Time to take out the trash and shred it!!

Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District

District Update • September 26, 2016

 

Time to take out the trash and shred it!!

 

Do you have boxes of documents that you need to get rid of?  On Saturday October 1 from 9AM to 12PM Representative Greg Harris and Alderman 47th Ward Ameya Pawar along with AT&T will be hosting a Shred Day at 4250 N. Lincoln Ave the North end of Jewel-Osco Parking Lot.  Do some summer cleaning and protect your identity by shredding unwanted personal, financial or confidential documents for FREE.  NO ELECTRONIC RECYCLING PLEASE DO NOT BRING ELECTRONICS.

 

Crime statistics show that more than 8.1 million people became victims of identity theft in the past year making it the fastest growing crime in the U.S. If you have been holding on to old documents because of security issues this is your time to safely get rid of the documents without worrying about them getting into prying hands!

 

Here are some suggestions from The City of Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection for deciding how long to keep personal financial information:

 

  • A good rule of thumb is to keep all tax returns and supporting documentation for seven years. The IRS has three years from your tax-filing date to audit, and has six years to challenge a claim.
  • Keep credit card statements for seven years if tax related expenses are documented.
  • Keep paycheck stubs for one year. Be sure to cross reference the paycheck stub to the W-2 form.
  • Be sure to keep bank statements and canceled checks for at least one year.
  • Bills should be kept for one year or until the canceled check has been returned. Receipts for large ticket items should be kept for insurance purposes.
  • Home improvement receipts should be kept for six years or permanently.
  • Items such as birth certificates, social security cards, insurance policies, titles or wills should be kept permanently in a safety deposit box.
  • If you are going to dispose of documents with sensitive information, be sure to SHRED!

 

For more information contact our office at (773) 348-3434 or email at greg@gregharris.org or at (773) 868-4747 or dara@chicago47.org.