How many of you sit at home with a giant pile of documents on your desk that you’re unsure what to do with? If that sounds like you, then no worries! We understand how frustrating this can be. After all, how do you know what to keep and what to toss? Many people think it would be easier to hold onto these documents just in case rather than toss them and need them in the future.
However, with some planning, you can figure out what you should keep and what you can safely throw away without a problem. We at Postal Xpress N More want to help you know what is important and what can be shredded, so read on to learn more!
YOUR OPTIONS
You probably receive junk mail and other unnecessary documents in the mail all of the time. When it comes to knowing what to do with them, you have three good options: You can store them for a limited amount of time, digitize them, or throw them away. Of course, there are documents that are not included in this list. For example, you need to keep physical copies of the following items forever:
- Birth and death certificates
- Social security cards
- Pension plan documents
- ID cards and passports
- Marriage license
- Business license
- Any insurance policy
- Wills, living wills, and powers of attorney
- Vehicle titles and loan documents
- House deeds and mortgage documents
You always want to keep anything that is related to state or federal records. This is because you may need them again in the future, and they are very hard to replace since you usually need to reach out directly to the government agency that handles those documents.
STORE DIGITALLY/KEEP IN A SAFE PLACE
If you are leaning towards less paper in your home, you can always create a digital collection of important documents. If you are worried about having only digital copies, then feel free to keep the paper ones! Just file them away and don’t keep them too long – otherwise, you’ll have a big ol’ pile of papers for no reason.
- Tax records – Keep these for seven years in case you need them for an audit or other purposes
- Pay stubs – Keep for one year
- Home purchase or sale documents – Keep these for six years after you sell your home
- Medical records and bills – Keep these for one year in case there are any payment disputes
- Warranties or proof of purchase
GET RID OF THE REST
If the documents are no longer relevant or you know it won’t take too long to replace them if you need, then get rid of them! However, simply throwing them into the trash won’t do the trick. That can be risky, as many of these documents hold your personal information. Shred them professionally to ensure that they have been properly disposed of! Contact Postal Xpress N More. We are happy to help you with any sensitive documentation you might have.