Personal Document Retention
What is personal document retention?
Personal document retention refers to the process of securely storing important personal documents for future reference. It involves organizing and keeping track of various documents such as identification cards, financial records, insurance policies, and legal documents.
What are the types of personal document retention?
There are several types of personal document retention that individuals should consider:
Identification Documents: These include passports, driver's licenses, social security cards, and birth certificates.
Financial Records: This category includes bank statements, tax documents, investment records, and mortgage papers.
Insurance Policies: Documents related to health insurance, car insurance, home insurance, and life insurance fall under this category.
Legal Documents: Wills, power of attorney documents, property deeds, and marriage certificates are some examples of legal documents that should be retained.
Medical Records: It is important to keep a record of medical history, prescriptions, and test results for future reference.
Education Records: Documents such as diplomas, transcripts, and certifications should be stored securely.
Employment Records: This category includes resumes, offer letters, contracts, and performance reviews.
Utility Bills: It is recommended to retain utility bills for a certain period of time for proof of residency and billing disputes.
How to complete personal document retention
Completing personal document retention can be done by following these steps:
01
Gather all important documents: Collect all the necessary documents mentioned in the list above to ensure completeness.
02
Organize the documents: Categorize the documents based on their types to make retrieval easier in the future.
03
Protect and store the documents: Use a secure filing system like a lockable cabinet or a fireproof safe to protect the documents from theft or damage.
04
Digitalize the documents: Consider scanning the documents and creating digital copies for added security and accessibility.
05
Create a retention schedule: Determine how long each type of document should be retained based on legal requirements and personal needs.
06
Dispose of unnecessary documents: Shred or securely dispose of documents that are no longer needed, taking into account privacy concerns.
07
Regularly update and review the documents: Periodically review and update the retained documents to ensure they are accurate and up to date.
08
Consider using a document management platform: Utilize tools like pdfFiller to simplify the document retention process and have access to powerful editing tools.
pdfFiller empowers users to create, edit, and share documents online. Offering unlimited fillable templates and powerful editing tools, pdfFiller is the only PDF editor users need to get their documents done.
Video Tutorial How to Fill Out personal document retention
Thousands of positive reviews can’t be wrong
Read more or give pdfFiller a try to experience the benefits for yourself
Questions & answers
What is a document retention policy?
A document retention policy (also known as a records and information management policy, recordkeeping policy, or a records maintenance policy) establishes and describes how a company expects its employees to manage company data from creation through destruction.
How do you draft a document retention policy?
Six Key Steps to Developing a Record Retention Policy STEP 1: Identify Types of Records & Media. STEP 2: Identify Business Needs for Records & Appropriate Retention Periods. STEP 3: Addressing Creation, Distribution, Storage & Retrieval of Documents. STEP 4: Destruction of Documents. STEP 5: Documentation & Implementation.
What is an example of a retention period?
The retention period begins at a specific time depending on the type of record. For example, the retention period for a financial record starts on July 1 of the following year. For another example, the retention period for the records of an employment search begins on the date that the hiring decision is made.
What does document retention mean?
Document retention is a system that allows you and your employees to automatically create policies and determine what should be done with particular documents or records at a certain point of time.
How long must personal records be kept?
EEOC Regulations require that employers keep all personnel or employment records for one year. If an employee is involuntarily terminated, his/her personnel records must be retained for one year from the date of termination.
What is the best way to begin planning a data retention policy?
How to Create a Data Retention Policy and Schedule Build a team. Sort data into categories. Determine which regulations, policies, and laws need to apply to each data item. Compose the policy. Set time limits. Communicate the policy. Revisit the policy.
