Slaying the Paper Piles

Share:

MoneyWise

Religion & Spirituality


Do you have piles of paper on your desk at home? Never sure which receipts, statements and documents to save and which to shred? You’re not alone. Even the best household money managers struggle with paper clutter. But if you’re ready to dig your way out and slay those piles of paper, we’ll share a simple way to do it. Romans 13:7 says, Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed. It’s pretty hard to do that if you don’t have some kind of record keeping system in place and you’re not sure what papers you need to keep and for how long. You can toss at least half of everything that ends up in your mailbox! However, you should never just toss unwanted mail directly into your recycling bin or trash can. It could contain unwanted credit offers that identity thieves could use to open accounts in your name. Get a shredder.You want one that makes cross-cuts. In one pass, it will cut paper into strips and then cross-chop those strips into tiny pieces. You can even take it a step further and get a micro-cut shredder. It does the same thing, but the cross-cuts are really, really small. Set up a 3-drawer system. This is based on how long you need to hang onto things. Anything that doesn’t go in one of the three drawers goes straight into the shredder. In your first drawer go documents you need to keep permanently, things like your birth certificate, passport, car titles, property deeds, marriage certificates and your Social Security card. In drawer #2 go giving unto Caesar things. Keep anything you need to fill out your 1040 including supporting forms like W2s and 1099sdefinitely anything where the IRS was also mailed a copy. In the last drawer goes all the material you need to keep for just one yearthings like utility bills, bank statements, pay stubs, and bills. After that you can feed them into your shredder. On today’s program we also answer some of your calls: Should we pay off our mortgage with our income or put the extra cash into retirement? As a giver to ministries, I’ve not been itemizing things on my tax returns. Is there any advantage for me to go with the required minimum distribution procedure? What steps do I need to take to get my bank to transfer my regular IRA into a Roth? And is that a good idea? Remember, you can call in to ask your questions 24/7 at (800) 525-7000 or email them toQuestions@MoneyWise.org. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can listen to past programs, connect with a MoneyWise Coach, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app. Like and Follow us on Facebook at MoneyWise Media for the very latest discussion! And remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29