it is and how to use one in today’s guide.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through:

• Factors to consider before purchasing a lockbox for paperwork

• The 7 best lock boxes for paperwork

• When you should choose a digital lockbox vs a physical lockbox

• Lockbox features for paperwork and documents

Factors To Consider Before Purchasing A Lockbox for Paperwork

There are a few key factors to consider before you choose a lockbox to store your paperwork in. 

Is It Secure Enough?

The most important feature a lockbox offers is security. An unknown person should not be able to access the paperwork inside your lockbox. This means your lockbox needs to have a locking mechanism that can only be unlocked with a key or combination. 

Furthermore, you may want to use a lockbox that’s bolted into the ground or attached to an unmovable object. This way, burglars won’t be able to remove the lockbox from your home or office. 

Do You Need Fireproofing?

You should also consider getting a fireproof lockbox if you live in a region that’s prone to wildfires. Even if you don’t live in this type of region, homes are always at risk of burning down due to gas leaks, unattended cooking, or electrical faults. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are around 346,800 home fires per year. For this reason, it’s important to use a lockbox that’s fireproof and keep your documents safe when disaster strikes.

How Big Is It?

Another essential factor to consider is the lockbox’s size. You need a lockbox that can neatly store and organize all of your paperwork and documents. If you have a lot of important documents to secure, you may need an exceedingly large lockbox or multiple lockboxes.

You have to consider portability as well. Will you need to transport your lockbox in the future? For example, it can be difficult to move large and heavy lock boxes if you ever move homes or change offices.

Can Multiple People Access It?

The last factor to consider before purchasing a lockbox is if other people, not including yourself, need to access it. If this is the case, you shouldn’t purchase a lockbox that uses a key lock. Instead, a lockbox with a number pad is a much better option.

So think about who you’d like to share access to for your lock before purchasing one. You’ll need a lockbox that offers easy accessibility between multiple people. 

Best Lock Boxes For Paperwork: 7 Options 

1. Trustworthy

Trustworthy is a storage management system that is easily the best lockbox for paperwork and documents. It’s a highly secure and encrypted platform where you can store your most sensitive information. Since Trustworthy is a digital solution, you can access your documents from any device and location. 

You can digitize all of your documents by scanning and uploading them onto Trustworthy. There are too many important files and documents to keep track of in the information-heavy age we live in. Keeping paper documents poses a risk because you can lose or accidentally destroy the paperwork at any time.

Trustworthy offers a way to move from a paper-based system to an innovative modern solution. Although you can store any type of document inside of Trustworthy using its customizable templates, Trustworthy has built-in sections to store:

Personal ID numbers

• Bank account information

• Property documents

• Insurance documents

• Passwords

• Estate documents

• Emergency instructions

• Family archives

Once you place your document in the right section, you’ll never need to scramble through filing cabinets to find them again. Instead, you can simply log in to Trustworthy’s clean and intuitive interface to access your paperwork whenever you need to. 

In summary, Trustworthy (click to start your free trial) is a tremendously secure digital storage platform where you can organize, protect, and share access to important paperwork.

Key Features

Let's discuss a few key features Trustworthy offers.

State-Of-The-Art Security Features

Security and privacy are the number one priorities at Trustworthy. Every decision Trustworthy makes regarding its software is made with security and privacy in mind. For example, trustworthy will never sell or share your data. Furthermore, Trustworthy works with other security experts and auditors to enhance the software’s security features and implement new protocols.

Trustworthy uses bank standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption to protect your data. This means hackers won’t be able to breach the platform to steal your information.

Another security feature Trustworthy offers is “aliasing”. Aliasing is an industry-leading security protocol that protects your information. It removes sensitive data from Trustworthy’s servers and replaces it with a corresponding alias. This ensures your sensitive information is protected and unconnected to your account.

If a cybercriminal gained access to Trustworthy’s database containing tokenized sensitive data, the hacker would gain nothing from the alias. As a result, Trustworthy gives you peace of mind knowing that your data could never fall into the wrong hands.

When you create your Trustworthy account, you’ll need to implement two-factor authorization. This is a requirement by Trustworthy and offers maximum protection to your account. You can verify your identity through two-factor authentication with an SMS text message, voice verification, authenticator apps, or hardware security keys. 

This ensures that you’re the only one who can access your account, even if another individual knows your password. In fact, research shows that your account is 99.9% less likely to be breached by a cyberattack if you use two-factor authentication. 

24/7 Accessibility From Any Location

Aside from Trustworthy’s security protocols, 24/7 accessibility from any location is the best feature it offers. Once you scan and upload a document into Trustworthy, you will be able to access it from any device and location around the world. 

If you’re on the beach at Cancun and need to send financial information to your tax advisor, you can simply pull out your iPhone and open Trustworthy’s iOS app. Then, you can share access to the exact document your tax advisor needs.

Although Trustworthy doesn’t offer an Android app, you can easily log in to Trustworthy’s browser website to access your paperwork. This level of accessibility can only be offered with a digital lockbox. Physical lockboxes are limited in how much accessibility they offer. 

Invulnerable 

Unlike paper documents, digital documents cannot be accidentally destroyed, thrown away, or burned into ashes. Digital documents also cannot be physically stolen by burglars and thieves. This means you never have to worry about losing an important document again once it’s uploaded to Trustworthy.

We’ve all had situations where we look for important documents only to find the ink smeared and faded. In this case, the document isn’t legible, and you will need to look for a replacement which may be impossible.  

Organization

When it comes to managing your paperwork and documents, organization is key. Document organization allows you to quickly find the exact document you’re looking for. However, organization is challenging with a physical lockbox. Since physical lockboxes are so small, it’s hard to separate documents into organized sections.

Fortunately, document organization is the backbone of Trustworthy. Its digital storage platform offers useful storage sections and customizable templates. This allows you to organize your paperwork in whatever way works best for you. 

As soon as you upload your document to the relevant section, you’ll never have trouble locating it in the future. Using Trustworthy also means that you won’t have to have to store your documents in multiple physical and digital locations. Trustworthy keeps your paperwork safe and secure in one well-organized digital lockbox. 

Personalization and Guidance

Another critical difference between Trustworthy and other lockboxes is that Trustworthy offers personal guidance. Once you sign-up for Trustworthy, you will receive a 30-minute personalized onboarding call with your dedicated expert.

Your expert will help you decide what documents to upload, how to upload your documents, organize your documents, and customize your dashboard. 

Trustworthy wants to ensure that your Trustworthy experience is as convenient and optimal as possible. 

Family Planning and Sharing

Trustworthy is the ideal digital lockbox solution for families looking to optimize and enhance their lives. On Trustworthy, you can share access to certain documents with certain people. For example, you can share passwords for streaming accounts with your entire family but only share your bank account information with your partner.

Furthermore, Trustworthy will connect you with estate planners and help you plan out how to create a will, power of attorney, and advanced care directive. Trustworthy also offers a secure location to store and organize all of these documents. You can try a 2-week free trial here.

Pros

• Beautiful and organized interface

• Advanced security protocols

• Easy sharing and accessibility 

• Focuses on organization

• Reminders for soon to expire documents

• Comprehensive digital lockbox for paperwork and documents

• iOS mobile app

• Discounted plan for first responders

• 2-week free trial

• 30-day full refund policy

Cons

• Lacks an Android mobile app

• Three-hour one-on-one personalized guidance only for the Platinum plan (only 30 minutes for other plans)

2. Fireproof Lockbox with Digital Number Pad

If you’re looking for a physical lockbox, I recommend using a fireproof lockbox with a digital number pad. However, as I mentioned earlier, digital lockboxes are much more secure and accessible than a physical lockbox. You can use both solutions by digitizing your documents and then storing them in a physical lockbox.

Key Features

Accessibility

I recommend using a lockbox with a digital number pad because it’s much more convenient to access than a lockbox with a key. Keys get misplaced all the time, and replacing a key is expensive and bothersome.

Furthermore, if you need to share access to your physical lockbox with a trusted acquaintance, you can simply tell them the passcode instead of giving them your key.

Weatherproof

Storing physical documents in a fireproof lockbox is much safer than keeping them in a standard filing cabinet. Although there’s a chance your documents still burn inside of a fireproof lockbox, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Pros

• Protects documents from physical damage

• Easy to access 

• Secures sensitive paperwork and documents

• One-time fee

Cons

• Limited storage size; lockboxes are not extremely large

• Only accessible from a single location

• It can be difficult to organize

3. Safety Deposit Box

Another reasonable lockbox for paperwork and documents is a safety deposit box. Safety deposit boxes are stored inside banks. For this reason, your documents and paperwork are highly secure and protected.

However, safety deposit boxes are not an ideal location to keep documents you need to access frequently. Since you have to visit your bank every time you want to access the documents, it’s inconvenient and inefficient.

Key Features

• Designed to withstand natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes

• Can assign co-lessors who share equal access to the safe deposit box

• More secure than storing paperwork and documents at home

• Great place to store contracts, business papers, physical stock and bond certificates, and military discharge papers

Pros

• Offers more physical protection than a home lockbox

• You can also store valuables and collectibles

• Unlikely to have your documents stolen

Cons

• Inconvenient to share access to your acquaintances 

• Only accessible during bank hours

• Not insured by the FDIC or bank

• You must keep track of the key

• Limited storage size; safe deposit boxes are usually small

4. Sync

Sync is a digital cloud-based lockbox that offers ample storage space for all your documents and paperwork. It features end-to-end encryption to keep your documents safe from cyberattacks. Sync offers a range of plans for individuals and teams. Furthermore, Sync has Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android apps.

After you install Sync on your computer, it will create a Sync folder where you can drag and drop folders and individual documents. The contents of the Sync folder will be automatically uploaded to your Sync account in the cloud.

Key Features

• Easy to share files with others

• Excellent file restoration features

• Offers a vault where you can store sensitive information

• Provides 256-bit AES encryption

Pros

• Simple and affordable

• Access to documents from anywhere with any device

• Extended file history

Cons

• Limited customer support

• Syncing may take a long time

• Lack of third-party app integration

5. OneDrive

OneDrive is a digital cloud storage platform created by Microsoft. It allows you to upload and access files from any desktop or mobile device. Furthermore, OneDrive offers multiple plans for home and business use. The OneDrive Standalone plan offers 100 GB of storage and costs $19.99 per year or $1.99 per month.

Key Features

• Features a personal vault where you can store sensitive information

• An inexpensive way to store digitally store a lot of paperwork and documents

Pros

• Excellent for sharing and collaborating on Microsoft documents

• Offers extensive storage capabilities

• Very simple and easy to use

Cons

• Files stored outside of OneDrive’s personal vault are not as secure

• Cannot share files from within the personal vault

• Not the most secure platform to store sensitive information

6. Everplans

Everplans is a digital lockbox that helps you store, organize, and share important documents to a cloud-based storage center. Offering a 60-day free trial, Everplans offers plans for individuals, families, and enterprises. Everplans recommends storing life insurance policies, wills, digital accounts, and healthcare documents on its secure platform.

Key Features

• Allows you to easily share documents with trusted acquaintances 

• Offers thousands of relevant checklists, articles, and guides

• The platform offers an easy-to-use interface

Pros

• Affordable pricing

• Advanced security protocols

Cons

• Lack of reliable customer support

• Slimmed-down features compared to Trustworthy

• No mobile app

• Self onboarding procedure

7. Google Drive

Google Drive is another digital lockbox that allows you to upload, share, and collaborate on files from different devices. Individuals and companies frequently use this platform for collaboration on work documents.

Furthermore, it’s easy to create folders within Google Drive to keep all of your paperwork neat and organized.

Key Features

• Can use the mobile app to scan documents straight into your Google Drive account

• Automatically convert Excel and Word documents to Google Docs and Sheets for editing capabilities

• Can view almost every type of file without needing to download it

• Lots of third-party app integrations to optimize performance

• Easy to share and collaborate on documents

Pros

• Simple and intuitive interface

• Microsoft Office compatible

• Stores a large number of files

• Access your documents from any device and any location

• Affordable pricing

Cons

• Potential security risks

• Lacks rapid file transfers

• Need to manually create folders and organize

When Should You Choose A Digital Lockbox vs Physical Lockbox

We recommend using both a digital lockbox and a physical lockbox. The most secure way to store your paperwork and documents is by scanning them and uploading them to a digital lockbox. Afterward, you can keep the physical copies of your documents inside of a physical lockbox.

By combining both storage solutions, you have a way to access your documents from any location and place to keep your documents safe. Furthermore, if your physical lockbox is ever destroyed or stolen, you can still access your documents in your digital lockbox.

All individuals and families must begin digitizing their paperwork and take advantage of available modern tools. You never know when you might need to access a document, and keeping it in a digital lockbox gives you 24/7 access.

Lockbox Features For Paperwork & Documents

Let’s discuss the different types of locks that lockboxes feature:

Key Lock

A key lock uses a key to open up the lockbox. Although a key lock is perfectly sufficient for many cases, keys are prone to get lost. It’s also difficult to share access to your lockbox with multiple people if you only have one key.

Combination Lock

Lockboxes can also use a combination lock. This type of lockbox has a dial on the front with the numbers 0 to 100. To open it, you will need a 3 or 4-number code that corresponds with the numbers on the dial. 

A combination lockbox is similar to the locks used on school lockers. However, combination lockboxes feature thicker metal and are more secure than school lockers.

Combination safes are one of the least expensive lockboxes for paperwork and documents because they don’t require additional parts like batteries or wires. 

Keep in mind that combination lockboxes take the longest to access. It’s easy to mess up the combination, which requires you to start over from the first number in the code. 

Keypad Lock

Keypad locks utilize all ten digits, similar to a telephone. This means it’s much easier to open your keypad lockbox compared to a combination lockbox. However, since keypad lockboxes are electronically powered with batteries, they are typically more expensive than key lockboxes and combination lockboxes.

Digital Lock

A digital lock is one step above key, combination, and keypad locks. This type of lockbox comes with a digital number pad. The number pad is similar to the one on a smartphone. 

These locks offer an additional layer of protection because of their “lockout penalty”. A lockout penalty occurs when the wrong password is entered too many times. The safe will shut down for a period of time before the password can be entered again. This feature is similar to the lockout feature on iPhones.

Biometric Lock

The final type of lockbox feature is a biometric lock, which offers the most advanced technology. The term “biometric” means that it uses retinal scan, voice recognition, facial recognition, fingerprint data, or other physical features to open the lock.

However, most biometric lockboxes use fingerprint scanners. Although this is the most expensive type of lockbox, it’s also the safest and most convenient. You also don’t have to worry about memorizing or forgetting a password since all you need is your fingerprint.

Related Questions

Let’s discuss a few common questions I always get asked about lockboxes:

Are Lock Boxes Easy To Break Into? 

Most lock boxes are easy to break into because they’re made with thinly lined steel. A burglar can use brute force to break into a lockbox. Usually, burglars will attempt to remove the lockbox from your home and transport it elsewhere. Then, they can use high-powered saws to cut through the lockbox and break into it.  

What Are The Differences Between A Lockbox And Safe?

Lockboxes are more accessible than safes because they are designed to be opened frequently. Although safes and lockboxes are both lined with metal, the lining inside of a lockbox is much thinner than a safe. This means lockboxes are less secure than safes because they are much easier to break into with force.

Final Thoughts

You should now understand that digital lockboxes are much more effective than physical lock boxes for storing paperwork and documents. Trustworthy is the best lockbox for paperwork because of its innovative set of features that secures your information and keeps it organized. OneDrive and Google Drive are more affordable solutions but come with fewer security protocols.

Trustworthy (click to start your free trial) ticks every box of what makes a lockbox for paperwork and documents.

Other Safety Deposit Box Resources

• Do Safety Deposit Boxes Cost Money (Cost Breakdown)

• 7 Different Types of Safety Deposit Boxes in 2022

• Is A Safety Deposit Box Worth It? (Yes, Here's Why)

• 5 Best Safety Deposit Box Alternatives (With Better Security)

• I Lost My Safety Deposit Box Key: Now What?

• How To Find Safety Deposit Box of Deceased (Step-By-Step)