If you take a look at your insurance folder and immediately feel a slight tension: many of my female clients know that feeling. It's completely okay that this topic often gets pushed aside in a busy everyday life. Professionally, you are responsible for complex KPIs, so in private there is often simply not enough cognitive capacity for the paperwork.
Insurance is a topic that is often associated with anxiety and bureaucracy. But the overriding principle is: Order beats optimization. Security does not come from constantly chasing the cheapest rate, but from a clean, reliable structure.
As your fiduciary and your CEO office for risk matters, I normally take care of sorting things out for you. But for anyone who wants to clear the paper chaos on their own desk themselves first, here is the direct guide.
The triage: What stays, what goes?
(Note: This classification is based on general industry standards for document retention).
1. Keep at all costs (The legal foundation) These documents are the basis for the moment of truth - the claim case.
The insurance certificate (the policy): The central document and the legal proof of your contract.
Endorsements to the policy: As soon as anything changes in your contract (e.g. new coverage limits, a move, inclusion of new risks), you receive an endorsement. This always applies in conjunction with the original policy and replaces previous interim versions.
The General Terms and Conditions of Insurance (AVB): The so-called "fine print". Important: Keep the AVB that were valid at the time you took out the policy, or that were newly sent to you when the contract was adjusted. They define what is actually insured.
All documents that social insurance providers send you, or social insurance notifications from your employers (example: insurance periods from the German Pension Insurance).
2. Keep temporarily (The operational)
The latest premium bill or premium adjustment: Serves as proof that the contract is current and gives an overview of the ongoing costs. For retirement provision or life insurance, we would rather keep one year too many than too few. In property insurance such as car insurance: as soon as the new bill for the following year arrives, the old one can be destroyed - unless, of course, it is needed as proof for tax purposes.
Correspondence regarding open claims: Everything that concerns a currently ongoing claim stays in the folder until the case has been finally closed and settled by the insurer. This can also drag on - better to keep too many records than too few.
3. Into the paper trash (The ballast) Free yourself from things that only take up mental space.
Advertising brochures and glossy booklets from insurers.
Expired premium bills (older than two years).
Offers for tariffs you were never going to choose anyway.
Documents (except the insurance certificate and cancellation confirmation) for property contracts (liability, household contents, car) that have already been terminated for more than three years. (Attention: You should keep documents relating to retirement provision or contracts relevant for tax purposes longer for the tax office).
Paper or digital?
If we work together, you won't get a new paper folder from me - unless, of course, you prefer it that way. My service approach is to reduce your mental load.
You will receive access to the app "Fingo Insure", which functions as your digital filing cabinet. There you can see everything we manage at a glance. It is your cockpit: I sit in the engine room and keep the structure tidy, you only look at it when you want to.
And if even the thought of gathering the old contracts already causes stress: We'll do it together step by step. You don't have to lug old folders around: With the help of your last premium bill or the last letter from your insurer, I can request the current status and details from the insurer when registering the broker mandate. It may take a few days longer - but then it's off your desk.
Next steps
It's complex - and that's exactly why I take care of the structure for you. If you want to finally close this open tab in your head, feel free to book a brief initial introduction. We'll look at everything together - completely nonjudgmentally and without pressure.