[ 2020 ] Long term, secure, online cloud storage vendor recommendations

[bbodb1]

So finally, after all these years of putting if off, ignoring, forgetting, and/or just plain not wanting to do it - we finally did something we should have done years ago. The wife and I finally met with a lawyer to address many of the legal concerns a person (and a couple - especially with children) should address.

In the process of forming a trust, we are also going to address a will, power of attorney, and living will instructions. At present, we are still in the middle (well, actually about 2/3rds of the way through) of this process and we hope to be done with it by the end of this calendar year. In the process of discussing this with our kids, one of the subjects that came up was where to store / how to access these documents when (and where) needed. It should also be noted that our kids are very geographically spread across the United States, so placing these documents in a safe deposit box really is NOT an option here.

My thinking is an online, cloud based, SECURE, storage option would be the best option for us because access to these seldom needed (but when needed they need to be quickly accessible) documents might be needed in California, Carolina, or some other point in between. Does anyone have a recommendation for an online, cloud based, secured, document storage facility / vendor?

My first thought was such storage needs would not need to be very large because legal papers (even as lengthy as they can be) could easily be stored in 1GB or less.
But the more I think about this, I would like to store other documents (mainly copies of monthly or quarterly statements from financial institutions, insurance carriers, etc) that might be needed by our heirs if the wife and I depart this world quickly and concurrently. Anything to make the job a bit easier on those who are left behind when the wife and/or I depart...

So, can anyone suggest a vendor who provides such a service - and is NOT Google (or anything at all like them)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dioxide45]

Isn't any cloud storage going to be like Google? You could use Dropbox. I think they give 5GB for free. But it is kinda like Google, it is cloud storage afterall. You can store a lot of documents in 1GB of space. 5GB should be more than enough and you really don't need to keep anything more than the last quarterly statement. They really just need a list of accounts and account numbers, not the actual statement.

Don't use a safe deposit box. Those can be a pain to access once they find out the person is deceased.

 

[Cornell]

I, too, vote Drop Box or a One Drive account (that's kind of like Google though)?

I can't stand those 3 ring binders that the lawyers provide w/all that stuff. I scanned all my docs and then then uploaded them along w/copies of other docs like passports, drivers licenses, birth certificates, tax returns, etc.

My financial planner actually provides as a service to their clients a cloud-based storage area. And that's what I use . It's come in handy several times to be able to retrieve these docs easily .

 

[SusanRN]

You probably should ask your attorney if cloud storage is appropriate for a Will, Power of Attorney, and Living Will. My (limited) experience is that documents with original signatures are required for recognition by the Probate Court. A photocopy, for instance, can eventually lead to appointment as an administrator of a Will but requires an additional application and Court approval. Original was also required for submission to a hospital as of four years ago.
Susan

 

[Brett]

You probably should ask your attorney if cloud storage is appropriate for a Will, Power of Attorney, and Living Will. My (limited) experience is that documents with original signatures are required for recognition by the Probate Court. A photocopy, for instance, can eventually lead to appointment as an administrator of a Will but requires an additional application and Court approval. Original was also required for submission to a hospital as of four years ago.
Susan

But if it's a trust (what the OP indicated) electronic signatures and PDF copies of the trust, will & testament, appointment of trustee, etc. are all accepted. There is no probate court or administrator of the will. I just went through this with my mother's estate. We did not have to send any original documents, we signed electronically and sent all PDF documents by secure email.

 

[bbodb1]

Isn't any cloud storage going to be like Google? You could use Dropbox. I think they give 5GB for free. But it is kinda like Google, it is cloud storage afterall. You can store a lot of documents in 1GB of space. 5GB should be more than enough and you really don't need to keep anything more than the last quarterly statement. They really just need a list of accounts and account numbers, not the actual statement.

My concerns with Google revolves around their privacy - or lack of same - with respect to data. Now to be fair, while one pays nothing to Google for the right to use their products, the quid pro quo Google extracts comes from mining your data and sending targeted advertising your way. I don't want my info used for this purpose, so that's why I eliminated Google from my consdieration right form the start. I do agree with you @dioxide45 that using Google would be easy, familiar, and (most importantly) likely to endure over the long term as one really can't see the company going anywhere. I would prefer to avoid having to change platforms when one company ends their existence for whatever reasons.

Don't use a safe deposit box. Those can be a pain to access once they find out the person is deceased.

I think this would be addressed via the forming of the trust as the safe deposit box would be in the name of the trust as well. However, given our geographic dispersion, a safe deposit box really isn't a useful option and that is to say nothing about the time required to access this box if a life / death situation were to occur.

 

[bbodb1]

I, too, vote Drop Box or a One Drive account (that's kind of like Google though)?

Dropbox and OneDrive are commonly and consistently mentioned as I read through articles from websites like PCMag, CNet, etc as I search for this type of service. The one advantage to these paid storage services should be a lack of data mining - but that means needing to read through some of the fine print...which for something this important is definitely worth doing.

I can't stand those 3 ring binders that the lawyers provide w/all that stuff. I scanned all my docs and then then uploaded them along w/copies of other docs like passports, drivers licenses, birth certificates, tax returns, etc.

I am right there with you, @Cornell as years ago, I bought an all in one scanner / printer and have been archiving (then shredding) many, many documents. I have a dedicated folder on my hard drive that I currently (and periodically) copy to a flash drive for computer disaster recovery purposes.

My financial planner actually provides as a service to their clients a cloud-based storage area. And that's what I use . It's come in handy several times to be able to retrieve these docs easily .

In our case, our lawyer uses Clio (another file sharing type of service), but I really had not heard of this previously. I don't know if this service is geared toward consumer uses matching my needs, but I will be checking out that possibility.

 

[bbodb1]

You probably should ask your attorney if cloud storage is appropriate for a Will, Power of Attorney, and Living Will. My (limited) experience is that documents with original signatures are required for recognition by the Probate Court. A photocopy, for instance, can eventually lead to appointment as an administrator of a Will but requires an additional application and Court approval. Original was also required for submission to a hospital as of four years ago.
Susan

But if it's a trust (what the OP indicated) electronic signatures and PDF copies of the trust, will & testament, appointment of trustee, etc. are all accepted. There is no probate court or administrator of the will. I just went through this with my mother's estate. We did not have to send any original documents, we signed electronically and sent all PDF documents by secure email.

Good morning @SusanRN and @Brett - as Brett mentions, the avoidance of probate (to the largest degree possible) was one of the factors that pushed us to finally get our legal affairs in order. Both of my wife's parents died several years ago, and while (fortunately) their estate was not complicated to deal with, the time required (mostly waiting, but seeing all of the functions the executor -if that is the proper term- had to carry out) was considerable and (one would think) as was the expense. We're definitely wanting to be as sure as we can be that our kids (and grandkids) are provided for as seamlessly as possible when time expires for the wife and I.

Picking up further on your point Susan, one thought that crossed my mind is how to access the required documents in a timely and effort-less manner when the documents are needed immediately. Once the trust is completely set up, I plan on providing a copy of the appropriate documents to both my wife's and my primary physician for their files, but what is the likelihood of needing their services in a critical moment? It would seem more likely to need these documents at a random ER somewhere if something bad happens, so one thing that is difficult to know is how would a hospital or medical facility handle someone presenting end of life care documents to them (especially if electronic)? I would think the acceptance of such documents (in the current environment) would be steadily increasing, but I planned on reaching out to a couple of random hospitals (hospitals where I have NO existing relationship with) to verify this. Have you had to deal with this in your professional role, Susan?

 

[Big Matt]

I would not worry at all about cloud storage privacy. Your legal documents are worthless to anyone except your heirs. Same thing with family photos, etc. You may want to consider encrypted storage of tax returns, etc. Very simple to do. Also, you should talk to the attorney to see what services they offer in relation to this. They will have a copy of your documents. They may have them archived somewhere, or in the cloud.

 

[Brett]

Good morning @SusanRN and @Brett - as Brett mentions, the avoidance of probate (to the largest degree possible) was one of the factors that pushed us to finally get our legal affairs in order. Both of my wife's parents died several years ago, and while (fortunately) their estate was not complicated to deal with, the time required (mostly waiting, but seeing all of the functions the executor -if that is the proper term- had to carry out) was considerable and (one would think) as was the expense. We're definitely wanting to be as sure as we can be that our kids (and grandkids) are provided for as seamlessly as possible when time expires for the wife and I.

Picking up further on your point Susan, one thought that crossed my mind is how to access the required documents in a timely and effort-less manner when the documents are needed immediately. Once the trust is completely set up, I plan on providing a copy of the appropriate documents to both my wife's and my primary physician for their files, but what is the likelihood of needing their services in a critical moment? It would seem more likely to need these documents at a random ER somewhere if something bad happens, so one thing that is difficult to know is how would a hospital or medical facility handle someone presenting end of life care documents to them (especially if electronic)? I would think the acceptance of such documents (in the current environment) would be steadily increasing, but I planned on reaching out to a couple of random hospitals (hospitals where I have NO existing relationship with) to verify this. Have you had to deal with this in your professional role, Susan?

I will add that a person does not need a trust document to avoid probate. Designating children and others as beneficiaries and transfer-on-death registration does the same thing.
(mostly )

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I chose Dropbox for cloud storage over other options because Dropbox allows you to store files on both a local system and the cloud, and drops automatically syncs. You can also decide which files or folders you want to have available both locally and in the cloud. If you don't specify local storage, then storage will be cloud only. (Cloud only is default.)

That feature is extremely useful during times when internet is down and I need to access files. I also feed more secure knowing vital information is backed both locally and on the cloud.

 

[easyrider]

I should get with the times. Our Attorney has our original WILL's and other documents and I have copies in the safe. I haven't considered using the cloud yet. Is this what most people are doing ?

Bill

 

[SusanRN]

Good morning @SusanRN and @Brett - as Brett mentions, the avoidance of probate (to the largest degree possible) was one of the factors that pushed us to finally get our legal affairs in order. Both of my wife's parents died several years ago, and while (fortunately) their estate was not complicated to deal with, the time required (mostly waiting, but seeing all of the functions the executor -if that is the proper term- had to carry out) was considerable and (one would think) as was the expense. We're definitely wanting to be as sure as we can be that our kids (and grandkids) are provided for as seamlessly as possible when time expires for the wife and I.

Picking up further on your point Susan, one thought that crossed my mind is how to access the required documents in a timely and effort-less manner when the documents are needed immediately. Once the trust is completely set up, I plan on providing a copy of the appropriate documents to both my wife's and my primary physician for their files, but what is the likelihood of needing their services in a critical moment? It would seem more likely to need these documents at a random ER somewhere if something bad happens, so one thing that is difficult to know is how would a hospital or medical facility handle someone presenting end of life care documents to them (especially if electronic)? I would think the acceptance of such documents (in the current environment) would be steadily increasing, but I planned on reaching out to a couple of random hospitals (hospitals where I have NO existing relationship with) to verify this. Have you had to deal with this in your professional role, Susan?

I last worked in a hospital four years ago (then worked for a college through my July retirement). At that time the (large, med school-connected) hospital required end-of-life-care documents to have original signatures in order to be put into effect. A photocopy was not accepted. Things certainly may have changed since then. Checking with local hospitals is a good idea.
Another suggestion. An organization in my state (Maryland) encourages residents to complete living wills and gives them a small magnetic case in which the document can be rolled up small and then attached to the refrigerator. That way it can easily be found by relatives or even the authorized administrators of a retirement home.
There's no reason you can't have multiple signed copies of the same document.
Susan

 

[dioxide45]

I chose Dropbox for cloud storage over other options because Dropbox allows you to store files on both a local system and the cloud, and drops automatically syncs. You can also decide which files or folders you want to have available both locally and in the cloud. If you don't specify local storage, then storage will be cloud only. (Cloud only is default.)

That feature is extremely useful during times when internet is down and I need to access files. I also feed more secure knowing vital information is backed both locally and on the cloud.

OneDrive allows you do do the same.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

OneDrive allows you do do the same.

When I poked around OneDrive I didn't see that option described or mentioned anywhere. Maybe a feature that they added since I investigated?

 

[dioxide45]

When I poked around OneDrive I didn't see that option described or mentioned anywhere. Maybe a feature that they added since I investigated?

We have OneDrive for business, so perhaps there is a difference between the business and consumer product.

 

[isisdave]

I use Google Drive. I don't have any privacy concerns. It automatically uploads anything I put in its designated directory tree, one folder of which I called "Online Documents." In that folder are all the document we might need while traveling. I can read or download from anywhere. You can sync all, or just certain directories, to one or more other computers.

It's inexpensive. Most pictures are free. Every three months, Google sends an email reminding me to keep my assignment of digital heir current, and what will happen if I don't long on for a year or something.

 

[LannyPC]

What would be a good option for a free service (not a lot of memory is needed) where, for example, I take pictures on my cell phone, I don’t want to keep them on my phone because they eat up a lot of memory, but I want to store them in a cloud so I can access them later from one of my other devices such as my tablet computer or home desktop. Any recommendations please.

TIA

 

[PigsDad]

What would be a good option for a free service (not a lot of memory is needed) where, for example, I take pictures on my cell phone, I don’t want to keep them on my phone because they eat up a lot of memory, but I want to store them in a cloud so I can access them later from one of my other devices such as my tablet computer or home desktop. Any recommendations please.

TIA

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you have unlimited photo storage in the cloud; no additional fee. Amazon stores the images at their original, full resolution, whereas some other services store them at reduced resolution, so be careful what you choose.

Kurt

 

[dioxide45]

I agree with the Prime recommendation. I've used it to back up photos in the past before. Now we pay for Adobe Cloud as part of a Lightroom subscription. Used 1.5TB of the 2TB we have.