A lot of paper clutter at home? How to decide which documents are worth keeping

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- You may have heard about the Marie Kondo phenomenon encouraging people to get rid of items in their home.

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.