keeping things organized

[tabbycat31]

ok so I bought an accordian file to keep my financial documents organized (ie bank statements, credit reports, etc).

This is what I am wondering. What kind of a system do you guys have to keep your stuff organized.
What kind of statements do you keep (besides bank statements, what about cc statements, etc)
How long to keep them

[sweeps]

I keep pretty much any receipt and statement I get, and I hang on to them for about 2 years. (Longer for certain stuff -- taxes, home maintenance, etc.)

There have been many times I've pulled out an old receipt and returned/exchanged something. The trick is separating receipts monthly or quarterly. Otherwise you get this huge unmanageable mess.

[disneysteve]

Bank statements: 7 years
Tax returns: Forever
Household bills: 7 years (I know this isn't necessary but I do it anyway)
Investment statements: Keep monthly statements until quarterly summary comes. Then keep those until year-end statement comes. Save year-end statements forever (or 7 years after I sell the investment).

[tabbycat31]

I have so far for files in here.

Wachovia (checking and small savings acct)
ING Direct (most of my savings)
Fidelity (IRA)
Credit Reports
Pay Stubs (save until W-2 comes)
Putnam Investors (old ESOP, I should roll this over to an IRA)
Aetna (health coverage)

[genmed]

I also keep credit card statements along with receipts of "expensive" items or repairs to the house, etc that I might need for insurance.

For an organization system, pretty much for anything that is not "tax-related" of which all goes into an envelope with that year on it, and placed in the file cabinet by year, I scan in the statements to make pdfs and keep them electronically in folders. I also have 2 backups. One out of the house I update about one time every 3 months, the one in the house, usually every 1-2 weeks depending on how much I scanned.

[jIM_Ohio]

my system is my wife. She can organize anything. If I move the mousepad on the desk, she'll move it back for me.

[PRICEPLUS]

I usually keep things for 7 years before they get tossed.

[Elgin526]

I honestly don't keep much. Taxes by year, insurance policy info, pay stubs for 12 months, paid online bill confirmations for 12 months, mail order items until the shiped item arrives, car title, birth cert/passport/SS card. A file for my wedding in 2005 (keep that so I can give out references to my friends who are also getting married). Product warenty info for the few things we bought extended warenties for. Medical receipts so I can file for reimbursement from my flex spend account. I dont' keep bank statements because I can pull activity up online anytime I want and just print it off, including copies of canceled checks. Maybe one or two other things, this is all I can think of off the top of my head.

[scfr]

A few years ago I started using David Bach's Finish Rich file folder system and it is amazing! An extremely easy and logical system. No special equipment required (just some sort of file, hanging file forders, manilla folders, and labels). All my important papers are now in one Rubbermaid file and it's super easy to put my hands on anything I need at any time.

Here's a link to the information for free, but you may need to create a log-in. You can also find the information in one of David Bach's books such as "Smart Couples Finish Rich"

http://www.finishrich.com/pdf/worksheets-step1.pdf

[MonkeyMama]

I second keeping taxes forever and investment statements forever (or until investment is long gone).

I have a file cabinet and file everything in manilla folders. I am only 30 and I just recently cleared out some old utilities statements and stuff, because running out of room. To date I have just kept everything, before this recent clean out. The tax returns and investment statements stay. Stuff with house purchases and sales I keep in a big box. (too many refis and property transactions I guess).

credit card and bank statements - I just threw out some ancient ones. Shred shred shred.

I think 7 years is a good rule, I hoarde. I think I have all my pay stubs since I was 16 too. Probably no need to keep these once you get your W-2 for the year though. ALl that info should be with your tax return really. I certainly err on the side of keeping too much myself.

[tabbycat31]

I just shredded some paystubs from 2006 (I've already done my taxes) and some other stuff.

I have bank statements from 2000 that I think can go now. There's a good possibilitiy I could be moving in the next month or so, so I want to organize and declutter at the same time.

[creditcardfree]

I keep utility statements for one year only. I keep basic medical records forever. I keep all bank statements and file them by year. I save all receipts by month, but then shread after 90 days or more.

I keep all military pay stubs...apparently we might have to prove to the goverment some day that my husband actually worked for them!! Otherwise, I would only keep year end w2's and year end mutual fund statements.

Filing is the best way in my opinion. I really would like to start saving things on computer disks...I'm just not in the habit of scanning yet!!

[Duchesse]

I just started getting some kind of organization to my paperwork.

I have two files at this time HOUSEHOLD BILLS and INVESTMENT/BANK/IRA/SS STATEMENTS. Each folder contains a year (2001, 2002, etc). The most recent are in chronological order. I'm working on the old ones. Insurances and taxes have their own folder in my file cabinet.

I know it doesn't sound like much but if you would have seen it before. I've really it into shape. It used to take me days to find some things. I had telephone bills from l986!

[lyricallibra]

great work sheet

[PrincessPerky]

I keep all the months non tax related stuff in one folder..we don't get pay stubs, and half our bills are online, so I don't have to keep them, I like online bills/statements!

I used to keep it all, and I used to have a system for each bill..electric here, gas there, etc. I found that what I really eneded up with was three happy kids, and pile taller than my oldest of paper that was 'to be filed'

Now I have tax stuff for 7 years, and bills till I shred them...2-4 times a year.

Any reciept that I might need to return stuff for, I just call it a loss and remind myself not to buy! I do have retirement folder, and several for cool stuff the kids made, but I am not a good example, just a gal with not enough space.

[Cassandra]

I have a 1.5" binder and a manilla envelope that I use. Inside the manilla envelope are regular envelopes, labeled by the month. Inside that goes all of my deposit slips, receits, any voided checks, copies of checks, etc.

The binder is divided into the following: Pay stubs, W-2s, Filed Tax Forms, Savings Statements, Interest Statements, Checking Statements, Roth IRA, and Misc.

Cassandra

[Ini_g]

All depends of your taxes, but you are right to make more control of your papers, some says that one year is the right thing