Lifelong Money Management Tips
Accel Members Financial Counseling Article
It's never too late to get your financial records organized. Here are some tips to help you sort through all the records.
Keep a home file to maximize the efficiency of your financial records. Items should include:
- Information on credit cards, debit cards, checking accounts, savings accounts, and copies of contracts
- Copies of insurance policies
- Information on home mortgages, land, and other property
- Information on motor vehicles and driver's licenses
- Copies of birth, marriage, death, divorce, and citizenship papers
- Copy of will, last instructions, and safe deposit box keys
- Tax records for the last six years
- Records of pension plans, education, health records, and employment
- Current household inventory. List everything you own, how much it costs, and approximately how old it is. Add pictures of room/major items and keep receipts
- Copies of all warranties and guarantees
Keep a safe deposit box for financial records that are difficult, costly, or impossible to replace. Items should include:
- Birth, death, marriage, divorce, adoption, and citizenship papers
- Deeds to property
- Titles to motor vehicles
- Stock and bond certificates
- U.S. savings bonds
- Important contracts
- Military discharge and veteran papers
- Patents and copyrights
- Important disks or CDs
- Negatives or the actual pictures of your home inventory
As a member of Coastal, you can take advantage of the Accel program, a free financial education and counseling program. Accel counselors are available Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST), Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To use this new service, simply call (877) 33ACCEL (332-2235) or visit them on the web at www.accelservices.org .
