Credit card statements and utility bills are documents that should be high on anyone's list for shredding. Bills of that nature tend to have very sensitive information. So once payment is confirmed and you no longer need to reference that bill, make sure the document is destroyed.
Your name, address, phone number and bank account information are in those statements, along with your habits, purchases and banking history. Even if the account is closed, shred it anyway.
Paper shredders increase security risks. You shred your documents to prevent identity theft and maintain the confidentiality of your information. But your paper shredding machine doesn't offer the most secure method for completely destroying confidential information. ... Document destruction equipment and facilities.
Utility Bills: Hold on to them for a maximum of one year. Tax Returns and Tax Receipts: Just like tax-related credit card statements, keep these on file for at least three years. House and Car Insurance Policies: Shred the old ones when you receive new policies.
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.
Keep them as long as needed to help with tax preparation or fraud/dispute resolution. And maintain files securely for at least seven years if you've used your statements to support information you've included in your tax return.
Particle Inhalation
Minute particles can get into the lungs of business workers causing irritation and short term health problems like eye and chest infection, leaving them with no choice but to take time off work.
Home, auto and umbrella policies - Keep until you get your new policy. For auto insurance, most states accept electronic versions of your insurance card, but it may also be smart to keep a printed version in your glove compartment.
Reputable Mobile Shredding Services are Insured in the Millions of Dollars. Secure shredding has its risk in any industry. To protect every party, reputable companies that shred carry insurance. These policies often number in the millions of dollars.
Neighborhood coupons and junk mail
Whether you're receiving vacation offers, insurance solicitations, or anything similar, there's no reason to keep you from tossing those papers directly into your recycling bin—unless you plan to use a coupon or sales paper to save on an upcoming purchase.
Shipping labels – Address labels on packages potentially include confidential information such as business address, tracking codes, and account numbers. Employees in the mail room should be directed to always remove and securely dispose of these labels before boxes or packages are broken down and recycled.
All they need is access to your old mail, credit cards, and debit cards. "Bank statements, credit card statements and other documents that contain your personal information should never be disposed of in an insecure manner," says Debbie Guild, chief security officer at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Expired credit and identification cards including driver's licenses, college IDs, military IDs, employee badges, medical insurance cards, etc. (If your shredder can't handle plastic, cut up cards with a scissors before discarding them.) Expired passports and visas.
Receipts. Shred all receipts you don't save. Those from credit card purchases reveal the last digits of your card number and possibly your signature. Crooks can also use receipts for fraudulent returns and benefit from your store credit if you don't shred documents.
Expired passports and driver's licenses, copies of birth certificates, old insurance policies and resumes should be shredded.
To be on the safe side, McBride says to keep all tax records for at least seven years. Keep forever. Records such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, Social Security cards, and military discharge papers should be kept indefinitely.
You will usually receive a new set of policy documents annually, or in some cases, semi-annually. Once you have received these, it is no longer necessary to keep the old ones. It should be standard practice for you to file the new copies at the same time you discard the old ones.
In general, 401k plan records must be kept for a period of not less than six years after the filing date of the IRS Form 5500 created from those records.
Even small office shredders produce dust, and all shredded paper is highly flammable. While a small office shredder may not produce an actual dust explosion, small office shredders are known to have caused fires.
Conclusions: The present study shows that occupational exposure to soft paper dust (years exceeding 5 mg/m3 total dust) is associated with lung function impairment and increased prevalence of obstructive lung function impairment.
Like all electrical machines, paper shredders can pose a fire hazard for both the home and work environment. Paper jams that occur while operating a paper shredder can lead to overheating of the machine. People who leave paper shredders plugged into an outlet while not in use are also at risk of a fire.
The IRS retains the right to audit anyone's financial history for up to six years. In this case, it's wise to keep credit card statements for at least three years, preferably six if there is a very high risk of audit.
How long to keep: Three years. Receipts for anything you might itemize on your tax return should be kept for three years with your tax records. Try storing them in a file folder broken out based on spending categories.
Keep canceled checks for one year unless you need them for tax purposes. Refer to them when you reconcile your accounts each month so you know what has cleared. If your bank does not return your canceled checks, you can request a copy for up to five years.