Save it or Shred it
Keep for 1 month
- Credit card receipts
- Sales receipts for minor purchases
- Withdrawal and deposit slips
Toss after you have checked them against your monthly statement
Keep for 1 year
- Paycheck stubs
- Monthly bank, credit card, mutual fund, brokerage and retirement account statements
Keep for 7 years
- Taxes
- W-2's, 1099s and other tax return items
(Checks to back-up tax returns) - Year end credit card statements, brokerage and mutual fund summaries
Keep indefinitely
- Receipts for major purchases
- Real estate and residence records
- Wills and trusts
Keep in safe deposit box
- Birth and death certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Insurance policies
- Divorce papers
Cynthia Braun is a certified professional organizer for Suffolk County, New York
