Piles of bank statements!

meer53 · 23 October 2019 at 2:06PM

Check statements online, no point in keeping paper ones.

18cc · 23 October 2019 at 2:22PM

If you want to keep them in none paper format then just photograph them with your smartphone camera

goodValue · 23 October 2019 at 3:12PM

A couple of weeks ago I tried to get an online bank statement from about two years ago, and couldn't do it.
I think the statements were only available for about 18 months.

Robisere · 23 October 2019 at 3:22PM

Willing2Learn wrote: »

I keep all statements for six years. Once six years has lapsed, then I shred them.

Me Too! And we are paperless. I download and store all statements in 2 electronic sources. I print out each one and keep for 6 years. The current tax year statements are in a current file, previous 5 years in another file. At the start of the tax year in April, I go to the previous 5 year file, remove a year and shred it. I do the same with Utility Bills, all of which are paperless. I once needed a statement from 4 years ago to prove that a debt had been paid. A photocopy of the statement, accompanied by the [STRIKE]threat[/STRIKE] promise of legal action, was enough to get an apology and a small reward of a discount.

tryin · 23 October 2019 at 3:28PM

I think you can request from the bank a statement from any period. I just got a letter from a bank that I switched out of, telling me that I have the right to request statements for specific time periods even though the account is closed already. I assume that must be a legal requirement if they are offering it after I closed the account.

If this is true, then there is no need to store old statements.

Kernel_Sanders · 23 October 2019 at 4:19PM

If you or your parents were immigrants and you have never had a passport, you don't want to end up like some of the Windrush generation who were subject to deportation because they couldn't prove how long they had been in the country.

seatbeltnoob · 23 October 2019 at 5:33PM

A multifunction printer with tray fed scanner can make mincement of piles of statements.

I had one which would scan duplex, You put in 40-50 pages in and it would automatically feed them through and scan both sides.

It worked brilliantly until the printer had some toner issues now the entire system (including the scanner) wouldn't work until I fixed the toner.

A bit of a nuisance that. Buying a standalone scanner without automatic feed and scanning ability is quite expensive, they're specialist items and meant for business use only. Some of them fetch into £300 region (more than a lot of multi function printers).

Try doing the same on a flatbat scanner. Will take all evening

Eco_Miser · 23 October 2019 at 5:57PM

I've one account that I opened in 1970, and I've got all statements for that account (proves I don't keep changing accounts;)). All the others are paperless now, and old statements have been shredded.

I wouldn't trust a bank to still have statements from more than six years ago, whatever they may claim (the bank might not be around in the future). Definitely keep a copy (paper or electronic) evidencing significant purchases, gifts, (and where the money come from), changes of address etc. as mentioned above if you think there's any possibility of questions in the future, otherwise just keep the current ones.

enthusiasticsaver · 23 October 2019 at 6:05PM

I would say you don't need to keep them at all. We have online statements and can get them any time we want going back as far as we would want. Some people say keep things going back 6 years but I have never needed to access them.

Get shredding.

ratechaser · 23 October 2019 at 9:35PM

Eco_Miser wrote: »

I've one account that I opened in 1970, and I've got all statements for that account (proves I don't keep changing accounts;)). All the others are paperless now, and old statements have been shredded.

I wouldn't trust a bank to still have statements from more than six years ago, whatever they may claim (the bank might not be around in the future). Definitely keep a copy (paper or electronic) evidencing significant purchases, gifts, (and where the money come from), changes of address etc. as mentioned above if you think there's any possibility of questions in the future, otherwise just keep the current ones.

Lordy, and I thought Mrs RC was bonkers for keeping her first (and still main) bank account's statements back to the 80s. She's convinced that she's viewed as a better credit risk for maintaining the same account for 32 years. Uh huh :rotfl:

Piles of bank statements!

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