How long to keep paperwork for?

[escapingthecity]

Am decluttering and we have boxes and boxes and piles and piles of paperwork which I am desperate to organise. DH says we can chuck everything to do with our old flat, which we bought 10 years ago and sold 5 years ago. Can we get rid of it all? Or should we keep it just in case? (I'm not sure what kind of in case.)

Ditto all the old credit card statements and mortgage statements and utility bills. How far back should we keep stuff?

Bump in case anyone can help

Financial stuff generally 6 years. Unless you have an online account you can access?

I was under the impression it was 7 years, but not sure where I read that.

I agree that 6 years (say 7 to be on the safe side) is the usual cutoff. If it's something older that you think that you should keep (eg stuff relating to the flat) then is digital storage the answer?

Ditto all the old credit card statements and mortgage statements and utility bills. How far back should we keep stuff?
It might be an idea to scan a sample-statement of each, so that you have reference numbers if you need them in the future.

6 years is helpful - will ditch the older bank statements when I have a shredder.

How about property transaction records? Somehow I feel we should keep those for longer but I don't know why

I keep paper bank statements for a year. My house sale and divorce paperwork I thinned and thinned and thinned, I've kept the very basic stuff only.