What to Shred

With the constant flow of documents in our homes and workplaces, identifying which ones to dispose of and when can be overwhelming. Effective management of your paperwork not only helps in organizing your space but also plays a crucial role in protecting your privacy and security.

Examples of Documents to Shred

For Home

Utility Bills: Once paid and recorded, shred to avoid misuse of financial information.
Credit Card Statements: Shred after reconciliation to protect your financial details.
Medical Records: Shred outdated records to protect your health information.
Bank Statements: Once deemed unnecessary for tax purposes, shred to prevent financial fraud.
Expired IDs and Passports: Prevent identity theft by shredding these documents.
Old Tax Returns: After the retention period, shredding helps protect sensitive financial data.
Receipts with Card Information: Post reconciliation with your statements, shred these to avoid fraud.
Pay Stubs: Once verified against your W-2, shredding helps maintain income privacy.

For Business

Employee Records: Shred outdated records to comply with privacy laws.
Customer Databases: Protect customer privacy by shredding obsolete data.
Expired Contracts: Shred to safeguard proprietary business information.
Sensitive Business Data: Internal documents with sensitive information should be shredded to prevent leaks.
Financial Reports: Shred old reports to secure financial data.
Marketing Plans: Protect competitive strategies by shredding outdated plans.
Old Bid Documents: Shred previous bids to protect strategic information.
Obsolete Product Information: Shred to protect proprietary designs and specifications.
Expired Licenses and Permits: Avoid misusing business information by shredding these documents.
Training Manuals: Shred outdated manuals to secure operational processes.

What Not to Shred

Certain documents should be kept safe instead of shredding. These include birth certificates, marriage licenses, social security cards, and legal documents. Consider the difficulty and expense of replacing a document before shredding it.

When to Shred

Determining the right time to shred documents depends on their nature and purpose. Here’s a guideline to help you decide:

Monthly: Documents like utility bills, credit card statements, and other short-term financial records should be shredded at the end of each month after they’ve served their purpose.

Yearly: Tax returns, pay stubs, and annual insurance policies should be stored securely for at least a year before shredding.

Seven Years: Keep documents like real estate records, business contracts, and certain financial documents for at least seven years. After this period, evaluate their necessity and shred if no longer needed.