HAVE YOU TAKEN CARE OF ALL YOUR 2003 TO-DOS?

The first of the year is a great time to get your house (or your business!) in order -- and we've put together a checklist of very important but often overlooked year-end "to-do's." Run through this checklist and make sure that you've taken care of everything from 2002 before you get too far into the new year; and be sure to visit straightenup.biz if you need help with any of these activities:

- Have you cleaned out your 2002 financial records (utility bills, credit card and bank statements, etc.) and other outdated documents from your active files -- either shredding or archiving as appropriate -- making room for your 2003 paperwork?

- Have you gathered together all of your tax paperwork for 2002 -- business receipts, medical and child care deductions, year-end statements -- and updated your accounting program for the year?

- Have you discarded the supporting tax documents for tax year 1997 and earlier (storing the actual tax return in a permanent file) to make room for your 2003 paperwork? Have you stored any tax-related supporting documents for 2002 in your archive files, labeled "SUPPORTING TAX DOCUMENTS 2002 -- DESTROY IN 2007"?

- Have you updated your household and business property inventories to include photos, receipts, and appraisals (if necessary) for any new purchases made in 2002 -- and upgraded the replacement value of your homeowner's or P&C insurance to match?

- Have you updated your wills and powers of attorney to take into account any changes in the tax and estate laws in 2002 -- or a life change like a move, marriage, divorce, birth of a child, etc.?

- Have you updated your list of account numbers (bank, credit card, investment, insurance policy, etc.) and your list of important contacts (attorney, investment broker, doctors, CPA, insurance agent, executor of will, etc.) to include any changes in 2002?

- Are copies of your most important documents (will, power of attorney, list of account numbers, list of important contacts, insurance policies, birth certificates, household inventory, etc.) protected in a safe or safe deposit box?

[This list is from Ramona Creel, at OnlineOrganizing.com , where you'll find lots of other ideas.]