An easy checklist to organize important documents

When you're setting up a system for managing your finances, it's helpful to gather all key financial and personal documents in one place.

Start by setting up a filing system with each type of document, or each individual account, in its own clearly labeled folder.

Here's a checklist of the information to gather. Try dedicating an hour a week, tackling one category at a time, to make the job easier.

Download PDF checklist

Assets and investments

• Bank account statements
• Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) account statements
• Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) statements
• Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) statements
• Canada Savings Bond certificates
• Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) statements
• Mutual Fund account statements
• Trading/brokerage account statements
• Net worth statement
• Recent cash in/outflow statement
• Deed of ownership for real estate or other key assets
• Appraisals of jewellery or other valuables
• Life insurance policies

Household finances

• Utility bills - electricity, heating, water (if applicable)
• Communications bills - telephone, cell phones, television services, Internet services
• Mortgage statements or rental agreement
• Property tax assessments and statements
• Home insurance policy
• Car insurance policy (or policies)

Debts

• Car loan statement or agreement
• RSP loan statements
• Mortgage agreement or statements
• Line of credit statements
• Credit card statements (from banks and stores)
• Outstanding student loan statements

Work-related

• Pension statements
• Benefits statements and policy information
• Pay stubs
• Disability policy
• Health insurance policy

Taxes

• Income tax returns with respective tax slips, plus Notices of Assessment and any other correspondence with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), filed by taxation year

Personal information and documents

• Current contact information for each family member
• Photocopies of passports (store original documents in a safe place)
• Photocopies of birth certificates (store original documents in a safe place)
• Citizenship certificate or immigration documents
• Marriage certificate
• Contact information for key people, such as next of kin, child care providers, bank advisor, financial planner, health care providers, lawyer, children's guardian
• Wills
• Power(s) of Attorney (property and personal care)

Once you have everything pulled together, use our tool, Organize Your Financial Documents. It makes it easy to record, print and update important information so that you have a copy of everything you need in one place.