Every organization has that room where miscellaneous stuff accumulates. Most don't know what's in that room. There are holiday decorations, a couple broken chairs and rows and rows of filing cabinets. In those filing cabinets are thousands of files that everyone is afraid to get rid of, but never use.
If your organization is like most, you have thousands of documents you don't know what to do with. Well, never fear!
Remember, these are some documents that you should never get rid of:
- Tax returns
- Wills
- Powers of attorney
- Birth certificates
- Marriage documents
- Divorce and child care orders
- Trust documents
- Business agreements
- Military records (especially your DD-214)
Documents with value, such as bonds, negotiable investment instruments and stock certificates should be kept in a secure, off-site location such as a bank safety deposit box.
Some documents can be electronically scanned and stored, and the original copy thrown away or shredded. For more advice on how to properly handle and dispose of documents, read our free eBook!
