Plus, if the deposit box's owner should die without providing their bank a clear plan, gaining access to the safe deposit box could revert to whatever the state law is where the box is located.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to ditch your safe deposit box, however. According to Velasquez, they are still the most ideal places for storing items you do not use on a regular basis ...

Bank Boxes Suggest Safety But There's No Guarantee. February 12, 2002 More than ... Although the contents of a safe-deposit box are secured inside a bank's facilities, ...

Even if one major bank is not offering safe deposit boxes to new customers, that does not mean others are not. Wells Fargo has them available for rent at most locations, according to a spokesperson.

Later on, the bank will have to set up appointments with safe deposit box customers, where they can recover whatever property is remaining, McGuinn said. He recalled a situation involving an Iowa bank ...