A new study, published in the journal Information Research, suggests that leaving all your emails in your inbox is likely to leave you dissatisfied with the management of your personal records.
In an exploratory survey, participants were asked how they handled their personal records, such as invoices, online subscriptions and similar items. Many of these arrive by email.
The majority of respondents left their electronic records in the email. Only half stored items such as invoices and other documents elsewhere, such as on their computer or in the cloud. But having a disorganized inbox also led to problems, including lost invoices and losing track of important correspondence.
The risk of losing track of your emails
Receiving invoices, insurance renewals and other household documents by email saves time and money, and reduces the unnecessary use of paper.
However, there are risks involved if you don't keep your electronic records organized. Respondents in the study reported problems such as vehicle registration lapsing, failure to cancel unwanted subscriptions and not taking advantage of tax deductions because it was too complicated to find receipts.
This suggests that late fines and other email oversights could be costing people hundreds of dollars every year.
In addition to the financial costs, the research suggests that not organizing and managing electronic records makes it difficult to compile the information needed at tax time or for other high-profile situations, such as loan applications.
What was discovered?
More than 300 different people were surveyed about the management of their personal electronic records. The majority were from Australia, but also included responses from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Portugal and others.
Two-thirds used their email to manage personal records, such as invoices, receipts, subscriptions and more. Of those, once the respondents had dealt with their email, about half of them organized emails into folders, while the other half left everything in the inbox.
While the majority organized their work email in folders, they were much less likely to organize their personal email in the same way.
The results also showed that only half (52%) of those who left all their email in the inbox were satisfied with the management of their records, compared to 71% who organized their email in folders.
Of those who stored their documentation in the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox and the like), 83% reported being satisfied with the management of their home records.
The study was exploratory, so more research will be needed to see if the findings apply more universally. However, the statistical analysis revealed practices associated with more satisfactory results, and others that could be better avoided.
What can go wrong with an inbox-only approach?
Based on the responses, three main problems were identified with leaving all your email in the inbox.
Firstly, users can lose track of tasks that need to be done. For example, an invoice that needs to be paid can slip down the line unnoticed, drowned out by other emails.
Secondly, relying on search to find emails means you need to know exactly what you're looking for. For example, at tax time, searching for receipts for charitable donations depends on remembering what to look for, as well as the exact wording in the email containing the receipt.
Thirdly, many invoices and statements are not sent as attachments in emails, but as hyperlinks. If you change banks or other service providers, these links may not be accessible later. Not being able to access payslips from a former employer can also cause problems, as shown by the Robodebt scandal or the recent case of the Australian Tax Office reviving old debts.
4 tips for better records management
Respondents tended to choose a more organized format than their current behavior when asked about a preferred place to keep their personal records. Ideally, only 8% of respondents would leave everything in their email inbox, unorganized.
The findings suggest a set of practices that can help you master your electronic records and avoid stress or financial loss:
- organize your email into folders by category, or store records in folders in the cloud or on a computer
- download documents that are not attached to emails or sent to you - such as utility bills and all your payslips
- put important renewals on your calendar as reminders
- delete junk emails and unsubscribe, so that your inbox can be transformed into a to-do list.
