Why shred anyway? Shredding documents is the main way to protect yourself from identity theft. (Read my interview with security expert Jay Foley on How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
If documents are still "active" i.e., you need to hold onto them for reference (check out list of How Long to Keep Documents), and establish a simple home filing system. This means filing documents by topic and then shredding them once they are no longer in use.
Here is the list of what to shred:
ATM receipts
Bank statements
Birth certificate copies
Canceled and voided checks
Credit card bills
Credit reports
Driver’s licenses (expired)
Employment documents that have any identifying
Expired passports and visas
Investments account #s
Legal documents
Investment, stock and property transactions
Items with a signature (leases, contracts, letters)
Luggage tags
Medical and dental records
Papers with a Social Security number
Passwords or PIN numbers
Pay stubs
Pre-approved credit card applications
Receipts with checking account numbers, credit card numbers or any other identifying information
Tax forms
Transcripts with identifying information on them
Travel itineraries
Used airline tickets
Utility bills (telephone, gas, electric, water, cable TV, Internet)
