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How to Organize Important Documents

For both security and in case of an emergency, it’s important to store critical personal, financial, and legal documents in a safe, secure, and an easy to access manner.

Having an organized system can ensure that you know exactly where to find these documents when you need them.

  • Before you can start to organize your documents, you should know which ones are worth keeping and which you can get rid of and shred. Some important documents to definitely keep include:
    • Passports
    • Social security cards
    • Wills
    • Medical records
    • Marriage/divorce certificates
    • Birth/death certificates
    • Investment records
    • Bank statements
    • Vehicle registrations
    • Credit card statements
    • Insurance policies
    • Mortgage/loan agreements
    • Property deeds
    • Investment portfolios
  • Categorize them into different subgroups such as personal, financial, home/auto, and health, so that everything is easier to find.
  • Separate things that need to be kept indefinitely versus paperwork that only needs to be stored temporarily or until a certain amount of time has passed. Going through the latter of these folders regularly can limit clutter and unnecessary paper. Create a set routine time for this, for example, the first day of every month or every other month.
  • Store them in a filing cabinet or safe to keep your documents in good physical condition.

Organizing your important paperwork might sound like a huge dreaded project, but once it’s done, you’ll be glad you stuck with it. Knowing that everything has a place, and knowing exactly where that place is is worth the hassle.

As you get your home more organized, you’ll want it more clean too! Visit The Cleaning Authority today for a free online estimate.