MicroShred South Florida Shredding Service

How long to keep financial records?

If you’re anything like me, you want to shred bills and documents as soon as you send the check in the mail or pay online.  You don’t want all that extra clutter hanging around.  While that can be good for some items (junk mail, magazines, etc.) it doesn’t always work for financial documents.  If you own a home, have a credit card, are self-employed, have a job, or all of the above, here is some information about how long to keep your financial records.

Let’s start with home ownership documents.  These include closing statements (your HUD or RESPA, for example).  You’ll want to save that information for at least six years after you purchase the home.  This is important for selling the home (if you do during that time period) because it can affect how much you pay in capital gains tax.  It’s also important to keep any receipts for home improvement projects.  Some could be a tax write-off and others may also affect property taxes and capital gains tax.

If you use your credit card to purchase items that can be a tax deduction, you’ll want to keep your statements for a good seven years.  Otherwise, you can shred the statement once your receipts match what is listed on the statement for the month.

In terms of tax paperwork, it’s important to know that the IRS has three years from your filing date to audit your return if it suspects good faith errors.  They have up to six years to challenge a return if they suspect you underreported your gross income by 25% or more.  So you’ll want to keep all your tax returns for at least six years.  You have three years once you file if you find a mistake on it and file an amended return for a refund.

You can easily get rid of regular bills once you see the check against it has cleared.  You will want to keep any receipts or bills for more expensive purchases, such as jewelry, computers, televisions, etc.  This you’ll want to save for insurance purposes.

You can get rid of paycheck stubs once you compare it against the W-2 you receive for all your work the previous year.  If everything matches up, toss the original stubs.  If not, you’ll want to request a corrected form from your HR department.

If you have more specific questions about how long to keep certain financial records, your CPA is the best person to speak to, especially if it’s related to tax information.

(view original source here)

SHRED-A-THON! MAY 20, 2012

Florida Business Says Go Green by Changing the Way You Manage Information

Know when to hold ‘em, store ‘em and throw ‘em! MicroShred says it’s time for new “green” initiatives for managing your records. No matter the size or type of your business, chances are you have boxes full of files stored somewhere and most likely, those files are full of confidential information that will need to be disposed of. All too often those old files end up in our already packed landfills, which is bad for the environment and poses a security problem for your business.

To get a handle on your files in an eco-friendly manner, a shredding plan should be established. Having a workable records management plan that includes document shredding allows businesses to have better information at the right time for better business decisions.

When information is properly managed, businesses benefit from:

• Improved efficiency and productivity. Valuable time and resources will no longer be wasted to locate and retrieve paper files or recreate documents that have been misplaced or lost. More time can be spent on revenue generating tasks.
• Regulatory compliance. Shredding helps businesses comply with records management laws, like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA). These laws require that certain paper waste including medical records, salary details or personal address details, must legally be disposed of. Such records must be kept up to date and shredded at the proper time.
• Safeguarding vital information. With online access to information you have the advantage of accessing any document, anywhere, at any time, with access limited to specific staff. Critical data will be safe from theft and disasters.

Establishing “green” records management policies will help improve efficiencies in your office as you help to keep our air clean, reduce paper use and preserve water resources.

CONTACT US TODAY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CONFIDENTIAL SHREDDING SERVICES

FREE SHREDDING EVENT IN AVENTURA, FLORIDA

Need to do some spring cleaning? Get rid of old electronics and papers.

MicroShred can help.

We can safely and confidentially shred your old, unused, and/or broken electronics, along with any paper documents you may have to dispose of that contain sensitive information.

It is estimated that there are at least 4.4 million PCs and eight million televisions in three million households just in the state Georgia alone. This will eventually become 334,800 tons of e-waste that will end up in our landfills.

Our goal is to promote shredding and recycling of obsolete electronic equipment and documents. Our convenient services can be on-site or off-site and can be personalized to fit your company’s needs. Whether you need a document destruction service on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis – you tell us how often, we’ll be there.

We provide FREE locked security containers which are individually keyed for each client. Plus, at no additional cost, a Certificate of Destruction is provided with every shredding service.

Contact MicroShred today to learn more about all our shredding services in South Florida.

Biden announces community shredding events this Spring

Attorney General Beau Biden announced that his Consumer Protection Unit is sponsoring four community shredding events at locations statewide this spring to help consumers safety destroy sensitive documents and prevent identity theft. Each event will feature free on-site document shredding and staff from his office will be available to provide information and answer questions about consumer scams and frauds. Consumers may bring up to three file-sized boxes of documents; emptied boxes will be immediately returned.

“Consumers can help guard themselves against identity theft by taking some simple precautions, such as closely monitoring their bank and credit card accounts, limiting information they share online, and shredding documents that contain personal information,” said Biden.

Identity theft can occur in a variety of ways, from email and texting scams to thieves rummaging through trash for bank statements, bills, and other documents that contain consumers’ information. Shredding these documents before discarding them is an effective method of fighting theft at its source.

The Attorney General’s Office is proud to sponsor consumer shredding in support of the Inaugural Glasgow Regional Park Community Day, hosted by New County Councilman Dave Tackett and co-hosted by State Senator Bethany Hall Long, State Representative Earl Jaques, New Castle County Executive Paul Clark, and New Castle County Councilmembers Lisa Diller and Bill Powers. The day’s events feature emergency services demonstrations, health and wellness screenings, family entertainment and outdoor activities, and more. Visit www.nccde.org for more information.

(view original article here)

New Testimonial from the Boca Raton Police Services Department’s Crime Prevention Unit

Free Document Shredding Event!!!

Boca Raton Police and Microshred Corporation team up to help fight identity theft.

Boca Raton, FL – On Saturday, January 28, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Boca Raton Police Department and Microshred Corporation are again teaming up to help prevent identity theft by hosting a free document shredding event. The event will be held at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall, 6000 W. Glades Road, in the NW corner of the parking lot near Sears.

By shredding and properly disposing of all your sensitive documents, you will be taking a key step toward protecting your identity. According to reports from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, more than 15 million people reported having their identities either stolen or misused last year; and Florida had the highest per capita rate of reported identity thefts in the United States. The overall losses from identity theft last year were close to $37 billion.

Microshred Corporation will have document shredding trucks on-site and each participant will be given a Certificate of Destruction after all documents have been shredded. The event is open to all non-commercial participants. Officers from the Boca Raton Police Department Crime Prevention Unit, along with employees from Microshred Corporation, will be on-site to provide expert advice and tips to prevent identity theft.

For additional information contact Officer Craig Kolnick (Crime Prevention Unit) at 561-347-3934 or visit their website at www.BocaPolice.com.

View press release: http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/police/TopStories/vipernews.shtm

Columbus, Ohio, Joins CVP

The Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) and the Columbus, Ohio, Office of the Mayor and Department of Public Service have partnered to introduce a new recycling program that will begin this spring.

American Recycling Expands NC Operations

American Recycling of Western North Carolina, in conjunction with the Economic Development Coalition (EDC) for Asheville-Buncombe County (N.C.), will open its newest recycling facility in Asheville, N.C., on Jan. 25, 2011.

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American Recycling Expands NC Operations