If your house is starting to look like a giant filing cabinet from the documents you've amassed over the years, it's probably time for a clean up. In the middle of your cleaning rage, however, don't just dump these files into the trash, because identity thieves see your garbage bin as a treasure trove of information they can steal.

Before tossing anything out, make sure to set aside the following documents for a date with the shredder:


Tax Return

Your tax returns contain not only your social security numbers but also those of your dependents.

It's recommended to keep these returns for at least five years in case Revenue and Customs decides to audit you, but afterward feel free to shred them.

Bank Statements

If it includes your bank account number, it should be shredded. This is true for credit card bills as well. To avoid a pile-up of bank documents, you can ask your bank to deliver statements and billings as e-mails instead.

Pay Stubs

You're probably often asked for your payslip as proof of financial capacity. Again, it may also contain your social security number as well as other personal details. Take note that it can be used by fraudsters to open accounts in your name.

Before throwing away any document, ask yourself first if it contains anything that identity thieves might use. To be extra sure, you can hand over sensitive files to a document shredding company that could properly dispose them for you.

For a medium that seems to be on its way out, paper is definitely taking its time. Every year, millions of resumés, memos, reports, and contracts still find their way onto people's desks. While electronic or scanned files are becoming more popular, paper files are still a major part of every business or organization.

Of course, physical documents will require space for storage. To store these files, businesses must allocate a certain part of their office just for storage. Considering that most of these documents contain confidential information like budgets, business strategies, and even client data, additional manpower has to be hired to organize and protect them.

One way to free up extra space and cash is to hire a reliable records management company. They will collect and inventory a company's business records before storing them in an off-site facility for safe-keeping. Should the client need a file, the records management company can be contacted 24/7 to schedule a delivery in the format desired (as an email or as snail mail, for example). The storage facilities are also fire and earthquake proof, which ensures that disasters will not damage or ruin your vital records.

Indeed, until the time when all documents are digital, paper will remain a staple in offices worldwide. Fortunately, document management services can free a company from the hassle of managing records by itself, and allows it to reallocate important resources like manpower and office space to grow the business further.