Spring Cleaning: Which Financial Documents to Keep/Shred

The folks at the Internal Revenue Service have an uncanny sense of timing. Most of us prepare our individual tax returns just as the clocks spring ahead and the calendar says that the Vernal Equinox will bring longer and warmer days. To celebrate, clean out the cobwebs, fire up the shredder, prepare to hit the delete button and get ready to clean up your financial life!

Here's a list that I have provided in the past of what you need to keep and for how long you need to keep it. If you have any question about whether or not to hang on to something, err on the side of being a hoarder. That said, in the digital age, you may find that you don’t have to cope with bulging files any more. In fact, maybe 2018 will be the year that you go paperless…once and for all!