Keeping financial records
Almost every financial dispute is won or lost on documentation. The documents people throw away are reliably the ones that would have settled the argument, and keeping them costs nothing.
Credit agreements and pre-agreement quotes: keep for the life of the agreement and several years after. This is what proves what you agreed to when a statement disagrees.
Settlement and paid-up letters: keep permanently. A settled account still showing as in arrears is one of the most common credit report errors, and this letter is what fixes it in one step.
Bank statements: keep three years. They are the evidence for both credit applications and disputes.
Payslips and IRP5s: keep five years for tax purposes, and because a lender may ask for one at any point.
Photograph or scan everything and keep it in one backed-up folder. A paper file lost in a move is the most common way records disappear.
Related
Sources and last checked
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Page last checked 10 August 2026. Statutory caps and lender terms change — confirm anything you intend to rely on with the provider or the National Credit Regulator. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.