Free Shred Day will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at our Headquarters (3330 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266).

For most people, the arrival of spring also means the arrival of spring cleaning. Looking at your stack of mail or your overflowing file cabinets, it can be hard to know what to toss and what to shred. As a general rule of thumb, any document containing personally identifying information should be shredded. This includes, but is not limited to, bank statements, bills, old tax documents, and medical documents.

Is Shredding Actually Necessary?

Simply throwing away documents that contain personal information increases your risk of identity theft. Important financial documents may contain personally identifiable information including your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, bank account, and credit card numbers. Once criminals obtain this information, they can use it or sell it on the dark web. By shredding confidential documents, you are securing your information.

What Should be Shredded?

Lots of documents contain personally identifying information. Below are four types of documents you should consider shredding.

• Documents with Financial Information: Mail that you receive from West Bank or your credit card company could be taken from your trash and used to steal your money or identity. Any statement that has your bank account or billing information should be shredded after they are no longer needed.
• Documents with Personal Information: A criminal can cause a lot of damage with just your date of birth and Social Security number. When other information such as your full name, address, phone number, or driver’s license number finds its way into the trash, it makes the thief’s job even easier. Types of documents that may contain personal information include the following: mail from the Internal Revenue Service, mail from your state vehicle registration agency, employment-related mail, travel-related documents (passports, tickets, itineraries, etc.), and medical reports.
• Documents with Account Information: Mail with information about an account may contain sensitive information such as account numbers, usernames, and passwords. Credit card statements and bills fall into this category. To keep your accounts safe, shred these documents.
• Junk Mail: Our mailboxes are often cluttered with a mass of junk mail. While it may seem innocent to toss it in the trash, these companies may have more of your personal information than you know. Since companies typically market to certain demographics based on age group, purchasing habits, or occupation, it is a good idea to make sure that information doesn’t make it into the wrong hands. Specific types of mail to be on the lookout for are pre-authorized credit card offers, mail from insurance companies and lenders, and mail from membership organizations and associations.

Better Safe Than Sorry

When it comes to protecting your information, it is better to be safe than sorry. When in doubt on whether something needs to be shredded or can be tossed out in the trash, err on the side of caution by shredding it.