Documents: Hold, Shred or Secure?

Column distributed by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

Links to resources referenced:

Iron Mountain: “What to shred: 8 documents you should be shredding that you probably aren’t”
- https://www.ironmountain.com/resources/blogs-and-articles/w/what-to-shred-8-documents-you-should-be-shredding-that-you-probably-aren-t
  - Related column excerpt:
    - “Iron Mountain, which provides storage and information management services, adds these items:”
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice: “How To Stop Junk Mail”
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-stop-junk-mail
  - Related column excerpt:
    - “Junk mail (‘your personal data may be included in those garbage mailers and credit card offers’). Note that you can opt out of junk mail and prescreened credit offers at the FTC’s ‘How to Stop Junk Mail’ page.”
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice: “What To Know About Identity Theft”
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-identity-theft
  - Related column excerpt:
    - “The concern, according to the FTC, is identity thieves stealing ‘your name and address, credit card or bank account numbers, Social Security number, or medical insurance account numbers. And they could use them to:’”
    - “You can find additional information about identity theft at the FTC’s ‘What To Know About Identity Theft’ page and its IdentityTheft.gov website.”
Federal Trade Commission: ‘New FTC Data Show a Big Jump in Reported Losses to Fraud to $12.5 Billion in 2024”
- https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/03/new-ftc-data-show-big-jump-reported-losses-fraud-125-billion-2024
  - Related column excerpt:
    - “In 2024, the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov website received more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft.”
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice: “Protecting your personal information: Which documents to keep and which to shred”
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/06/protecting-your-personal-information-which-documents-keep-and-which-shred?utm_source=govdelivery
  - Related column excerpt:
    - “The FTC recommends keeping these financial documents for a year: bank statements, pay stubs, credit card and utility bills, deposited checks and undisputed medical bills. The FTC adds: ‘If you can access these documents electronically, consider shredding your paper copies.’”
IRS: “How long should I keep records?”
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records
  - Related column excerpts:
    - “The IRS recommends three to seven years or longer based on the type of document (and an ‘indefinitely’ timeline for certain situations -- if you did not file a tax return or you filed a fraudulent return).”
    - “‘Generally, you must keep your records that support an item of income, deduction or credit shown on your tax return until the period of limitations for that tax return runs out. The period of limitations is the period of time in which you can amend your tax return to claim a credit or refund, or the IRS can assess additional tax.’ See the IRS webpage ‘How long should I keep records.’”