How long do you keep yours

Bank statements, utility bills, credit card bills, receipts.

How long do you keep yours for before shredding?

Reply to
Biscit
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I don't get bank statements, I just check them online.

Utility bills, keep for about a year or until the filing cabinet falls over.

Credit cards, done online.

Receipts, same as utility bills.

Reply to
getbent

There are two rules of thumb:

1) Throw paperwork away when you no longer need it 2) You will need it as soon as you have thrown it away.

I am a terrible hoarder but recently needed returned cheques ( remember those?) from 25 years ago.

My experience is that it depends on how methodical you are and whether you have space.

I am not and I havent - which results in a 'needle in haystack' syndrome.

But if you extrapolate the increase in intrusive legislation, you will soon have to account for everything in your past existence.

End of unhelpful advice.

Flop

Reply to
Flop

Bitstring , from the wonderful person Biscit said

3 years. However the data is archived in .XLS format forever.

As long as the warranty was good for. For non capital items, until I get the bank or credit card statement.

I burn mine. Free energy.

Reply to
GSV Three Minds in a Can

In message of Mon, 24 Oct 2005, Biscit writes

If you are Self Employed you need to keep financial records for 5 years from 31st January following the end of the relevant tax year; even for private financial records.

DF

Reply to
David Floyd

It's silly in this day and age that some organisations do not allow totally "paperless" billing.

My water company does not offer it, and my council tax does not have online billing, and the envelope also has a lot of other crap in with it about how the council tax is spent, when that data is avaliable online.

It's always a bit of a pain the amount of shopping receipts I seem to get. I sometimes wonder if shops could subscribe to some sort of online billing service where you have the option of choosing a "paperless receipt" and then view it online together with all your other receipts, or even import them directly into quicken/quickbooks or msmoney.

Reply to
Adrian Boliston

This is a good idea, until you have to try to prove your identity/address.

Reply to
Snuggles

A pdf bill printout on a decent printer is often better quality than a "hardcopy" direct from the utility company.

Reply to
Adrian Boliston

I've never shredded any of mine yet.

Reply to
Jonathan Bryce

I wonder how the absence of bank statements affects probate and IHT when that time arrives?

Reply to
AnthonyL

Snuggles wrote

Or until someone else 'proves' his identity with your name and address.

I never did manage to winkle out just what they used to identify themselves at two 'reputable' city stores in my name, but it cost me nothing except a zero interest loan on my last PC.

I suspect that stores are only too willing to grab a sale even if inadequate ID is given, and the same bank was under-writing both stores' credit.

Reply to
Gordon

I don't throw any of them away.

About half way through a year I archive the last years paperwork.

Reply to
Peter Saxton

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