Shredding documents is an important way to stop fraud and identity theft in it’s tracks. It is very important for business people and home owners to get into the habit of shredding often and shredding regularly. The fact is that even in this era of the Internet with extensive cybercrime, most identity theft still depends on physical parts to a paper trail.
Even junk mail can pose a threat! Those credit card offers that you did not even ask for?…shred them!…they could contain valuable information to a potential identity thief.
Other documents to shred are credit card receipts, expired credit cards, financial records, canceled checks and tax records.
There are three ways to get documents shredded:
- Purchase an in home shredder for home use or smaller businesses. Be sure to purchase a shredder with a “cross cutter”. Shredded strips can still be pieced together.
- Pay a shredding service to periodically remove documents for shredding. This is recommended for businesses that incur a great deal of shredding on a regular basis.
- Bring documents (usually by the box load) to local shredding services that will issue a certificate of destruction when completed. In fact check with your local community for “Free Shredding Days” as some are offered as a yearly or semi yearly event.
Shredded paper can be recycled but check with your local municipality for specific rules that work with your towns recycling process. Chances are you will be requested to bundle the shreds in some type of paper or plastic bag. For example, residents in Mansfield MA are requested to put shreds in a paper bag and staple it to prevent them from flying around.
An Organized Lifestyle is NOT about Perfection…It’s About Living a Manageable Life