Personal Document Shredding: Shredder for Your Taxes
After your taxes are filed, you should protect your return by shredding your tax documents. Here's the best shredders for personal document shredding.
There are booming business opportunities for identity theft in your garbage.
Everything, from credit card checks that your bank sends you, down to your account number at your electricity provider, is an entryway that can allow a thief to steal your identity.
Shredding physical documents including your receipts and tax documents before you toss them in the recycling is the best way to reduce the chance of your personal information being taken by an identity thief.
Read on for information about what to consider when choosing a machine for personal document shredding.
Number of Sheets
Paper shredders will indicate the number of sheets they can destroy all at once.
The more sheets it can shred in one go, the faster the process. More sheets usually equal a higher price point as well.
Consider how many sheets you will shred in a given day. If you have to shred hundreds of pages, you'll need a shredder that can do big batches at a time.
However, if you just will shred your mail that contains personal information and your tax documents once a year, page count may not matter too much.
Type of Cut
This is one of the most important features to look into when choosing a shredder.
There are three basic cuts: strip, cross-cut and micro cut.
A shredder that uses a strip-cut method cut documents into straight strips of paper about 1/4 inch thick. These shredded papers can be easily taped and read. A person trying to steal your identity will have no qualms about taping up your documents.
A cross-cut shredder is much more secure. It cuts your pages both horizontally and vertically into inch-long sections. However, these pages can be put back together in 8 hours by professionals.
A micro-cut shredder tears paper into tiny bits of confetti that is absolutely impossible to piece back together. This gives you the highest level of security and is the type of shredder that Frank Abagnale (con-man turned FBI) recommends.
Jamming
Jamming is another potential concern with personal document shredding. Most shredders will jam, although some ultra-high models come with a warranty that promises it won't jam.
For the most part, the question isn't whether the shredder will jam. The question is whether it's easy to fix when it does.
Credit cards
Besides paper, you'll probably want to use your shredder to destroy old credit cards and expired photo ids.
Some shredders cannot shred credit cards as they are not made out of paper. Look to see if the model you are considering says "paper only" or "shred paper and credit cards" before you buy.
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Volume
Just how much paper can fit in the bin before you have to empty your shredder? Just like the number of sheets, if you are shredding small quantities, volume won't really matter.
Shredding under 10 pages a week will still give you several days if not weeks before you need to empty your bin.
Personal Document Shredding
We hope you've found this guide into personal document shredding useful.
From single-person use to warehouses requiring high-capacity shredders, Destroy It has the shredder for you.
If you need more tips, read these 3 ways to organize your home office after purchasing a paper shredder.