Hi everyone and welcome back to Money Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for a richer life.

I'm Laura Adams. Are you drowning in paper but not really sure which financial

documents are safe to throw away? In this podcast I'll tell you what

records you really need to keep and what can be tossed.

Many people are very unsure about what types of records and financial documents they should save.

I used to file everything and keep it for years and years and years.

My filing cabinets were bursting with bank statements, receipts and bills.

I kept stuffing in more Manila files and bringing in bigger filing cabinets. My office was like the

Roach Motel. Paper checked in, but it didn't check out. So I know what it's like

to accumulate a lot of paper. Now, thanks to online banking, I touch as little paper as

possible and file only what I absolutely have to. Less paper means less

clutter, less work to organize it, and fewer trees to be harvested.

So if you're up for a little spring cleaning, let's start by understanding what you can

safely throw away and what you really need to keep.

First off, here's a list of very important documents that you should keep forever, because they're impossible or very difficult to replace.

Keep the following records in a fireproof safe or in a safe deposit box.

Birth and death certificates, adoption papers, citizenship papers,

military records, marriage and divorce papers,

immunization records, passports, and social security cards, and updated

legal documents such as Wills, Estate Plans, Living Trusts, and Powers of Attorney.

Here's a quick and dirty tip. It's also a wise idea to store a list of all

your financial accounts, insurance policies, assets, and contact information for professionals

...