Top 10 Confidential Documents You Should Always Shred

The world is becoming increasingly digital, it’s still important to take care of sensitive paper documents. Shredding these documents with personal information can help prevent identity theft, and offer some financial security if the documents contain financial information. There are plenty of documents that still require paper printing, making shredding services in Fort Collins an important option for disposal of these documents. Knowing which documents to shred is also important, as some contain more vital information than others.

Statements from Financial Institutions

Bank statements should be shredded as soon as possible. They contain critical information regarding your account, and should be destroyed once all of the pertinent information has been gathered. This includes things like ATM receipts, deposit slips, and withdrawal slips.

Old Pay Stubs

While a lot of payment processing is done through direct deposit, many businesses still send out paper copies of pay stubs. These contain all sorts of sensitive information – about income, taxes, banking, and even benefits. Once the info has been verified, they should be destroyed.

Tax Returns from Years Past

It’s recommended to save tax returns for at least five years, but it’s important to shred any that are older than that. Tax returns contain pretty much all of your valuable information about employment, salary, and other financial matters – making them a prime target for identity theft.

Credit Card Statements

Many of these statements are also online, but paper credit card statements are comprised of key personal information regarding accounts and other spending habits. Once the bookkeeping has been done regarding these accounts, the statements should be shredded.

Insurance Documents

These documents also contain a lot of important information about your assets and your identity. You’ll want some of these documents to be kept on file, but those that aren’t crucial to keep should be shredded as soon as possible to prevent fraud and identity theft.

Old Medical Records

Personal medical records can also contain confidential information, and should be destroyed promptly. Once this information is no longer required, it’s crucial that they be shredded. This includes things like lab and test results, as well as bills and other receipts of payment.

Government Benefit Statements

If you get any financial benefit statements from the government, it’s important to properly dispose of outdated documents. These include things like housing benefits, tax benefits, and pensions, and contain personal information that are common targets of identity thieves.

Junk Mail

While most of these items get tossed before they’re opened, they can contain vital information. Some junk mail includes preapproval for loans and credit card applications. Shredding them prevents them from being used fraudulently by people that sign up for them on your behalf.

Expired Passports & Other IDs

These documents contain all of the information tied to your identity. Once they’re expired or have been replaced, it’s a good idea to destroy them. An old driver’s license or passport can give an identity thief every bit of sensitive information they need in one spot, should that ID be lost or stolen.

Boarding Passes

Many people don’t think of these as sensitive material, but the danger is in the bar codes found on them. These barcodes contain key information found on your identification, and potentially financial information, as well. Make sure to shred them securely instead of tossing them into the trash.



The world is getting more and more digital, but paper documents are still a prime target for identity thieves. Making sure they’re destroyed promptly and properly is crucial to maintaining your security and peace of mind. For more information, reach out to the experts at Shred Monster today.