What Documents You Should be Shredding

You know all those pre-approved credit card applications you get in the mail? How about your credit card and bank account statements? All of these and many other documents could potentially put you at serious risk for identity theft. It’s a crime that continues to be on the rise, but is mostly avoidable by taking caution with your personal documents. One of the primary methods for stealing one’s identity is by stealing their mail or digging through their garbage to find sensitive information. An identity thief can open a credit card in your name or empty a bank account with this information, so it’s up to you to be vigilant in making sure your documents stay private. Here’s a list of the important documents you need to be shredding or destroying:

What Documents You Should be Shredding

Cancelled checks
Tax documents such as your W-2
Financial records
Legal documents that contain sensitive information
If you run your own business, payroll records and inventory information should always be properly destroyed
CD’s, DVD’s, disks, or anything else that can hold information
Medical records
Insurance cards or documents if you switch providers
Receipts or order information after you no longer need them
Credit cards you no longer want or use
Identification cards, even if they’ve expired
Pre-approved credit cards and other junk mail
Account records