NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – For simple minds, there should be simple solutions.

At least that's my thinking when it comes to creating a financial filing system that I actually would, you know, use. My criterion is this: if it takes more than 5 minutes to figure out, it's too complicated.

When it comes to record-keeping, I save too much, organize too little and put off dealing with the piles until I absolutely can't stand it anymore. (Unfortunately, it's the only area of my life where I exhibit unbelievable patience for quiet chaos.)

So as a rite of spring – and tax-filing season – it's probably as good a time as any to rethink (or better yet, dispense with) the mess.

Here are some of the most helpful ideas I took away from my conversations with Cynthia Townley Ewer, editor of OrganizedHome.com, and Barbara Hemphill, author of "Taming the Paper Tiger" and founder of Hemphill Productivity Institute.

Today's mail is tomorrow's mess. Piles of paper are nothing more than decisions delayed. So deal with pieces of mail and other key documents as you get them.

Know your ABCs, or at least whether you're FAT. Since we all have different preferences, here are three easy options for quickly organizing your mail or those financial documents you randomly tossed on a pile or (shhh...) in a shopping bag.

The FAT system: Hemphill's acronym derives from the following:

Filing (F): keep a folder (or box) for papers that require filing;

Action (A): use another container for papers that require some action; and

Toss (T): use a wastebasket or recycling bin to toss away garbage.

So, for instance, that quarterly 401(k) statement goes in the F-folder; the unpaid credit card bill goes in the A-folder; and that piece of junk mail hits the T-bin.

Anything you might toss that has your Social Security number, birth date, maiden name, or a financial account number should be shredded first to protect against identity theft.

The ABC system: Ewer also likes a three-part system, although in hers the wastebasket is a given, not part of the acronymn.

Her "A" is for papers that require action on your part. The "B" is for Basics, documents that reflect your working files for a given year, such as medical insurance receipts, recent credit card and bank statements, and tax papers needed for that year's return. And the "C" is for "Classics," papers you need to keep archived, such as homeowner records, medical records, and past years' tax returns.

(For a detailed look at how long you need to keep all different kinds of financial records, click here.)

If neither of those systems work for you, then try Ewer's suggestion of a three-part action file -- one part "to pay;" one part "to do;" and one part "to file."

Recognize that you have a memory problem. Now that you've selected the umbrella categories of your filing system that will keep your home clutter-free, it's time to drill down a little deeper and decide where ultimately to put, say, your car insurance statements. Under "C" for car? "A" for auto? "I" for insurance?

Don't play the guessing game. Make a decision once and write it down. "The key to a succesful filing system is a file index," Hemphill said. Keep a copy of that index at your desk or counter where you work and also on the filing cabinet where the files will live.

Don't be a pushover. Who's in charge? You're in charge. So if a piece of paper is going to stay, it better have a good excuse.

Hemphill suggests asking four questions: Is it useful? (If not, toss it.) Does it exist in another form? (If yes, toss it.) Does it have any tax or legal implications? (If not, toss it.) And, finally, what's the worst that can happen if you toss something you find out later you need? If you can live with the consequences, toss it.

Let the tossing begin. In the interest of success, Hemphill suggests we "ignore the old stuff and create a filing system for the new. If you start with the old stuff, you'll never get done."

But what about the old stuff? Apparently, it will be easy to address once you've got the system in place. And your wastebasket may get quite a workout. "Research shows 80 percent of the old stuff you'll never use anyway," Hemphill said.

Jeanne Sahadi writes about personal finance for CNN/Money. She also appears regularly on CNNfn's "Your Money," which airs weeknights at 5 p.m. ET. Please let her know what you think about this or other columns by e-mailing her at everydaymoney@cnnmoney.com.