How Long to Keep Paperwork

A general guide for US households. Check your own situation for anything unusual.

I once kept eleven years of utility bills in a box labelled Important. None of it was. This is the sorting guide I use now. It is general guidance, not legal or tax advice.

The sheet, in text

Shred after a month

• ATM and store receipts, once checked
• Paid utility bills
• Expired coupons and offers

Keep for a year

• Pay stubs, until your W-2 matches
• Monthly bank statements
• Paid medical bills

Keep with tax records

• Returns and everything backing them
• Three years at minimum
• Seven if you want to be safe

Keep while you own it

• Car title and loan papers
• Home purchase and improvement records
• Warranties and manuals

Keep forever

• Birth and marriage certificates
• Social Security cards, passports
• Wills and estate documents

Make it stick

• One inbox tray, emptied weekly
• Scan what you can, then shred

What I would actually use for this

Do the sheet first. If you still need something afterwards, these are the ones from my own shortlist that fit this job.

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