Five “tidbits of information” for Shredding Confidential Information

Shredding confidential information is a common practice that is used to destroy paper documents, CD’s, DVD’s, X-rays, and hard drives.  Here are four tidbits of information why it is important to shred your non-public records:

1. Identity Theft.  With identity theft considered the fastest growing crime in America, we all live in a time where one person's trash is another person's treasure, literally. 

2. Consumer Trust.  If you’re a business, the feeling that non-public information is safeguarded and data will remain confidential provides a certain level of trust for consumers to do business with your company.

3. Disposing “Stuff”.   By removing stored stacks of paper will help save space and reduce a potential fire hazard at your home or business.

4. Tax Season.  Need we say more?  Okay we will…

Last year, according to the IRS, consumers lost nearly $57 billion to criminals who stole their identities - a scary thought as we discard old documents and fill up our garbage cans prior to April 15th.

How to prepare for the 2012 tax season? The IRS has three years to challenge information in your return and six years to conduct an audit based on unreported income. Keep tax returns and supporting records for at least seven years.  To learn more about record retention, click here.

What else should one do with so many other sensitive documents and/or hardware?  Investment statements for taxable accounts, bank statements, credit card statements, pay stubs, ATM receipts, cancelled checks, retirement plan contributions, insurance policies, and will’s. Moreover, for that old computer containing a hard drive with loads of personal information, don’t just throw it out or make a donation to a charity.

 

Get organized with your records and retain what is important and shred what is left. Having said all that, one should consider scanning all important documents before simply thinking “Ah, we don’t need this anymore!”  If you have any questions about legislative compliance, simply contact the IRS at the numbers below:

Telephone Assistance for Individuals
Toll-Free 1-800-829-1040

Telephone Assistance for Businesses
Toll-Free 1-800-829-4933

For shredding services in the Tampa Bay area provided by PROSHRED, visit a Budget Self Storage store in your community. 

Self Storage in Valrico/Brandon Area Provides Needed Space for Excess Belongings

Many Americans have begun to use self storage facilities because of their benefits. Research has shown that one in seventeen people in the United States, or about six percent of the population, use such facilities. Despite continuing economic problems, the use of self storage facilities remains stable nationwide. Valrico self storage facilities operated by companies like Budget Self Storage can provide their residential and business clients some much-needed storage space.

The popularity of these facilities stems from the fact that it helps people go through any transition in their lives with ease. Indeed, there are many reasons why people would use self storage facilities. When couples get married, for example, two households are combined, and there's always excess baggage that has to be stored somewhere until it can be sorted out.

People also move to new locations all the time, and they can’t bring all their stuff with them. Hence, self storage facilities can store these belongings until the owners are ready to claim them. Other reasons can be more personal, like a death in the family. In such cases, the deceased's personal belongings cannot be disposed of immediately. Home renovations also require the use of self storage facilities to protect furniture and other valuables while the project is ongoing.

College-bound kids who will be moving to dorms may also need these facilities to house some of their possessions until they can claim them. And of course, if you're a collector who loves to amass certain objects, you'll need self storage facilities to house your growing collection. Moreover, since these Brandon self storage facilities are affordable, they provide a lot of options for those interested in using them.

For example, Bradenton storage facilities come in many different dimensions. They range from small lockers for storing documents and similar accouterments, to larger rooms that can accommodate bigger objects like furniture. These facilities are offered in various lease options to suit your budget with flexible terms.

Security cameras are also installed all over the premises to ensure that your belongings are safe and secure. The units are all ground floor structures and can be accessed 24 hours a day. Anytime you need extra storage space for your possessions, you can always rely on self storage facilities to provide the solution.

Storage Units Tampa Residents Use: Gaining Wider Attention

According to the Self Storage Association, the U.S.A. possesses close to 2 billion square feet of personal storage. All this space can be found in around 40,000 storage facilities owned and operated by more than 2,000 facility owners across the country, and this includes storage units Tampa residents use. What this means is that the self storage industry now exceeds the domestic revenues of Hollywood.

According to a recent survey, 1 in 11 American households owns a self-storage space. Most self-storage operators report 90% occupancy, with renters using their spaces for an average of 15 months. Now, how in the world did the self-storage industry transform into an enormous money-making machine seemingly overnight?

One modern phenomenon that many believe is one of – if not the main – reasons for the self-storage industry's boom is that many eBay sellers use these facilities to house their goods. Although changing residences is also cited as a reason for this growth, the mobility rate has never really increased since the '50s. That's why it's doubtful that sheer mobility could be the main reason for the growth in usage of storage units Tampa FL facility owners rent out.

American consumerism is another obvious suspect. It is a fact that no other people in the world spend more on consumer goods than Americans. Plus, the real prices of consumer goods are as much as 50% lower than they were a century ago. There has never been a better time to amass as many consumer products as now.

Florida is one of the three states with the most self-storage space (Texas and California are the other two). Many people in Florida resort to these facilities because their current abodes do not have enough room for their consumerist haul. This is because the American attic has all but disappeared in the homes of today. Home builders have shifted from using rafters to using trusses instead, which are considerably less expensive, but occupy most of the available space under the roof.

Whatever the reason, there's no denying that self-storage spaces offer anyone who use them great convenience. The more people need space, the more obvious it becomes that storage units in Tampa FL  are here to stay. Visit a company like BudgetSelf Storage Florida, and experience the numerous benefits that self-storage spaces can offer you.

Keeping Belongings Locked and Safe with Sarasota Self Storage Units

In a world of continuous urban expansion, there's a growing need for space. As man steadily converts more undeveloped land into metropolitan lots, there's an ironic lack of places for stashing away belongings. Without some way to store objects, man would end up being buried under a pile of junk.

Because of this urgent need for storage, self storage businesses arose. Self storage is the term for a commercial establishment that has individual storage spaces up for rental, and it's a popular business. There’s much that can be done with a Sarasota storage unit, so it might help to keep one handy.

A self storage unit can be used as a secondary attic of sorts to store items you don't want cluttering your home. Things you don't immediately need, like your Christmas décor or your jet ski, can be deposited in these secure locations for later use. Additionally, these units can be used in managing your household items when relocating. When your new home can't keep all of the items your previous dwelling held, a storage space can serve as a means to keep presently unneeded wares.

The use of a trusted Sarasota self storage unit need not be limited to private use; business establishments can use them for commercial purposes as well. The primary function of a commercial-use storage space is similar to a warehouse: for storing goods to be distributed and as a drop-off point for imported stocks. Self storage can also be used as a way to artificially expand a business' area of influence by securing a foothold for the enterprise to ply its wares.

It's important that before one rents out a self storage unit, one should confirm the proprietor's security measures in protecting the units. Storage companies, like Budget Self Storage, typically employ a complete security system consisting of cameras, guards, electronic gates, and the like to ensure that their clients' properties remain safe. It can't be considered storage if the items aren't kept safe, after all.

Extra space at home will become increasingly hard to come by, indeed, at the rate with which urban dwellers accumulate things. Renting self storage is one way to have guaranteed access to a personal space that you can put anything in for keeping.