Organize Your Financial Documents So Nothing Slips

You do not need a filing system worthy of an accountant. You need one folder structure you set up once and trust, so nothing slips while your attention is elsewhere.

The five folders

• Income: pay stubs, tax returns, anything that shows money coming in.
• Accounts: bank, retirement, and investment statements.
• House: mortgage, insurance, tax bills, big repair receipts.
• Debts: credit cards, loans, anything with a balance.
• Legal: everything from the court or the attorneys.

One rule keeps it working

When a document arrives, it goes into its folder that day, or into a single tray you empty every Sunday. That is the whole system. The tray keeps the good days easy and the hard days recoverable.

Digital copies

Photograph anything paper and drop it in matching folders in your cloud drive. If a statement is ever needed on short notice, it is on your phone.