How long to keep a document, and when it is safe to shred

Every type in the Thaw registry carries a retention rule, and the checkup uses it to tell you when a batch of paper is past any need. These are the rules, and the reasoning. They are conventions for a US household, not legal advice; when in doubt, keep it.

Keep forever

Birth, marriage and death certificates. Social Security cards. Naturalization and adoption papers. Deeds and closing disclosures for property you own. Wills, powers of attorney and trusts (the current version). Life insurance policies. Formation documents, EIN letters and operating agreements for a business. Diplomas and transcripts. Loan payoff letters, because a lender’s records are not always right.

Seven years

Anything that touches a tax return: the returns themselves, W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, 1098s, donation receipts, property tax bills, and the receipts or statements that support a deduction. The IRS can generally look back three years, six in some cases, so seven covers it. Business invoices and contracts fall here too. Medical bills and EOBs, because billing disputes surface late.

Until superseded

Insurance policies of every kind, registrations, licenses, passports, leases, benefits summaries. The new one replaces the old one. Thaw detects that at read time, hides the superseded version behind a toggle, and keeps it for a year in case a claim or a dispute needs the terms that applied then.

While you own the thing

Vehicle titles, service records and purchase agreements. Home inspections, appraisals, surveys, repair invoices and warranties. When the car is sold or the house changes hands, the checkup offers the batch.

Three years

Bank, brokerage and credit card statements that do not support a tax position. Receipts for purchases you might return or claim under warranty. Prescriptions.

One year

Utility, internet and phone bills. Pay stubs, once the W-2 has arrived and matches. Order confirmations. Parking and toll notices, once paid.

What “safe to shred” looks like in Thaw

Nothing is deleted automatically. When documents pass their retention date, the checkup shows one item: “41 utility bills past any retention need, the oldest from March 2019.” You open the batch, look, and delete what you no longer want. Deleting destroys the document’s encryption key that second, so the decision is real.