Keeping old credit reports?

[DonqIII 34]

Since July of 2009 I have multiple credit reports.

 

Mostly because of a couple of agencies doing some tradeline

lean ups and me getting some copies after disputes.

 

Is there any reason to keep old credit reports.

 

The box they are in is not only heavy but I have no idea where

to keep these.

 

I would like to shred any from 2010 thru 2012 unless you think

I should keep them.... Keeping 2009, which is the full list of

alleged defaults ( and balances due) and 2013 as the last years

for comparison.

 

I appreciate any input....

[willingtocope 1,336]

I'd say if you got them, keep them.  They probably couldn't be used as evidence in a suit, but you never know when some JDB is going to come crawling from under their rock.  Back CRs may help you document things.

 

If you're looking for something to do someday, you might organize them in a notebook...

[CreditVortex 16]

You could do what I did starting back in 2012.  I too had reams of documents that I perceived were important.  I purchased an inexpensive multi-task printer and scanned all the documents into .pdf format and loaded them onto an external thumb drive.  I was able to rid myself of the mounts of clutter. 

 

I since have requested paperless copies of my monthly statements from my bank account, credit card companies, credit reports,,,etc.  It was a daunting task when I started but when I got caught up it was so much easier to scan or save all statements. 

 

I talked to a lawyer about the usefulness of the files and he said it was easier for them to scroll through the files than boxes of old documents.  Also, the government is getting more receptive to electronic documents than they were 15-20 years ago.  I also hope I saved a few trees along the way.

[DonqIII 34]

You could do what I did starting back in 2012.  I too had reams of documents that I perceived were important.  I purchased an inexpensive multi-task printer and scanned all the documents into .pdf format and loaded them onto an external thumb drive.  I was able to rid myself of the mounts of clutter. 

 

I since have requested paperless copies of my monthly statements from my bank account, credit card companies, credit reports,,,etc.  It was a daunting task when I started but when I got caught up it was so much easier to scan or save all statements. 

 

I talked to a lawyer about the usefulness of the files and he said it was easier for them to scroll through the files than boxes of old documents.  Also, the government is getting more receptive to electronic documents than they were 15-20 years ago.  I also hope I saved a few trees along the way.

I was thinking of doing something like that.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

I already have a scanner and at least I would have ready access if they would be needed.

 

Now all I need is time, LOL

[willingtocope 1,336]

Back in the 90's, I was involved with a project to scan Material Safety Data Sheets provided by chemical company's into computer files that were then stored on optical disks in a big jukebox.  We started out using Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) files, but before we got too far into it, Adobe got their act together with PDFs...so we switched.  And then, Write Once Read Many (WORM) disks were replaced with writable CDs...so we switched.  Eventually, we wound up with two CD-ROM jukeboxes that stored about 1/2 million documents...right before Documetrix came out with their document storage system...again, using WORM disks.

 

Throughout this project, our major concern was backup.  What happens if a jukebox fails, or the laser disk writer craps out?  In that era, the accepted form of "just-in-case" backup was tape.  But, copying several gigabytes of data every day to tape was not possible.  Our solution was redundancy...we had two of everything. 

 

Unfortunately, what we didn't consider is Moore's Law..."Computing power will double every 18-24 months"...and, its corollary...technology changes.  In the early 2000's, while the time required to move huge amounts of data around got shorter, the ability to hook newer computer platforms to older external storage devices got harder.

 

In 2004, we realized that we needed 386/486 based motherboards that accepted SCSI controller to hook up the jukeboxes.

 

Sorry, I'm rambling...my point is...

 

Keeping scanned images of important documents on a single thumb drive is a good idea...but...use two separate thumbs and make at least two copies.  Pay attention to how your thumbs hook to your present platform...USB 1, USB 2, USB 3?  Recognize that what works today may not work on your next computer.

 

Me?  I think I pioneered some of the imaging software used today...but...I still keep a paper backup of things I might have to refer to in 10 years.  Paper doesn't get updated every 18 months.

[DonqIII 34]

Back in the 90's, I was involved with a project to scan Material Safety Data Sheets provided by chemical company's into computer files that were then stored on optical disks in a big jukebox.  We started out using Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) files, but before we got too far into it, Adobe got their act together with PDFs...so we switched.  And then, Write Once Read Many (WORM) disks were replaced with writable CDs...so we switched.  Eventually, we wound up with two CD-ROM jukeboxes that stored about 1/2 million documents...right before Documetrix came out with their document storage system...again, using WORM disks.

 

Throughout this project, our major concern was backup.  What happens if a jukebox fails, or the laser disk writer craps out?  In that era, the accepted form of "just-in-case" backup was tape.  But, copying several gigabytes of data every day to tape was not possible.  Our solution was redundancy...we had two of everything. 

 

Unfortunately, what we didn't consider is Moore's Law..."Computing power will double every 18-24 months"...and, its corollary...technology changes.  In the early 2000's, while the time required to move huge amounts of data around got shorter, the ability to hook newer computer platforms to older external storage devices got harder.

 

In 2004, we realized that we needed 386/486 based motherboards that accepted SCSI controller to hook up the jukeboxes.

 

Sorry, I'm rambling...my point is...

 

Keeping scanned images of important documents on a single thumb drive is a good idea...but...use two separate thumbs and make at least two copies.  Pay attention to how your thumbs hook to your present platform...USB 1, USB 2, USB 3?  Recognize that what works today may not work on your next computer.

 

Me?  I think I pioneered some of the imaging software used today...but...I still keep a paper backup of things I might have to refer to in 10 years.  Paper doesn't get updated every 18 months.

I would always keep a hard copy of anything that would be deemed important.

 

But items like a dated credit report, while of possible reference necessity is not necessarily important if it should be lost.

 

But I have a system... not fast and I am sure nothing the average person would want to take the time to do but a lot

of the questionable important papers, that are just something I may or may not ever reference again in my life I have

scanned into my computer, then attached them and emailed them to myself and created files in the myriad of email accounts

I have for various endeavors.

 

That way if the dag gone computer dies, I can acess my email files anywhere.... even by smart phone if necessary.

[willingtocope 1,336]

@DongIII  In effect, you're using "the cloud" to store your documents.  Possibly a good idea (as long as you email stays on your provider's hardware) particularly if you keep a copy in multiple accounts. 

 

But...right now, I'm a member of another forum that tried to upgrade their forum software.  I had some important (not critical) messages stored in their email system that I may not be able to recover.

 

Also, when I upgraded this computer from Windows Vista to Windows 8.1, I lost access to all the emails I had stored here.  The files are still here, but I don't have any software that can read them.

 

And, just to belabor the point...I wrote a couple of books back in the 80's.  My publisher wanted the manuscripts deliver in WordStar format on 5-1/4 diskettes.  I've got backups...but no way to get at them.  (I do have hardbound books).

[DonqIII 34]

@DongIII  In effect, you're using "the cloud" to store your documents.  Possibly a good idea (as long as you email stays on your provider's hardware) particularly if you keep a copy in multiple accounts. 

 

But...right now, I'm a member of another forum that tried to upgrade their forum software.  I had some important (not critical) messages stored in their email system that I may not be able to recover.

 

Also, when I upgraded this computer from Windows Vista to Windows 8.1, I lost access to all the emails I had stored here.  The files are still here, but I don't have any software that can read them.

 

And, just to belabor the point...I wrote a couple of books back in the 80's.  My publisher wanted the manuscripts deliver in WordStar format on 5-1/4 diskettes.  I've got backups...but no way to get at them.  (I do have hardbound books).

For all my basic important files I use gmail. While there is infrequently a log on issue it has done well for me since 2009.

 

I also have a yahoo that came with my ISP.  That is the one I give to everyone that needs

an email for their records to notify me of something. That is also the one that I was compromised twice on and

I would not trust it for anything that I truly value.

 

I have ... 22 gmail emails.

 

They are used for everything from pen pals, to business info, to legal docs that I want ready reference to and those that are so private that if I die they will die with me.

 

I just created one named all credit reports.

 

If Google decides to discontinue gmail I am fairly certain it will make the news and I will have time

to move things..... a task I would not look forward to.

 

But, as I said I keep hard copies of important things like dismissed with prejudice things and mutual walkaway agreements, but if I loose old bank statements, or credit reports... I am not going to sweat it....

[willingtocope 1,336]

I just remembered...one of the reasons I lost my email when I upgraded from Vista to Win 8.1 is that the Mail program included in 8.1 no longer supports SMTP. 

[energizer 17]

wouldn't it be useful to have atleast 2 years back reports just in case a tradeline would re-appear/re-insert? can you include that as evidence in your court case? 

[willingtocope 1,336]

From what has been posted on the forum, courts don't generally accept CRs as evidence...they're considered heresay.

[TomnTex 389]

I subscribe to a three in one credit monitor with scores. Each month I open them up and convert them to PDF and then save on a couple of hard drives. Only takes a minute, been doing it for several years.

[willingtocope 1,336]

By coincidence, the History Channel did a story yesterday on the Library of Congress's efforts to keep a copy of everything published anywhere in their collection.  Much of the collection has been scanned and is available online at www.loc.gov ...but, there is still an ongoing effort to capture stuff that wasn't printed...film, CDs, Video tape, etc.

 

Turns out there is a warehouse where they gather old format recording / reproducing / playback equipment so that, if necessary, they can get at the original media...everything from Edison's original cylinders to worm disks.

[energizer 17]

@TomnTex

 

Which online is the cheapest and best when it comes to three in one credit monitoring and reporting? I too like to do the very same thing?

 

but when willingtocope said its just hearsay if presented as evidence your old credit reports I m kinda pulling back on saving old credit reports? what good would saving old reports do?

[TomnTex 389]

I use Citi-Monitor for $12.95 a month. It may be hearsay, but it still helps you to know when a particular thing in time happened so that your better informed. In other words, it beats nothing.