How long should you keep past bills?

Utility Bills: Hold on to them for a maximum of one year. Tax Returns and Tax Receipts: Just like tax-related credit card statements, keep these on file for at least three years. House and Car Insurance Policies: Shred the old ones when you receive new policies.

How long should you keep monthly statements and bills?

Hold the returns and supporting documents for at least seven years. The IRS can randomly audit you three years after you file — or six years afterward if it thinks you skipped out on reporting your income by at least 25\%.

What papers should I keep and for how long?

To be on the safe side, McBride says to keep all tax records for at least seven years. Keep forever. Records such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, Social Security cards, and military discharge papers should be kept indefinitely.

Should I shred old bank statements?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, you should shred documents containing sensitive information, including bank statements, to protect yourself from identity theft.

Should I shred utility bills?

Credit card statements and utility bills are documents that should be high on anyone’s list for shredding. Bills of that nature tend to have very sensitive information. So once payment is confirmed and you no longer need to reference that bill, make sure the document is destroyed.

Can I throw away old insurance policies?

Once you sign and pay for a new policy, the old one ceases to be valid, so unless you are interested in comparing the rates/coverages over time, [copies of old insurance policies] will provide very little value.” While you can toss old insurance policies, you’ll want to keep these financial documents forever.

Should I shred my utility bills?

Most experts suggest that you can shred many other documents sooner than seven years. After paying credit card or utility bills, shred them immediately. After one year, shred bank statements, pay stubs, and medical bills (unless you have an unresolved insurance dispute).

How long should you keep health insurance statements?

Comparing your EOBs to your monthly statements is a good way to understand what you are being charged for, and it gives you another opportunity to look for overcharges. Unlike medical bills, EOBs should be kept from three to eight years after your procedure, or indefinitely if you have a reoccurring condition.

How long should I keep life insurance statements?

You don’t need each and every monthly statement, but you may want to keep credit card statements that contain tax-related purchases for up to 7 years. Life insurance? Keep policy information for the life of the policy plus 3 years.

What should you not shred?

Expired credit and identification cards including driver’s licenses, college IDs, military IDs, employee badges, medical insurance cards, etc. (If your shredder can’t handle plastic, cut up cards with a scissors before discarding them.) Expired passports and visas.

How long should you keep 401k statements?

In general, 401k plan records must be kept for a period of not less than six years after the filing date of the IRS Form 5500 created from those records.