Frequently Asked Questions
Protect Your Confidential Information
Ever worried about sensitive information falling into the wrong hands? Secure document shredding is essential for protecting your confidential data. This FAQ page by TITAN Mobile Shredding answers all your questions about keeping your information safe and compliant.
Off-Site shredding seems to be more cost effective. Why should I use on-site?
On-site document shredding is the most secure method for document destruction. You can witness the shredding on our video monitor, in your parking lot. You will have the peace-of-mind knowing that 100% destruction has been completed before our truck leaves your office. When using off-site services, you cannot achieve this level of assurance.
Our office is too small, why would we need an outside shredding service?
For large purge jobs, TITAN Mobile Shredding actually saves time and money. For routine service, it is more productive for your employees to spend time on your business rather than spend valuable time shredding.
Our office needs a records purge, what do I need to do to prepare?
Let TITAN Mobile Shredding do the work! We will remove any staples, paper clips, binders or large metal items, if needed. Based on the storage location, we can also provide additional labor to get the boxes to the truck. We will take care of the hassle so you don’t have to.
Our office uses a recycling service. Is it secure?
The main goal of a recycling company is to get the highest possible value for the paper. To achieve this goal, the paper is typically hand-sorted and graded. This process provides the opportunity for Information and Identity Theft! Also, the paper may not be destroyed prior to being transported to a paper mill for re-use, providing additional opportunities for Information Theft.
TITAN Mobile Shredding guarantees that all documents are destroyed prior to being recycled!
How long should I keep my documents/records?
These retention periods are offered for guideline purposes only. Please have your company attorney and accountant approve your records retention timetable.
Record Retention Guidelines
These retention periods are offered for guideline purposes only. Please have your company attorney and accountant approve your records retention timetable.
Accident reports/claims (settled cases) – 7 years
Accounts payable ledgers and schedules – 7 years
Accounts receivable ledgers and schedules – 7 years
Audit reports – Permanent
Bank reconciliations – 2 years
Bank statements – 3 years
Capital stock and bond records, ledgers, transfer registers, stubs, etc. – Permanent
Cash books – Permanent
Charts of accounts – Permanent
Checks, cancelled (for important payments: taxes, purchases of property, special contracts) – Permanent
Checks, cancelled – 7 years
Contracts, mortgages, notes, leases – expired – 7 years
Contracts, mortgages, notes, leases – active – Permanent
Correspondence – general – 2 years
Correspondence – legal and important – Permanent
Deeds, mortgages, bills of sale – Permanent
Depreciation schedules – Permanent
Deposit slips, duplicates – 2 years
Employment applications – 3 years
Expense analysis/expense distribution schedules – years
Financial statements – Permanent
Garnishments – 7 years
General/private ledgers, year-end trial balance – Permanent
Insurance policies – expired – 3 years
Insurance records – current, accident reports, claims, policies – Permanent
Internal reports – general – 3 years
Inventories – 7 years
Invoices – 7 years
Journals – Permanent
Magnetic tape and tab cards – 1 year
Minute books of directors, stockholders, bylaws, charter – Permanent
Notes receivable ledgers and schedules – 7 years
Option records – expired – 7 years
Patents and related papers – Permanent
Payroll records and summaries – 7 years
Personnel files – terminated – 7 years
Petty cash vouchers – 3 years
Physical inventory tags – 3 years
Plant cost ledgers – 7 years
Property appraisals by outside appraisers – Permanent
Property records (costs, depreciation reserves, year-end trial balances, blueprints, etc.) – Permanent
Purchase orders – except purchasing department copy – 1 year
Purchase orders – purchasing department copy – 7 years
Receiving sheets – 1 year
Requisitions – 1 year
Retirement and pension records – Permanent
Sales commissions reports – 3 years
Sales records – 7 years
Scrap and salvage records – 7 years
Stenographers’ notebooks – 1 year
Stock and bond certificates – cancelled – 7 years
Subsidiary ledgers – 7 years
Tax returns and worksheets, revenue agents’ reports, etc. – Permanent
Time books/cards – 7 years
Trademark registrations and copyrights – Permanent
Training manuals – Permanent
Union agreements – Permanent
Vouchers for payments – 7 years
Withholding tax statements – 7 years
Some companies use time or weight to price my purge job. Is this more accurate?
TITAN Mobile Shredding determines the price by the volume of the box or container. This way, you know upfront, exactly what the service will cost. It also provides uniform pricing for our Routine Services.
We have also done weight to volume comparisons to ensure the uniformity in our pricing. You don’t have to spend time verifying the weight of every box or worry about how much time is spent at your location performing your purge job.
We are NAID AAA Certified Since 2007
This certification is recognized by regulatory organizations as the premier standard for integrity, security and compliance.
