Shred Fest is Back and This Time it’s a Week-Long!

Do you have stacks of old paperwork and files filled with even more paperwork and you aren’t sure if they even need to be saved? With everything going digital, how do you know which paper documents to keep and if so, for how long? This is a question we hear from our clients year after year, so here are some tips on what to shred and what to keep.

What Should You Shred?

Shred After 1 Year:

Receipts for small purchases

Bank records

Credit card bills

Pay stubs

Household bills

Shred After 7 Years:

Federal/state tax returns

Canceled checks

Check registers

Never Shred:

Home improvement receipts

Receipts for major purchases

Annual investment statements

Gift tax returns

Investment statements

Estate planning documents (will, etc.)

Health care proxy forms

Inheritance papers

Life insurance policies

Here’s one more helpful tip: If you are counting on a register receipt for future proof of a home improvement for taxes or for when you sell a home, make a copy of any carbon or thermal receipts so the images will last; keep the bank/credit card proof as well for high-cost items.

For those of you with a large amount of confidential paperwork to shred, or those who simply want to make sure that their confidential documents get shredded completely, we invite you to attend our 3rd Annual “Shred Fest” on Friday, June 7, 2013 at our Land O’ Lakes office (20635 Amberfield Drive, Suite 102).

ShredGreen will have a shredding truck on-site at 9:30 a.m. and a secure drop box will be onsite week-long from Monday June 3, 2013 to Thursday June 6, 2013 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The actual shredding will take place Friday June 7, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. you may come watch your items get shredded or do a final drop off at that time.

According to www.document-shredding.org: In the U.S. over 250 million tons ofwaste or just under 5 pounds of paper-related garbage is produced every day byeach individual. This will go to landfills where the garbage simply piles up.

ShredGreen guarantees one hundred percent of your shredded documents are recycled into materials such as paper towels and boxes.

If you are still unsure what paperwork or records you should keep and what is safe to shred, call one of our financial advisors at Independent Financial Services for a complimentary review of your financial paperwork at (813) 908-2701.

Independent Financial Services provides a variety of financial services to its clients, including comprehensive financial planning, ongoing active money management and investment management. The all-women firm specializes in four key areas: women and investing, retirement planning, divorce planning and small business solutions.

Jeannie Holliday, CFA, CDFAO and Jodi Perez, CFPO founded Independent Financial Services in Tampa, Florida in 2007 after both having previously owned and operated their own firms separately. There is over 100 years of combined experience among its dedicated staff.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. MemberFINRA/SIPC. 

Securities are not deposits, not insured by FDIC or any othergovernment agency, not guaranteed by First National Bank of Pasco, and aresubject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. Independent Financial Services and First National Bank of Pasco are independent of Raymond James Financial Services.