Paper Shredding Guide
Shred smart. Keep less. Stay safe.
Always SHRED
- Anything with Social Security number.
- Bank statements over 1 year old (digital copies fine).
- Credit card statements over 1 year old.
- Pay stubs over 1 year (after W-2 received).
- Old utility bills.
- Pre-approved credit card offers — daily.
- Medical bills after paid + 1 year.
- Old insurance documents (after replaced).
- ATM receipts after reconciled.
- Old voided checks.
- Convenience checks.
KEEP forever (paper or scan)
- Birth/death/marriage certificates.
- Social Security card.
- Passports (current + recent expired).
- Will, trust, power of attorney.
- Property deeds.
- Vehicle titles.
- Military discharge papers (DD-214).
- Adoption papers.
- Diplomas + transcripts.
- Pension documents.
Keep TEMPORARILY
- Tax returns — 7 years (IRS audit window).
- Tax-supporting docs — receipts, donation logs — 7 years.
- Home improvement receipts — until you sell + 3 years.
- Vehicle records — until you sell.
- Pay stubs — until W-2 received.
- Major purchase receipts — for warranty period.
Where to shred
- Home shredder — $40-150 cross-cut. Brands: Fellowes, AmazonBasics. Skip strip-cut (less secure).
- FREE community shred days — banks, credit unions, AARP host these spring/fall. Search "[your city] free shred day".
- Staples / Office Depot / UPS Store — $1-2/lb shredding service.
- Iron Mountain Shred Day — major free events.
- Don't forget to remove paper clips + staples — most modern shredders handle them.
Go digital
Scan and save important docs digitally. Most banks and brokerages let you opt out of paper statements — just download yearly tax PDFs. After 3 months, you'll generate 80% less paper. See /tools/scanner-app-picks for free scanning apps.