You can hire a professional cleaning company to help you clean the things you are too busy to care for around the house. However, there are just some things you have to clean out personally. The area of your home office that is designed for your work space can get overwhelmed with kids’ school permission slips to sign and bills from 1999.
There are some papers we have to keep for a certain amount of time, but time is something that we all are short of. Therefore, clearly it’s easy for those papers to stack up.
If you personally are already on top of this “shred and toss” method, that is awesome. But it’s a good idea to share this method with our teens headed to college and/or older parents living alone. Times have changed, but identity theft is getting sneakier and more high tech. Buying a great shredder may be a smart idea for a birthday or early Christmas gift.
It’s can be hard to know what documents you need to shred and what to throw away. So, let’s take a look…
WE CLEAN EVERYTHING BUT THE INSIDE OF YOUR DESK!
What Do I Shred?
Shred anything that is considered a “sensitive document”. In other words, any paper that has your:
- name,
- address,
- any part of your social security number, (even if it only shows the last 4 digits),
- anything you have signed, or
- anything that has a password (even a temporary one).
If you have a certain place you tend to open your mail, it’s best to position the shredder very close by. That way you don’t have an excuse to start a pile. You can just open, read, and shred.
Don’t be fooled by some mail only having certain personal information blocked out. Identity thieves can piece together a month’s worth of your mail and put together quite a bit.
Also, shred any junk mail that is addressed to you directly.
Credit card offers can be filled out and signed by someone else, just by having a blank application!
Shred those credit card receipts AFTER you see the transaction has gone through smoothly, which is usually about a week.
There is no need to save your bills after you have paid them (even for tax purposes) for over a year. You can always contact the agency and print out your dates when you need them. Infographic via paperrecycles.org
What Documents Can I Throw Away Instead of Shred?
You can discard junk mail (not personally addressed to you). Also, you can pull out the articles of magazines you like, and toss the magazines.
Also, throw away anything that isn’t directly identifiable to you with your name and address on it.
Keep Your Identity Safe!
It’s a good idea to purchase a shredder that also shreds credit cards.
Those pesky junk mail credit card offers sometimes come with personal credit cards that, although are fake, can be a method of stealing your identity.
You want a shredder that has a great rating because you need it to last!
My daughter is in charge of shredding my box of “to shred items” and she accidentally shredded a key! It was a key that was supposed to open up a car that was a method to get me to the car dealership. However, it had my name on it and identified that I had bought a car there in years past. The papers should have been shredded, not so much the key! But cheers to ATIVA for creating a great paper shredder that got the job done of shredding my personal information, AND THEN SOME!
Happy Shredding, Tossing, and Getting Your Home Office Organized!
FAQs
Yes, you should shred 20-year-old bank statements. They're well beyond the recommended retention period of 3-7 years for tax and audit purposes. Shredding ensures your personal and financial information remains confidential, protecting against potential identity theft or fraud.
Should I shred 20 year old bank statements? ›
Yes, you should shred 20-year-old bank statements. They're well beyond the recommended retention period of 3-7 years for tax and audit purposes. Shredding ensures your personal and financial information remains confidential, protecting against potential identity theft or fraud.
What paper documents should be shredded? ›
What Documents Should You Always Shred (and When)?
- Sales receipts.
- ATM receipts.
- Utility bills (after paying them)
- Insurance offers.
- Credit or credit card offers.
- Unwanted credit card applications or pre-approved cards.
- Canceled checks.
- Expired warranties.
To protect your privacy, you should also consider shredding items that include: Names. Addresses. Phone numbers.
Which of the following documents should be shredded? ›
The two documents that should be shredded to prevent identity theft and financial fraud are expired credit or debit cards and financial statements. These contain sensitive information that could be used by criminals to commit fraud.
How long should I keep old financial documents? ›
KEEP 3 TO 7 YEARS
Knowing that, a good rule of thumb is to save any document that verifies information on your tax return—including Forms W-2 and 1099, bank and brokerage statements, tuition payments and charitable donation receipts—for three to seven years.
Do I need to shred my deceased parents' papers? ›
Most estate papers should be kept for 7 to 10 years after a death. This includes wills, trusts, deeds, and titles. Although you may shred these documents after 7 to 10 years, keeping a digital copy may be beneficial. These documents can be important for resolving any potential disputes about the estate.
Should I shred old insurance policies? ›
In general, you should always shred anything that has your name or identifying details on it. A small home shredder should be adequate for discarding old insurance documents. A cross-cut shredder will cut the pages in two directions, making it harder for potential thieves to get information from discarded documents.
Should credit card statements be shredded? ›
Securely Dispose of Your Old Credit Card Statements
Believe it or not, dumpster divers who find old credit card statements in trash cans or landfills can steal your identity with their newfound “treasure.” The best way to prevent identity theft is to shred every statement before it's thrown away.
Should old phone bills be shredded? ›
Even if they're old statements, they should be shredded. Your name, address, phone number, and bank account information are in those statements, along with your habits, purchases, and banking history.
Soaking paper documents in water for one or two days and mixing it around is an effective way to make them unreadable. This dissolves the paper into a pulp that you can break up by hand. However, you'll need the space and patience to leave your documents in buckets of water in a secure place.
How to dispose of old bank statements? ›
Destroy paper documents permanently and securely
Shredding is a common way to destroy paper documents and is usually quick, easy and cost-effective. Many retailers sell shredders for use within your office or premises, enabling you to shred and dispose of the documents yourself.
Should junk mail be shredded? ›
It's a myth that junk mail is harmless. Personal data is often included in this correspondence. For example, names and addresses are inserted into pre-approved credit card applications; identity thieves could send in these applications. Always shred junk mail; never put it into the garbage or recycling bin.
What cannot be shredded? ›
ITEMS THAT CANNOT BE SHREDDED: GARBAGE AND FOOD PRODUCTS • WET PAPER • LARGE METAL ITEMS OR 3-RING BINDERS • WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS • PLASTICS INCLUDING STYROFOAM • TONER CARTRIDGES • VCR OR MAGNETIC TAPES • CD'S, DVD'S OR X-RAYS • BACKUP/STORAGE MEDIA (FLASHDRIVES, ETC.)
Is it okay to throw away credit card offers? ›
After all, you shouldn't really just toss this kind of junk mail into the trash or recycle bin as-is. Instead, you should take the time to shred this type of mail to make sure that credit card offers (especially preapproved ones) with your name and address don't fall into the hands of identity thieves.
Should I destroy my old social security card? ›
Start by shredding junk mail and old papers that carry your Social Security number (but don't destroy your Social Security card), birth date, signature, account numbers, passwords or PINs.
Do I need to destroy old bank statements? ›
Bank statements and canceled checks. Even if they're old statements, they should be shredded. Your name, address, phone number, and bank account information are in those statements, along with your habits, purchases, and banking history.
Is there any reason to keep old bank statements? ›
Bank statements, credit card bills, canceled checks and other documents can be useful for tax purposes, as proof of a transaction or payment, or for other reasons.
When should you destroy bank statements? ›
Shred Within a Year
Many bills and detailed statements are now available online. Switch to electronic statements for a safe and secure record. A few things you can shred in six months to a year: Bank statements.
Should I keep my 20 year old tax returns? ›
How Long Should You Keep Tax Statements in California? Unlike the federal standard, California operates under a four-year statute of limitations for tax documents. This means the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has the authority to audit your tax returns up to four years after they are filed.
