Some people get overwhelmed with the idea of getting their affairs in order and as a result find it easier to do nothing. To help people with that inertia, I’ll be posting occasional Action Items – little steps that take an hour or less that will move you forward in the process and make it less daunting.
I came across an article recently that talked about the importance of shredding your financial documents. It’s not enough these days to just throw them out and hope no one goes digging through your trash. Even ripping things into a few pieces leaves them vulnerable to being stolen by someone who has the time to piece them back together.
Getting a shredder is an inexpensive and secure way to quickly make sure the documents you no longer need don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Some important things to shred:
1. Pre-approved credit card offers,
2. Old bills, they contain account information that thieves can use to access your account online,
3. Old account statements, including health insurance forms. They can contain information about family members, dates of birth, etc. that people stealing your identity can use to fool someone into thinking they are you,
4. Old health insurance cards, expired credit cards, licenses, membership cards.
Keep the important papers you need in a locked file cabinet and shred the rest. I keep a shredder next to my desk at home for easy and safe disposal of things that no one else needs to see.
Source: Currency.com
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