General Chat

6 years minimum - but it depends how cautious you want to be.

30 years' worth is a lot of statements -
but if you could be bothered, you could scan and save them on your computer or on disc or memory stick.

You never know what might crop up in the future.
Look at PPI mis-selling, for instance. People had to be able to prove that they'd had the relevant accounts, etc, and had made the payments which they were claiming for - often from many years ago.

Also, as we family tree researchers know, old records can produce a lot of interesting background info.
A friend's grandmother kept all her shopping lists, with a note of prices, from when she was first married. At the time, her family thought it was a ridiculous thing to do - but now it's a fascinating bit of social history.

When I worked for the tax office it was 6 years for all financial matters, but that was pre-computers. I'm not sure what the law says now, but old habits die hard and we still keep ours for 6 years.

On a slightly lighter note, OH is a hoarder and I have finally managed to persuade him to let me do some clearing out - starting with bank statements from the 1950's. I had forgotten that chequebooks used to cost 10/- each!

Added to what Ann said I would just check your old joint and divorce paperwork to see if there was anything you might want to keep and shred the rest.

Think about how far you needed to go back in paperwork when your mother died and that will indicate how much you need to keep.

You can google it but there seems to me to be a lot of conflicting advice. Used to be 6 years for bank statements etc but then it inferred this was only if you had paper statements. Maybe if you are worried stick to the 6 year suggestion.

If it helps we keep all financial statements for 6 years them shred them, if anything is amiss after 6 years then to bad, they would have to prove that something was amiss.

Today as I am moving everything out of my bedroom for a new carpet, I came across a box and inside was all my old joint account statements from the last 30 years and also all the mortgage stmts etc.

Now the joint account was closed and the house re mortgaged by ex.

My actual divorce came through in mar 2021.

So how long should I keep the joint bank stmts for and also, how long should I keep all docs relating the marital home?

I'm really wanting to shred the lot and clear some space but as its just 2 years since it all was finalised, should I wait another year then destroy?

Was going to phone my lawyer but they are closed today so may tel on Monday but wondered if anyone else had been in my situation and what did they do?

Florence in the hebrides