Saving your Identity

Do you shred every piece of mail with your name and address on it? Are you afraid of people stealing your identity from your junk mail? Does your “to shred” pile quickly build to insurmountable levels? Then I have the perfect answer!

Before I share this great new discovery, I have to say that I personally do not shred my junk mail. As I mentioned in my video Tackling Mail 101, I only shred items with important numbers on it such as account numbers, birthdays, passwords, or my SSN.

An FBI representative came to do a presentation at a meeting of our local NAPO chapter (National Association of Professional Organizers). She shared the concerns of identity theft specifically as it relates to dealing with clients’ paperwork. And though she does recommend protecting against identify theft, your name and address are easily found online. 

However, I can completely understand others concern with their privacy. I wouldn’t take my word (or anyone else’s opinion) regarding such a serious issue. You must decide for yourself what works for you and “better safe than sorry” is not a bad motto where identity thief is concerned. As an organizer my goal is to help create systems that help keep things manageable.  So how do we dispose of our important info quickly without creating another chore that is ripe for procrastination?

Although many gadgets end up as clutter rather than time-savers, this new little gadget I found at The Container Store makes address concealment so much easier then pulling off your name and address from junk mail and shredding each little strip.

Keep this little puppy with your other mail supplies. As you sort your mail, quickly and easily roll out any sensitive information. The inked in random letters cover and conceal quickly. I was impressed that you can’t even see through on the back when holding the paper up in the light. Such a great time saver! There is also a stamp version. Both have a button to keep the ink covered and prevent it from drying out or getting everywhere. Here is my little test run.

It was a Christmas gift for my privacy sensitive friend and it was a hit! We may have had a little too much fun testing it out on random mail and documents.

I wanted to recommend this product without hesitation, but here comes the sad news. While doing a little extra research for this post I found that while the ink is great at concealing info, it rubs off of glossy paper like magazines. Boo!! I was almost totally sold on the product, but it needs to work on my glossy paper too! I tested it out on some magazines we were planning to donate to the library and it was a no go. An ink that is more of a Sharpie variety would do the trick.

Kept near your mail sorting, this item could still help with the majority of your incoming mail, but for those sensitive with name and address sharing, it won’t do the trick on every type of incoming paper. Whether you choose to ink out your info, shred your incoming mail or just toss it, you can find a system that works for you. The mail sorting systems I’ve found that work best are ones that are quick and easy to do daily as mail arrives. If your shredder is right near your mail sorting area, you can shred as you sort. Or if you prefer to shred your papers less frequently, it’s important to have a holding place for items waiting to be shredded. If you put it off, a pile of junk mail quickly becomes an eyesore and a looming chore.

What do you think? Do you shred everything? Are you like me and recycle junk mail without removing your name and address? Are you a rare bird and shred daily as you go through the mail?