Letter Re: Storing Cash at Home

Hugh,

A caution to those storing cash at home: Those “fire-proof” lock boxes are only relatively fire proof and are typically rated for temperatures up to 1000F for up to 20 minutes. High temperatures for long periods will completely destroy them. A severe house fire can easily exceed 1000F and take hours to extinguish.

The best place to keep them is in a basement or crawlspace, which tends to remain (relatively) cool even in a devastating fire.

Regards, Don in Oregon