Organizing Your Finances During Tax Season

While the bemoaning of impending Tax Day has never grown old, the organizational system of your financial records probably has.

If you're housing boxes of old tax returns and bank records, strewn in attics or staking a monopoly on coveted shelf space, your filing system may need more than a dusting when it comes to spring cleaning. Rick Rodgers, financial planner and author of "The New Three-Legged Stool: A Tax Efficient Approach To Retirement Planning," recommends capitalizing on the current tax season to launch yourself into an organizational method worthy of the 21st century, before April 17.

“Most people are going through their records to get ready to file their return,” Rodgers says. “This is the time to get smart about what you need to keep and then set up a system to store it efficiently going forward.”

Not sure what gets promoted to the hard drive or demoted to wastebasket? Follow Rodgers five steps to utilize technology and effectively organize your finances for 2012 and beyond.