Sorting out paperwork - what can I throw away and what do i need to keep?

[mckenzie]

Do i need to keep home insurance policies from the last few years if we have never claimed and are no longer with the same company?
Ditto car insurance policies?
How many years do i need to keep credit card bills and bank statements for?
Utility company bills?

Thanks for any advice.

and what about BUPA invoices? do I need to keep those i wonder?

TIA

Do i need to keep home insurance policies from the last few years if we have never claimed and are no longer with the same company? can't see why you would need to
Ditto car insurance policies? ditto
How many years do i need to keep credit card bills and bank statements for? not sure
Utility company bills? not sure, good to compare increased prices, or not

You can always scan them and then shred the originals.

Pay slips, bank statements, mortgage paperwork and anything to do with tax and pensions and investments would be the only things I'd keep indefinitely.

I shred my bank statements as soon as I've perused. In fact, I've signed up to online banking now so am going to ask them to stop sending me statements thru the post.

thanks for the replies. I got a bit 'gung ho' last night and threw loads of papers away (or rather put them in the bin reading for shredding/recycling).
And I'm pleased to say I did what you have now all suggested . It was a bit like therapy!
I'm not quite finished to say the least but I can see that the end is in sight and i will have a tidy study once more. Thanks all.

ooh, I just have to say that one of my car insurance companies once asked for details of who I had insured my car with, for the last five years to prove i had five years no claims............
I had thrown the old certificates out and couldn't remember all of them. (thats the trouble with changing each year for the cheapest )
Those i could remember sent me proof of no claims with no charge but I had to pay £10 to find out who i was insured with on the other years!

probably not what you wanted to hear...but if you can remember your insurance companies just make a note of them and keep that safe - just in case

thanks very much cuppateaplease. I must have been told that at some stage by someone else as i made a file not of all the company names and policy numbers before I threw them out!