Shredding

Shredding documents with any information about you is one of the ways to avoid identity theft. This includes credit card offers, utility bills, credit card bills, communications of any kind from your health insurance carrier, old canceled checks you're throwing out, anything with financial information, any kind of brokerage report, department store bills and anything with your social security number. You should also shred old creidt cards and any CDs with any kind of personal and/or financial information.

You can buy a shredder just about any place these days. The big box stationery stores such as Staples or Office Max or Office Depot, Target, WalMart and lots of other places. There are constant sales and rebate offers so buy one when they are on sale. Get a crosscut shredder that will do eight to twelve sheets at a time.

Some UPS stores will also do shredding. They charge by the pound.

There are also some companies that have trucks that come to your home or office and shred your documents.

Shredding

Identity theft is a big problem that will only get worse. I tell my clients to get a cross-cut shredder and one that will do 8 to 12 pages at at time. You can buy them at any big box office supply story such as Staples, Office Max or Office Depot. Usually there is at least one that is on sale or has a rebate.

What do you shred? Anything that could allow anyone to steal your identity. Credit card offers, credit card bills, utility bills, discarded checks, financial statements of any kind that you are throwing out, phone bills, utility bills and anything with a credit card number (including receipts).

Yes, people actually do go through garbage to find these things. That's why shredding them is so important.