Like every year since its inception back in 2008, Family Day is coming to Ontario this February. While many people in Toronto and the GTA plan on participating in community events, exploring the city, or heading out of town to commune with nature, many families will stay in. As with any holiday that creates a long weekend, Family Day is a perfect opportunity for these house-bound families to tackle hobbies and projects. Whether this day is spent cleaning out closets, organizing piles of paperwork, or preparing for tax season, Family Day is a great break in the heart of the winter season.
The process for sifting through papers
Bills, papers, magazines, and more—they all have a way of stacking up and taking up a ton of space. Before you discard some of these unnecessary items, check to see if any of these papers have your personal information on them—meaning your name, contact details, or financial account numbers. Though you may not realize it, many of the papers in your home have this important info printed on their pages. Here’s a list of just some of the things you need to keep an eye on:
- Junk mail
- Chequing account deposit slips
- Used airline tickets
- Old medical bills
- Pre-approved credit card letters
Since these show your personal information, they can never arrive in your garbage or recycling bins where criminals can easily find your information. You’ll need to secure shredding Toronto business owners trust for their commercial services, as this is the only way to ensure this stuff is destroyed permanently.
Not everything included in the above list is ready for shredding just yet. Some items will need to be kept for specific periods of time.
One year: Bank statements and canceled cheques, retirement and investment account statements, and utility bills a be shredded within a year unless you have used them in your taxes.
Seven years: Cancelled checks and receipts that serve as evidence of tax deductions should be stored in a fireproof box or with other important papers. You will find these documents very helpful should you be contacted for an audit.
Indefinite: Never shred important papers such as a deed, mortgage, SIN cards, or passports.
Identity theft is a major crime that affects thousands of people each year. What you may think is unimportant to thieves can actually give them important details about your life. When it comes to paper shredding Toronto destruction services can help prevent your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. They can also protect your digital information with mobile trucks equipped with sharp blades. The teeth of these blades can crush electronics, so their hard drives are no longer accessible to garbage divers.
As for the other odds and sods that come up in your Family Day de-cluttering, as long as it doesn’t have your personal information on it, then you’re free to sell, donate, or throw it away as you please. Make a list of projects that could be performed this upcoming Family Day. Treat everyone to some hot cocoa after the work’s over and revel in a job well done.
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