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i'm going through my files (ugh) to do some shreading. how long should we keep our utility bills for mortgage refinancing?

I throw mine out (or, rather, shred them) when I get the following month's statement. ALL of your transactions with utility companys are kept on file in their data base, and, by law, your bank has to keep photostatic copies of ALL check you've written for seven years.
I hope that helps some. Good luck.

3 years

I'm lucky if it doesn't "disappear" before I pay it.

that IS a good question I've had myself.

thanks for the anwsers!!


I plan on keeping my wifes and I's 1st bill though forever! So when we are paying like $10,000 a month to heat our home in 40 years, this $171 will actually be funny to us.

I don't get paper bills. I get all of mine online.

If you have any plans to sell your house, keep a year's worth.

spartan1979 wrote:If you have any plans to sell your house, keep a year's worth.

There is no reason to anymore. The utility can provide a complete itemized breakdown that is much easier to figure than the individual bills

I read somewhere for resale one year is enough. Even though ours all show your trend for the last 12 monuths so that tells you all you need to know. So my answer is one month, even though i sometimes keep them and sometimes shred them.

Why would you need them for mortgage refinancing?

SharkOnLand wrote:Why would you need them for mortgage refinancing?

That's the eternal question and why I keep throwing them out. Although sometimes I think I need them and save one once in a while.

I've never been asked to produce my utility bills when I've done a re-fi and I've done 3 of them over the last 30 years, one last year. I get mine online and I don't keep them for more then 30 days.

Mail all of your utility bills to Al Gore, so he knows exactly how much greenhouse gas you're causing.

Just til it gets paid, then she gets shredded.
My bills are all online so I can go back when I need to.