How long should I keep Credit Card statements?

trini_honey

I've been keeping my credit cards statements since I've first got a credit card. Now the pile getting bigger. I'm thinking of shreading them up, but wanted to know how far back in months should I hang on to?

Rafter

Depends what you are keeping them for.

If you have business transaction records on them you need to keep them for 6 years.

Otherwise it is a matter of personal choice.

I tend to keep mine a couple of years just so if there is a problem with a warranty on something I have bought on the card, I have a record of the credit card company, who may be jointly liable if anything goes wrong.

R.

michaels

They may also be useful to substantiate insurance claims or just if you are trying to remember when you bought something...

fatboyonadiet

Tend to keep mine for 2 years max, don't bother with the ones used for stoozing as they have little use

jeeves_2

the card that i use for shoping etc.i just keep in a file and have done since day one..
the ones for stoozing are just kept until the cards been "used and abused "and then destroyed....

Chris357

I keep the last statement of a card I have used for stoozing so as to remind me when it's time to stooze with them again as a new customer.

I keep the statements for any cards I have been using for purchases for at least a year.

Sarah7

Keep your old love letters
Throw away your old bank statements

Wear sunscreen :cool:

(Oh and what those nice folks already said!)

dag_2

I keep them for three months, because they come in handy as proof of ID.

If I want to dispute a transaction, I keep the statement, and all the subsequent statements, until the dispute has been resolved.

If I've made a balance transfer whose interest rate is due to increase after some time, then I put it in my diary so I don't forget to pay it off before the jump. However, I don't keep the statement with the balance transfer transaction on it.

Sometimes I want to change my statement date - but cards only usually let you change it for free once a year, or once every six months. So if I ever change my statement date, I put the date that I can next change it for free in my diary too. You never know - I might have quit my job and got a new one with a different salary payment date by then. But I definitely don't keep two consecutive statements to remind me when I changed it.

Oh - and sometimes, they only let you apply for one limit increase every six months. So I put the date I can next apply for a limit increase in my diary too. But I don't keep the statement to remind me of my last increase.

CTT_2

I have some of mine going to back 20 years.

trini_honey

Thanks for all of you replies. I'll hang on to them for a little while more.