Spring Cleaning Into Action

Spring is officially here and tax season is over (for most of us). With the daylight hours being longer, it feels like we have more time in each day.
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Now is the time to take a few of those hours weekly and tend to some financial "Spring Cleaning". It's not just about tossing what you no longer need, but also being mindful of where the information is located and can your loved ones access it in an emergency?

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What to Save & What to Shred

1. Go Paperless - Switching from paper bills/receipts to digital online forms is easily managed in the account settings. For added security, shred old bills and receipts that contain your name, address and account number.

2. Loans - Always keep the original loan documents until the debt is paid off. Also keep the document stating that the debt is paid in full. All other monthly statements cluttering your files can be shredded.

3. Credit Cards - If you like to keep the statements to show purchases made, consider going paperless and downloading the statements each month into a file on your computer.

​4. Life Insurance - In addition to retaining your original policy, have you appointed a beneficiary? Do they have access to the policy? Do you have other policies that were purchased years prior but long-forgotten? Now is the time to review all your policies and let your executor and beneficiaries know where you keep copies.

5. Retirement Accounts - Make sure your forms are up to date, and let your executor and beneficiaries know where you keep copies.

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Money Managers Inc recently posted a Forbes article authored by Kelly Phillips Erb which inspired this blog post. Click here to read the full article.

Need Help Getting Organized?

Our In Case Of Emergency (ICE) Binder is what you need for clutter-free access to essential information, including advance planning documents. If you're tech savvy, you can digitize all pertinent medical, health and advanced care planning information in a secure online format that is accessible 24/7 via smartphone, tablet and computer. Be prepared because life happens...

​Click here to purchase online.

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Now that you rid yourself of the paper clutter, the rest of your home will seem like a breeze to clean!