In my latest video, I went over how to organize your personal finance documents. My system is completely paperless, but here is a list of documents you should never shred.
-
Academic records (Transcripts, Diplomas, Certifications)
-
Adoption Papers
-
Bankruptcy Documentation
-
Birth Certificates
-
Car Titles
-
Citizenship Papers
-
Death Certificates
-
Deed and Mortgages
-
Divorce Certificates
-
Driver’s Licenses
-
Estate Planning Documents (Wills, Trusts, Health Proxies, etc.)
-
Immunization Records
-
Loan Payoffs
-
Marriage Certificates
-
Military Service Records
-
Passports
-
Social Security Cards
-
Vehicle Registrations
-
Anything With A Raised Seal
Annie,If my mom died in 2015, how long should I hang onto her records? The estate was settled long ago. Luckily, we switched her all her assets into a trust and all went fairly smoothly.
Hey Kelly,Since it’s all been settled and switched, I would recommend to just hold onto the death certificate and then scan the rest of the paperwork for digital copy you can keep.
I have a great deal of the important stuff scanned. I bet the lawyer really has it all digitally; I’ll ask him how long he holds it.I have 3 giant notebooks; scanning wouldn’t be fun. I had to do that for a non-profit I am secretary for after a fire water everything and that was a bear. I declared we are going Google on our documents from now on.