Home Filing System Categories

Below are some basic categories you can use as a guide for setting up a Home Filing System.  Of course you must decide what your categories and sub-categories will ultimately be, but this list will give you some ideas to get you started.  

Bank

• Checking account information
• Canceled checks
• Savings account information
• Inventory of safe deposit box

Correspondence

• Business
• Personal

Donations and Contributions

• Church
• Charities

Education

• Diplomas
• Continuing Education records
• College records
• Homeschooling records

Employment

• Resumes
• Employment records
• Employment contracts
• Wage statements (paycheck stubs)

Financial

• Budget
• Financial Goals (long and short-term)
• Net worth statements
• Property tax records
• Receipts
• Paid bills
• Credit card agreements
• Listing of credit card numbers

Health and Medical

• Medicare or insurance cards
• Medical History
• Medical Directives
• Immunizations and blood types
• Dental
• Vision
• Prescriptions
• Disability
• Pet medical records

Housing

• Mortgage payments
• Refinance papers
• Lease and rent payments
• Repairs
• Home improvements
• Household inventory (second copy in safe deposit box)

Insurance

• Life Insurance policies
• Vehicle Insurance policies (auto, motorcycles, boats, RVs, and other vehicles)
• Health Insurance policies
• Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance

Legal (originals in safe deposit box or fireproof safe)

• Wills
• Powers of attorney
• Trust documents
• Adoptions papers
• Inheritance
• Military records
• Birth certificates
• Citizenship papers
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce or separation papers
• Death certificates
• Burial lot deeds
• Passports
• Deeds
• Household inventory with pictures or videos
• Veteran’s papers
• Contracts
• Copyrights and patents

Loans

• Loan contracts
• Loan statements

Organizations and Clubs

• Civic
• Business and Professional
• School
• Church

Tax

• Previous year’s returns
• Canceled checks (tax related)
• Work and or business related receipts
• Medical receipts
• 1099s
• W2s

Reference Material

• Cleaning
• Crafts or hobbies
• Gardening
• Home furnishings
• Travel
• Maps
• Vacations

Investments

• Annuities
• Bonds
• Stocks
• Rental Income
• Real estate investments
• Partnerships
• Pension plans
• Social Security cards and records
• 401K
• IRA
• Roth IRA
• Education IRA
• Other investments

Vehicles

• Titles to vehicles with VIN numbers
• Maintenance – repair
• Autos
• RVs
• Boats
• Motorcycles

Safe Deposit Box or Fire Proof Safe (original copies)

• Military records
• Wills
• Powers of attorney
• Trust documents
• Adoptions papers
• Special bequests
• Birth certificates
• Citizenship papers
• Marriage certificates
• Adoption papers
• Divorce or separation papers
• Death certificates
• Burial lot deeds
• Passports
• Deeds
• List of Insurance policies
• Titles to vehicles
• Household inventory with pictures or videos
• Veteran’s papers
• Bond and stock certificates
• Copyrights and patents
• Important contracts
• Precious stones, metal, jewelry, rare coins, cash and other valuable items