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.
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.
