Pecohub A new study, published today in the journal Information Research, suggests that leaving all your emails in the inbox is likely to leave you dissatisfied with your personal records management.
In an exploratory survey, participants were asked how they dealt with their personal records such as bills, online subscriptions and similar items. Many of these arrive by email.
Most respondents left their electronic records in their email.
Only half saved items such as bills and other documents to other locations, like their computer or the cloud.
But having a disorganized inbox also led to problems, including missing bills and losing track of important correspondence.
Receiving bills, insurance renewals and other household documents by email saves time and money, and reduces unnecessary paper use.
However, there are risks involved if you don’t stay on top of your electronic records.
Respondents in the research reported issues such as lapsed vehicle registration, failing to cancel unwanted subscriptions, and overlooking tax deductions because it was too much trouble finding the receipts.
This suggests late fines and other email oversights could be costing people hundreds of dollars each year.
In addition to the financial costs, research suggests that not sorting and managing electronic records makes it more difficult to put together the information needed at tax time, or for other high-stakes situations, such as loan applications.
