Shredding personal and financial documents can help keep your information safe, but it might be difficult to know what you should shred and what you can simply throw out. Not sure where to start? We’ve compiled a handy list of all the documents need to go through the shredder.
Don’t have a shredder of your own? The Tina Barletta Team is here to help! Come join us on Saturday, June 6th at the Flowers Plantation Food Lion Plaza for our Community Shred-It Event. It’s completely free, and you won’t even have to leave your car.
Here Are The Types of Documents You Should Be Shredding
If need help deciding what to shred, take some time to read through your documents. Check to see if anything has a signature, account number, social security number, medical information, or legal details. These papers should be destroyed with a high-quality shredder so they can’t be stolen or pieced back together.
However, there are other types of documents that also need to be shredded—and some of them might just surprise you.
Prescription labels
Be sure to tear prescription labels off of pill bottles and Rx bags. They often contain your personal information, as well as the prescription name and how much was dispensed. Thieves can use these details to illegally refill a prescription.
Receipts
Receipts might seem harmless, but these small bits of paper actually offer a wealth of information for criminals. They could contain everything from your signature to the last four digits of your credit card number.
Boarding passes
Even after you’ve returned home, it’s a good idea to properly dispose of used boarding passes. Not only do they contain your personal information, they also have barcodes that criminals can scan to access your travel itinerary.
Vet documents
It might not be possible to steal Fluffy or Fido’s identity, but fraudsters can still use these documents to get your personal details. Vet paperwork can also contain your pet’s name, which is the most common password choice.
Resumes
Resumes contain so much more than just your name, phone number, and address. They also have your full employment and educational history, which you should never just throw away.
Birth announcements
Believe it or not, children are more likely to have their identities stolen than adults. Birth announcements can contain a wide variety of personal identifiers, including birthdays and names. Be sure to shred them if you aren’t saving them.
Credit card offers
You should always shred credit card offers, even if they don’t appear to have your financial information on them. The last thing you want is a credit card fraudulently taken out in your name!
Luggage tags
Luggage tags contain some pretty basic details that you might not want a stranger to know, including your name, phone number, and address.
Report cards
If you aren’t saving your student’s report cards, it’s best to send them through the shredder. They can contain sensitive academic information, as well as particulars about you and your children.
Funeral pamphlets
Identity thieves often target the deceased to apply for loans, get credit cards, or collect tax returns. Any papers you receive at a funeral, especially if they contain information about the person that has passed away, need to be shredded.
Ready to Start Shredding?
Don’t worry if you have a lot of paperwork to get rid of—our Community Shred-it Event is totally free and safe! Be sure to join us on Saturday, June 6th at the Flowers Plantation Food Lion Plaza from 1 to 3 pm. And if you have any questions, be sure to give us a call or check out our Facebook event.