Family
Which household documents to keep, and for how long
A short list needs keeping permanently, a larger one for a few years, and most of the rest can go.
Permanent records are the ones that are difficult or impossible to replace: birth, marriage and death certificates, naturalisation papers, military discharge records, property deeds, vehicle titles, wills and powers of attorney, and records of major medical history.
Tax records are generally kept for several years after filing, and longer where property or investments are involved, because the purchase records support the eventual sale calculation. The IRS publishes the periods, and they depend on the circumstances.
Supporting documents — bank and card statements, utility bills, pay statements — are typically needed only until they have been reconciled against an annual summary or a tax return, after which most households can discard them.
Store the permanent set somewhere fire-resistant, keep a scanned copy elsewhere, and tell one other person where both are. A perfectly organised set nobody else can find is the common failure.
What to do next. Scan the permanent documents, store the originals securely, and tell one other person where they are.
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