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How long should I keep my credit reports?*

My bank sends me quarterly bank reports. I don't really have anything of note on them as I pay my credit cards off in full on time. I know there are suggestions as to how long to keep credit bills, bank statements, receipts, tax returns, etc. What is it for credit reports from Equifax, etc?

Answers:

1) I was told by a lawyer and have read that you should keep all kinds of money-related statements for 7 years. I usually keep them 10 years just to be sure. The Equifax, etc., I would keep for three years because they can change so quickly in a short amount of time.

2) Credit fluctuates monthly so it is actually obsolete then but keep your most recent copy until the next free annual report comes in.

3) You can get free reports yearly from the only government ran website, www.annualcreditreport.com. So I would keep them a year and then get a new one.

4) You can get 3 free credit report a year from the three credit score company. Every 4 months you should check your credit report for any errors that you might see. Trans Union, Equifax and another one but don't know the third one. one from each . But once a year good too. Just to see if anyone has used your credit score for identity theft. You can look the thrid one on Internet. Good luck

5) The average for taxes is 7 years. as for equifax, maybe a couple of years. You can always call them and get another report. Now your credit cards if they are paid off every month, It is recorded with the bank so I don't see the need for you to have to keep them at all. Bank statements, you should probably keep for 3 years or so and every year thow out or shred the oldest year. If something significant happens, like someone owes you money I would keep that statement until it was paid off and staple the reciept to it, then after a year or so shred it. Take care Heather

6) Reports from Equifax, TransUnion & Experian do not need to be retained at all. You should check that the information is accurate frequently. I suggest a monitoring service, not any provided by a credit card company. The best I've found is Identity Theft Shield, an insurance like product offered by Kroll, Inc. in partnership with Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. It's easy to get a ph. # online. Please check my facts but I believe your data is monitored 5 times a day. If fraud (identity theft) occurs, it's quickly identified, they fix the problem and go after the bad guys. Your credit score varies constantly and will be different depending on the reason for pulling the report. www.annualcreditreport.com was set up by federal law (FACTA) to give free annual reports which is very inadequate for anyone's needs. Tax filings, bank statements are generally 7 years but you should check for statutes of limitations with the IRS as I'm not an expert in taxes. Records relating to investments (broker records, home improvement etc.) should be kept forever to avoid capital gains when unnecessary. I personally keep credit card statements at least 12 months but it depends on the debt. The statute of limitations on debt collection varies by state. Google: debt statute of limitations for the information for you.

7) I think 5yrs for tax returns, and 3yr for credit cards

8) i keep anything related to money matter 10 years. develop good filing sytem. Saved my butt more times than i care to say.

9) 7 years just in case you need to dispute/prove anything in the past.

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