Time has flown. I can't believe summer is over and we're half way through fall (at least it feels that way). Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it. I (and my team of organizers) have been busy organizing and unpacking many families that have relocated in or to Chicago.
Recently I've decided to change up what I lug my organizing gear and client paperwork in. These are my two new purchases. I thought I'd share them with you because I really like them. Maybe you'd find them usual as well.
This first picture is a called a sqaure stuff bucket. Stuff buckets come in all shapes, sizes and colors. I'm going to keep my scissors, labels, label maker, measuring tape, postits, Sharpies, calculator, etc. inside.
This second picture shows a File Tote by Jamie Raquel. It is very cool and comes in many different colors. I picked black with a plaid lining. If you tote paperwork around in your car or for your job like me, you'll love this product.
If you're not following Amber's blog, you're missing out. Here's a recent post.
5 Clues for a Clutter-Free Car
Keeping a clean car is easier than you think. Here’s five clues to keeping your car clutter free.
Each time you leave your car, scan the floors and cup holders for trash. Throw the trash out no matter where your day takes you to prevent your car from smelling. Sometimes I find myself throwing my car trash out inside a bank lobby or an office building. If you must, designate a garbage spot inside your car.
Clean out your trunk on a regular basis to avoid toting miscellaneous stuff around. For example, in the winter take out the umbrellas and sports equipment. In the summer remove the ice scraper and the sidewalk salt.
Do pay attention to the little things- sunglasses, CDs, coins, pens, gum, etc. All of these little things add up. Make sure each of these doesn’t get out of control by having an organizer or system in place.
Items that pertain to running errands (i.e. dry cleaning) and purchases we need to return to stores add to car clutter. Designate one bin or container to collect and catch these items in your car’s backseat or trunk. This way you won’t miss the opportunity while out of the house, forget the overdue library books, or loose the DVD you have to return to Blockbuster.
Amber has invited Financial Advisor, Adam Paoli to share his knowledge with us. Read on to here his great tips!
Paper: What to Keep and Not to Keep?
It easier- and more important- than you think.
Welcome to the “information age,” where we have immediate access to just about any information we want, when and where we want it. Whether it’s breaking news, our favorite music, or even the latest stock prices, all most of us have to do to get what we want is click on our IPods and, in the blink of an eye, the information we need is delivered into our hands. Unless, of course, we are looking for personal financial records. When we need to find that kind of information, most of us still do what we’ve always done: we dig through the piles of envelopes, folders and statements we keep stashed in drawers, closets and basements, hoping to find the single piece of paper we need.
Why is this? For many of us, the only real solution to preserving our important financial records is to do it the old fashioned way: in a filing cabinet.
So how (and which) financial records should we preserve, and how long should we preserve them for? Here are some helpful hints:
IRA Contributions – Regardless of your current age, you should hold on to your IRA contribution records until you begin taking distributions from your account(s) at retirement. The reason: if you made non-tax deductible contributions, you’ll want to be able to prove that you’ve already paid taxes on the funds you are withdrawing.
IRA Statements – You will generally receive two different types of IRA statements: one showing contributions, the other showing balances. Your account balance statements arrive at the end of every quarter and the end of every year. You should keep your quarterly statements for one year, then dispose of them once you’ve matched them up with your yearly statement. You should keep your year-end statements until you start making withdrawals at retirement.
Bank Records – Your bank records (canceled checks, monthly statements, credit card balances, etc.) are important documents because you can use them to prove that you actually paid specific bills, made charitable contributions, performed home improvements, or paid for other tax-deductible expenses. As you receive these statements, separate out the records that relate to taxes and keep them for seven years; if they relate to your home or business, you should keep them for as long as you own the business or stay in your home. The rest, including the monthly bank statement itself, you can throw away.
Bills – There is no reason to hang on to billing statements once you’ve paid the bill, so feel free to shred these as soon as you pay them. Bills relating to larger purchases, however, (cars, jewelry, musical instruments, or other valuable items); or those showing proof of tax deductible expenses, should be kept for as long as you own the property. You may also need these records for insurance purposes should the items be lost, damaged or stolen.
Tax Returns – As a general rule, you should hold on to your tax returns for seven years. The IRS has three years from your filing date to audit your tax return if it suspects you have made a good faith error. (The three-year rule also applies if you discover an error and wish to file an amended return, regardless of whether you owe the IRS money or are due a refund.) The IRS has six years to challenge your return if it thinks you under-reported your gross income by 25 percent or more. (There is no time limit if you failed to file a return or if you filed a fraudulent return.) Note: Since most of us file our returns in the year following the actual tax year, adding seven years to the tax return year will give you the year in which you can dispose of your return's documentation. This year (2009), for example, you can toss out tax-related documents filed for the 2002 tax year.
Brokerage Statements – You should hold on to your brokerage statements for as long as you own the securities. Like your IRA statements, you should keep the quarterly statements until you receive your year-end summary. If the two match up, shred the quarterlies and keep the annuals. You may also need the purchase/sales slips from your brokerage or mutual fund to prove whether you have capital gains or capital losses at tax time.
