Notwithstanding federal regulations such as FACTA, you should shred any document that contains sensitive material, including account numbers, signatures, passwords, PINs, and Social Security numbers. We also recommend you destroy any document containing addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses. Though this information is often publicly available, it’s still considered private and can lead to legal or financial liability.
Specifically, you should shred the following materials:
- – Credit Card Receipts – As above, this information can be used by identity thieves to take out credit cards in your name. Shred immediately.
- – Insurance Documents – Shred five years after the policy has ceased.
- – Junk Mail – Especially credit card offers, which can easily be filled out by a third party and sent to their address. Shred immediately.
- – Medical Records – These contain confidential information but are necessary for billing inquiries or disputes. We recommend shredding after one year.
- – Mortgage/Rent Payments – Shred after six years.
- – Receipts – Shred after your next billing cycle to prevent errors and assist in disputes.
- – Pay Stubs – For yourself and your employees, shred after you’ve used them in your tax filings, which is often one year.
- – Tax Documents – Since they often contain a great deal of sensitive information. Shred after seven years.
For more information about making your organization’s data more secure, contact secureDoc.org for a consultation.