Spring Cleaning Week: Start With Your Financial Records

Spring officially starts March 20. Tax Day, April 15, is not far behind. How are your financial records? Unruly like a wild lion? Or tame and manageable, like a little lamb? If you are scared to even look, it is time to spring clean those musty folders, conquer that mountain of bills, statements and receipts cluttering your desk, and rediscover the computer files that "must be here somewhere..." Today!

To clean up properly, experts recommend the right tools. For your financial records, start with a good shredder. Then drop your old electricity and phone bills through those motorized teeth. “Anything with routine payment shows confirmation of receipt in the next statement, so why hold onto those?” says Morris Armstrong, a financial planner in Danbury, Connecticut who blogs about personal finance. If you aren’t sure what to shred and what to file, consider this rule: If it’s been a few months and you haven’t reconciled those receipts – toss them. “Most paperwork you don’t have to keep. You don’t need those boxes of receipts," says Armstrong. "What are you going to do with them, prove to yourself that you paid your groceries?" 

As for determining what to keep, keep current insurance policies, receipts for big appliances and electronics, warranty information, contracts, property deeds, closing papers, and lease papers. Also, keep hard copy originals of estate planning documents, wills, trusts, and contractual agreements, says David Greene, Vice President of CJM Wealth Advisers in Fairfax, Va. Keep tax records for seven years and, if you have somewhat complex returns, and are wary of an audit, keep tax records even longer.