![]() ![]() ![]() Paul Stephens of Privacy Rights Clearinghouse told us that any mail with personal details, even if it seems insignificant, can be used to steal your identity. ![]() Our experts also told us that people should be destroying a lot more information than they probably are. All four agreed that the best way to protect vulnerable information is to shred it with a crosscut shredder (all of our paper shredder recommendations are crosscut models). With all the digital info out there, do identity thieves still care about snail mail? Absolutely, according to security experts we spoke to. “It's like a lifetime process.” Protect yourself against identity theft “These are muscles that have to be utilized a lot for you to get really efficient with it,” Penn said. Mastering this chore won’t happen overnight. Also, she recommended making one person responsible for this chore so that it consistently gets done.ĭon’t be discouraged if you still see piles of mail at home. She doesn’t keep a filing cabinet: “For the most part when I open the mail, it’s either going in the recycle bin or it’s going in the shredding pile,” she said. She recommended scanning any documents you want to save (she uses Evernote Scannable on her phone Wirecutter also has several other recommendations for scanning apps) and then shredding the paper copies. Ideally, Penn said, people shouldn’t be holding on to much paper at all. Use a mail sorter (we recommend a compact one in our guide to small entryways) to help keep track of what needs to be answered, shredded, or recycled. I have a dedicated drawer in my home’s mudroom, where the mail lives alongside a stapler, a checkbook, stamps, pens and pencils, and spare envelopes to help process things quickly. Penn set up a station near her front door, which is where her mail tends to land, to keep it organized. Designate a place to put your mail so it doesn’t creep onto every surface. Beth Penn, professional organizer and author of The Little Book of Tidying, advised working the task into your routine by setting aside 15 minutes every day to sort mail (she does so after dinner). Inevitably some paper will still flow into your home, but with some planning you can keep mail under control. (If you actually like some coupons, though, keep in mind that this option stops all mailings.) Develop good habits ( Catalog Choice is a similar option, and free, but it covers only catalogs, and you have to cancel mail from each brand individually.) If your mailbox is regularly stuffed with coupons, the ubiquitous coupon slinger Valpak has its own opt-out form, and RetailMeNot, which sends mailers from many big brands, lets you cancel online. For two dollars, you get a 10-year stoppage. To reduce ads and mailers, create an account with the Direct Marketing Association-I was able to cancel mailings from a few thousand organizations, individually or in bulk, as well as to stop many catalogs, promotional flyers, donation requests, and even “Current Resident” junk mail. Keep in mind that seeing results takes some time, and the service ends solicitations only from companies that find new customers via Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis. You need to provide your Social Security number, but you can sign up online to stop such mailings for five years, or send a letter to permanently block offers. I signed up for two services that the FTC recommends, including (run by the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies) to stop credit card and insurance offers. If you get paper bills and statements for utilities, insurance, rent, mortgage, and credit cards, enrolling in electronic statements and automatic payments will help cut back on the clutter. The first step toward paperless tabletops is to receive less mail. So how can you reduce the volume, properly manage what does arrive, and safely throw it out? We asked five organizing and security experts, and here are their best tips. Stray paper mail is an opportunity for thieves to steal your identity-and even those of your kids, if you have any. And there’s more at stake than a cluttered countertop. The mail is rarely fun, and without constant vigilance, bills, ads, and catalogs can invade your home. My second-grader always checks the mailbox with hopeful optimism, but I know better. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |