Despite the ongoing shift to an increasingly digital world of automatic electronic verification of everything from transactions to identity, the reality is that today, there are still a number of documents that individuals must be able to provide to various companies, regulators, or government agencies. In some cases, those entities will at least accept digital copies of the relevant paperwork or supporting documentation, while in other cases “original” hard-copy versions are required. Which in practice has made it extremely difficult for many households to even figure out what to keep in physical form, what can be scanned and retained digitally, what can be discarded, and what must be shredded.

In practice, though, there is no hard-and-fast rule about what documents should be retained (or not). The process of figuring out “what to keep” (in physical or digital format) and “what to shred” depends on the nature of the document and what it will be used for.

For instance, tax documents generally only need to be kept for 6 years (the statute of limitations, even if there is a substantial misstatement of income), and under Revenue Procedure 97-22, such documentation can be retained entirely in digital (and not physical) format, as long as the scanned/photographed copy contains all of the relevant information.

On the other hand, documents pertaining to personal identification (e.g., Social Security card, birth certificate, and Driver’s license) must be kept in original physical form (and should be kept permanently), along with key legal documents (e.g., Wills and trusts and Powers of Attorney), in order to be able to help prove their authenticity.

When it comes to the documentation of assets and liabilities (from real estate or other ownership records, to credit cards, mortgages, and other debt), records must be retained as long as the asset is owned (or the liability is owed). Or in the case of documentation like insurance claims, as long as the claim remains open.

Storage of key documents in practice will vary by household, but important physical documents are typically stored in a home safe, a safe deposit box (though important legal documents should not be held there, as they may be necessary to access the box, which is impossible if they’re in the box!), or even the safe of an attorney’s office. For those that prefer digital storage (for documents that can be stored digitally), external hard drives and thumb drives have long been popular, although cloud-based solutions are increasingly popular (particularly for their redundant back-ups, and the ability with some systems to designate Trusted Contacts to access the information in the event the primary owner is deceased or incapacitated).

Ultimately, a checklist of key documents to retain (and how long to retain, and in what form) can be helpful as a way to be certain that all the important documents are covered. For financial advisors, this can actually be a pathway to reinforce value for clients, by actually going through such a document checklist with clients, helping them determine what to keep and what to discard, and even offering ‘shred-it’ days for clients to help them get their own financial households better organized!

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Sometimes it can be easy to misconstrue financial planning as a purely logical industry, as clear-cut as analyzing the numbers, adding expertise, and then giving clients the requisite recommendations. However, as all advisors quickly learn in the field, personal finance is often more personal than it is finance. The emotional ties that people have to money understandably manifest in many ways, and figuring out what clients want out of the financial planning relationship is sometimes contingent on getting clients to express what and why things are important to them. In short, because finances are deeply personal, good advice is built not just on a foundation of expertise and recommendations that accounts for the client’s capacity, but also on an emotional connection that allows the advisor to identify the client’s overall vision based on their values. By adopting a “coach approach” to financial planning, advisors focus on giving advice that clients will actually follow and that adapts to their changing financial circumstances and emotional priorities.

There are different coaching methods that advisors can use to better visualize and comprehend client goals, each that focuses on different aspects of how coaches can better connect with their coachees. This may range from client self-discovered solutions (International Coaching Federation Model) to an in-depth drill on who is sitting across from them to avoid giving the wrong advice or solving the right problems for the wrong reasons (the Who, How, What Coaching Model). Or it may focus on bridging the gap between what’s ‘Here and Now’ for the client and their desired outcome of ‘There and Then’ (Coach U Strategizing for Success Model). Each coaching method has its own emphasis, which advisors can choose to play to their strengths – or stretch themselves to learn new skills!

Once a client’s goals are clearly visualized, there still remains the issue of action, and at the same time, overcoming inaction. To this end, advisors can guide clients through areas that may be blocking their progress, such as by helping them tackle important tasks that have been difficult for them to complete. If a client feels reluctant or paralyzed by negative emotions, it may help to explore and identify options that clients may not have previously realized were available to them. Lastly, advisors can set up a systematic process with tools such as LifeCards and LifeMaps that can help clients lay out what their specific priorities and goals are—and give them something to be motivated about.

Ultimately, the key point is that advisors can consider a ‘coach approach’ as an effective way to bridge the gap between their technical knowledge and helping a client apply it to the relevant things that matter most to them. It can be leveraged to both onboard new clients and help existing ones move into action. Furthermore, when advisors use a coach approach, they place themselves at the intersection of a client’s life and money, which ultimately helps clients realize their life goals and achieve their desired quality of life!

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