So, what should you do about your important personal and financial documents? Which ones should you keep, and which documents should you shred?
Tony Steuer, author of "Get Ready: A Step-By-Step Planner for Maintaining Your Financial First Aid Kit," stopped by the ABC7 News studios to talk with us about how to cut down on clutter.
Steuer provided us a few recommendations from his book:
Bank account records: Keep statements & canceled checks for 6 years (receipts until statement reconciliation)
Car (title, registration, repair records): Until 6 months after sale
Home purchase documents: Keep on hand for at least 6 years after sale of home
Pay stubs: Keep for 6 years
Credit card statements and documents: If used for tax purposes, keep for 6 years; otherwise shred statements & receipts after reconciling statement, or longer if you wish to return something
Student loan records: Keep indefinitely as proof of payoff
Rental agreements: Retain for up to 6 years after agreement is terminated
Health insurance policy and documents: Until coverage ends or is canceled
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.