To kick off the year, I’ve been running a filing series. So far we’ve looked at:

Why Willy-Nilly Filing Systems Suck – Plan Ahead for the Best Filing System
What you should include in your filing system outline

Mistakes when making a filing system are common, especially if you’ve never set one up before. Here are some mistakes that will sink the typical filing system (which is why it’s good to plan).
Too few categories – such as putting bills, stocks, and employment info all together because they have money in common. You need to split categories up into more manageable chunks that make …read more

in the last post, Why Willy-Nilly Filing Systems Suck – Plan Ahead for the Best Filing System, I said I’d be back with a basic plan for what you should include in your filing system outline.
Here are some major categories you need to plan for:
Taxes – and if I were you, I’d plan to separate them by year.
Insurance:

Home or renters
Health (per person)
Dental (per person)
Auto (per car)

Medical records per person.
Receipts:

Repairs for home or car.
Health care costs.
Purchases.
Holiday – I always keep holiday receipts for a couple of months, just in case.

Banking – separated by account; also you can include credit card …read more

With the New Year right here upon us, you may have set a goal for finally getting those papers, brochures, and other important documents filed properly. You can get motivated, go nuts, and fast track a filing set-up, but the chances of it fulfilling all your filing needs, or lasting for the long-term, are slim.
The number one best thing you can do is make an outline BEFORE you set up your filing system. Why?
You likely have tons of various documents, warranties, and other important papers. If you’re going to be able to find them, they need to be filed in …read more