While the monetary rewards resulting from investments can create a great sense of security, for many people the paper generated by those investments often creates a great sense of insecurity. One of my clients had a four-drawer filing cabinet filled with annual reports dating back more than a decade.
Investment companies send many different kinds of information.
For example, investment companies regularly send material intended to inform you of their recommendations for stock purchases. If you decide not to buy the stock, you don't need to keep the recommendation. Keep a separate file for essential information, including your monthly statements and the confirmations of your various transactions, as opposed to the generic information that is sent to all investors. List name and address of brokers, list of holdings, including owner's name, date bought and purchase price for each security. If you own real estate , note who else owns the property if it is held jointly.