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The fastest growing consumer fraud is identity fraud. Experts agree that the best way to dispose of documents that contain your personal information is to shred them. Fellowes, a leading manufacturer of Shredders strongly recommends using a cross-cut or confetti shredder as they produce smaller pieces that are more difficult to reassemble, which ultimately provides greater document security.
How to choose a shredder:
Shredder Style:
| Strip-Cut |
Confetti-Cut |
Micro-Cut |
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| Strip-Cut shredders slice the paper into long, thin strips. Strip-cut shredders generally handle a higher volume of paper with lower maintenance requirements. Shred size may vary from 1/8 to 1/2 inch. Narrower strips provide better security |
Cross-cut or Confetti-Cut shredders provide more security by cutting paper vertically and horizontally into confetti-like pieces. They shred a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet into approximately 300 chips. |
Micro Cut Shredders are a variation of the confetti-cut shredder.. The difference is that the shred size is much smaller and literally turns paper into tiny micro pieces and offers highest level of security. These shredders can turn a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet into approximately 3,770 chips . |
Volume/Sheet Capacity:
It's easy to burn out a shredder by overworking it. For low-volume users, personal shredders designed for 100-150 sheets per day are fine. For higher volume look beyond personal shredders. A shred capacity of at least 4-5 sheets is best unless you really want to spend time feeding in paper one piece at a time.
Throat Width:
Larger 15" and 16" throats allow for oversized sheets and disorganized stacks. 8 1/4" personal shredder throats accomodate items up to standard letter size.
Specialty Shredding:
Look for shredders that can distroy these items:
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| Staples |
Paper Clips |
Credit Cards |
CDs/DVDs |
Shredder Accessories:
Shredder bags come sized to the dimensions of specific models. OnTimeSupplies stocks a large variety of different shredder bags for your needs.
To keep a shredder operating at peak efficiency the blades should be oiled regularly with specially formulated shredder oil. This oil lubricates without leaving residue on the cutters that can attract paper dust and lead to clogged cutters.
What to shred:
Essentially, any document containing information that you don't want others to have should be shredded. Here's a brief list of documents that should be shredded:
- Obsolete financial records, including loan applications
- Pre-approved credit card applications
- Personal medical records or physician statements
- Correspondence and tax preparation worksheets
- Receipts for purchases
- Bank statements
- ATM receipts
- Credit card statements
- Cancelled checks
- Mail and old records
- Utility bills
- Credit card charges
- Insurance forms
- Investment transactions
- Expired charge cards
- Mailing labels from magazines
- Pay stubs
- Old driver's licenses or passports
- Expired insurance and membership cards
- Any documents that may contain Social Security numbers, birth dates, your mother's maiden name and any account numbers or online passwords
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