All Spring Valley customers and Wyoming residents & businesses swing by Saturday July 20th from 10am-1pm to take advantage of our free shredding event.
Whether you can make it to this event or not, information security is a real topic that should be on your radar.
Why shred documents?
1. Identity Theft Prevention
Personally identifiable information and health information ought to be shredded once they are no longer necessary. Many office paper shredders only perform basic strip cutting, which allows for the potential reassembly of documents either manually or with specialized software.
2. Clutter Reduction
A home or office cluttered with documents and boxes of files can dampen productivity and morale, creating a disorganized, uncared-for and anxious feeling.
3. Environmental Responsible
An environmentally-responsible paper shredding company like Royal Document Destruction destroys old paper records, bales the shredded waste, and sends it to a secure recycling partner. At the recycling facility, shredded paper is made into a wide variety of recycled paper products.
4. Fire Hazard Reduction
Paper is highly flammable, making stacks of it in closets and corners a significant fire hazard. Regularly purging and professionally shredding outdated and unnecessary documents can help reduce paper waste and mitigate fire risks.
5. The Law for Many Businesses
Healthcare organizations, law firms, financial services providers, and many other business sectors have a legal obligation to protect information. Document shredding ensures your company is complying with the following laws:
HIPAA
FACTA
SOX
GLB
6. Convenience
Few things are as inconvenient as shredding documents with an office shredder. Attending a shredding event removes the hassle of extracting staples and paper clips from your documents, saves time, and offers an additional layer of protection for your information.
7. Peace of Mind
The timing and method of document destruction significantly affect your risk of falling victim to identity theft and business fraud. A professional shredding service ensures complete and verifiable destruction of your documents, providing peace of mind.
Documents to shred within a year
Hold onto your bank statements, pay stubs and paid medical bills for up to a year. That allows you to dispute anything that may be wrong. After that, shred them
Documents to shred after seven years
The IRS advises retaining tax documents for a period of up to seven years. Once this period has elapsed, you are advised to securely dispose of these outdated tax documents, along with any supporting records.
What about expired federal documents?
Many essential documents come with expiration dates to guarantee their current validity. Upon expiration, it is advisable to shred them once you have obtained the updated versions. Such documents include copies of birth certificates and insurance policies.
Quick list of documents to shred:
Address labels from junk mail and magazines
ATM receipts
Bank statements
Birth certificate copies
Canceled and voided checks
Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts
Credit reports and histories
Documents containing maiden name
Documents containing names, addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses
Documents relating to investments
Documents containing passwords or PIN numbers
Driver’s licenses or items with a driver’s license number
Drafted documents
Education records
Employee pay stubs
Employment records
Expired passports and visas
Identification cards/badges
Legal documents
Insurance information
Internal memos
Investment, stock and property transactions
Items with a signature
Luggage tags
Medical and dental records
Papers with a Social Security number
Payroll information
Pre-approved credit card applications
Phone logs
Phone messages
Purchase orders
Receipts with checking account numbers
Report cards
Resumes or curriculum vitae
Tax forms
Transcripts
Travel itineraries
Used airline tickets
Visitor Logs
Documents not to shred
Birth certificates or adoption papers
Social Security cards
Citizenship papers or passports
Marriage or divorce decrees
Death certificates of family members
Auto titles and home deeds for as long as you own the property
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