Posted: 8/24/2015 1:36:17 PM EDT
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Just cleaning out old documents today. They consist mostly of:
Tax returns Wills Power of Attorneys Marriage / Death Certificates High School Diplomas Vehicle / Property Titles - Deeds I'm tempted to get rid of all the paper copies after I scan them in. Making multiple copies on DVD and flash drive, stash a copy at my brothers house and elsewhere. Anyone else done this? I guess paper copies are handy, but I can always print off a PDF from my scans. I've never had any place refuse any of my scans as proper ID as I have done this before. |
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You should keep the vital statistics ones, birth, death etc.
I would keep deeds etc as well. You never know when those will become an issue I think 7 years is the number of years you are expected to save tax returns Why keep a POA after its expired unless its a factor in a current dispute |
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Tax forms for 7 years is the general concept. If scanned you could print them out so I somewhat see this but I also have super simple taxes these days cause I just work a job and don't have a lot of other stuff going on. Anything like a deed to property, title to a car, birth certificate, death certificate, and basically legal titles to stuff I would keep all together. I would also have copies and yeah you can send off and get replacement copies usually but sometimes it is hard to do it. Bills and stuff I ordered off the net or receipts for other stuff, I usually don't keep much of that stuff. My last credit card bill will show a current balance and last months payment and info and what not. I still keep a few wandering around and yeah I can get on the net for it as well but overall it comes down to me being able to show 2 or 3 things for the one credit card bill that would show I pay in full and they said it was paid in full so I hate that your system got acid reflux but no I don't wish to pay you more money until I order something else. Any contracts I tend to always keep. If it is some tiny thing then no biggy. but sale of a property or whatever I tend to keep. Read up on cd rot or whatever it is called, I never knew they could rot. I kind of want to order some of the cheap sets of small thumb drives but I wonder what their lifespan would be if hardly ever used. And last but not least, theplacewithnoname gets into electronic copies of stuff really well and overall is just a good doomer site to read up on katrina stuff. I am due for my yearly refresher cause it has lots of good info on it. |
Replacing any of that stuff when you find a place that does require originals (pretty common with birth certificates, at least) would be a huge PITA. If it were me (and it has been  ) I would scan everything and put copies wherever you wish, but take all the originals, stick 'em in a bug and mouse-proof box, and stash them away in the attic or basement or something. They may rot away to nothing without ever being called upon, but it's a couple cubic feet (if that) of pretty cheap insurance.
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I just keep required stuff in paper Bills and all other non-critical docs are digital, multiple backups. Of course, business receipts are kept  . The accountant loves me  .I have gone auto-withdraw and paperless on bills. One less thing to worry about. I just have to make sure I pay myself every month, or if I need to buy something big. Lastpass for passwords so everything is super hard to crack and each site is unique helps a lot with online security, IMHO. |