MANAGING IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS what to keep, where to store, when to shred
ORIGINALS RARELY NEEDED: STORE IN Adoption Papers Safe-deposit box SSN Card & Citizenship Papers Safe-deposit box Divorce Decree Safe-deposit box Legal & Business Documents Safe-deposit box Household Inventory Safe-deposit box Photos of Possessions Safe-deposit box Military Discharge Safe-deposit box Veteran Papers Safe-deposit box ORIGINALS OCCASIONALLY NEEDED: STORE IN Birth & Death Certificates In-home safe Cemetery Deed In-home safe Real Estate Deeds In-home safe Passport Locked cabinet Educational Records In-home safe Guardianship Arrangements In-home safe Health & Immunization Records In-home safe Will & Power of Attorney In-home safe Marriage License In-home safe Medical Directive In-home safe Naturalization Certification In-home safe TAX DOCUMENTS: STORE IN Bank & Credit Card Statements Locked cabinet Cancelled Checks Locked cabinet Home Purchase/Improvement Locked cabinet Tax returns/supportive info Locked cabinet INVESTMENT DOCUMENTS: STORE IN Annuity Contracts Locked cabinet Loan Agreements Locked cabinet Pension Plan Documents Locked cabinet Investment Account Statements Locked cabinet
SHRED Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard SHRED Never discard Never discard 10 years after sale Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard Never discard New one signed Never discard SHRED 7 years 7 years 7 yrs after home sold 7 yrs after filing date
COPIES TO Lawyer, Executor Executor Lawyer Lawyer Financial Advisor Financial Advisor
COPIES TO
Executor Heir Executor
Executor/Guardian Doctor Executor Executor Doctor, Heir COPIES TO
SHRED COPIES TO Annuity paid out Financial Advisor 10 yrs after loan payoff Never discard Financial Advisor 7 years after last investment is sold
DIGITALY SAVED DOCUMENTS: Always set complex passwords for your devices, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on apps and websites when available. When deleting digital files from your devices: for PCs, experts advise using software that overwrites files and permanently erases individual files to prevent retrieval. If your files on a Mac, look for “file shredder” or disk cleanup software to permanently erase files. When disposing of a computer or device, “wipe” or reset your device to factory settings to remove all files and saved settings.