Paper Shredding - What to Keep and What to Shred

Posted on February 13th, 2024

What documents should I permanently keep?

• Birth Certificates, Marriage Licenses, Divorce Papers, Death Certificates, Military Records, copies of your Will, Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney documents
• Copies of 1040 tax returns with W-2 stapled to the form (keep at least the past seven years)
• Non-deductible IRA contributions
• Year-end financial statements
• Accident reports and claims
• Insurance claims/Insurance policies
• Proof of Ownership, Loan/Mortgage papers
• Major Debt repayment records
• Updated household inventory
• Retirement plan, pension documents, profit sharing, 401(k)
• Notices/plan amendments for IRA and retirement savings

What documents should I discard after seven years?

• After seven years for tax related expenses or documents: write off related to worthless securities and non-business bad debts, bank records, paycheck stubs with charitable contributions, credit card statements and canceled check/receipts
• College financial aid (10 years)

What documents should I keep while you own the item?

• Car title and purchase papers or lease agreements
• Deed to house, Home Improvement records (keep seven years after the sale)
• Documents for large purchase such as cars, jewelry, furniture, computers, etc.
• Cost and/or basis of investments either bought, inherited, or received as a gift

What documents should I shred?

• Canceled checks – except those needed for taxes
• Checks deposited using Mobile Check Deposit that have been deposit for at least 90 days
• Unwanted credit card offers
• Receipts of deposits and ATM transactions – once you receive your statement and verify all transactions
• Bills – once you have paid them and the payment is seen in your account history online or on your bank statement
• Monthly or quarterly brokerage statements if the annual summarizes all transactions made throughout the year

When are your Shred Days?

We have several shred days throughout the year. See our Shred Days below.

See Shred Days!