How to Stay Organized FinanciallyTips from Stonegate Financial Group’s CEO, Jameson Van Houten

Why it’s important to stay organized• When it comes to tax time, it will be much easier for both you

and your accountant to deal get your finances in order.

• Keeping organized should not be done at the end of the year –it should be done throughout the year, or at least at the end of each quarter.

Keeping documents safe

• Important and hard-to-replace documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, tax returns, deeds and more should all be kept in a secure location, such as a bank safety deposit box.

• Make sure that these documents are secure and will not be damaged by fire, water, the environment or any other forces.

Don’t be afraid to throw things away• It’s always important to keep the majority of financial

documents, but after a certain period of time, they can be thrown out.

• It’s vital to throw things out so that you don’t start getting too cluttered and mix new returns up with old returns.

• Quarterly and monthly statements can be thrown away once detailed annual statements have been received.

• Make sure to keep the MAJORITY of tax information for six years, since this is how far the IRS can look back at your finances if you get audited.

• For more information, visit http://jamesonvanhouten.co