Is It Safe To Throw Away Credit Card Statements?(Not Really)

If you frequently use your credit card, you’d be used to finding credit card statements in the mail. They have all your transactions recorded for you. However, they can start piling up when you keep them around for a long time.

You should never throw credit card statements away directly. If you don’t need them, make sure to shred them before tossing the papers in your bin. Credit card statements contain sensitive information like your account number that can lead to identity theft if not disposed of properly.

Is It Safe To Throw Bank Statements In The Bin?

It’s not safe to directly throw bank statements in your bin. That’s because they contain your private information, such as your name and account number.

If these statements fall into the hands of a criminal, you and your family can become victims of identity theft.

That is why you need to make sure that you shred those papers using a paper shredder or even a pair of scissors. You have to ensure that the sensitive information on the statements isn’t accessible.

How Long Should I Keep Credit Card Statements?

Generally, you should keep your credit card statements for about 2 months. This is for the products you want your credit card’s extended warranty to cover.

However, if you need your statements for tax-related purposes, keep them safe for six years. Other than these, you can shred your credit card statements, especially if you can get them online.

Your credit card issuers ensure that your previous credit card statements are available to you online. These are much easier to organize in a file on your computer, and you can keep them there for several years before deleting them permanently.

If you need them for some reason, you can print them and keep the hard copies in a secure area of your house such as a locked drawer and shred them once you no longer need them.

Is It Safe To Recycle Old Credit Card Statements?

No, you should never give your old credit card statements for recycling. They need to be shredded. If you recycle the papers in their original form, you may encounter a form of identity theft.

You can shred your papers instead and give the shredded leftovers for recycling. They are much safer because the sensitive information gets torn.

Should You Shred Old Credit Card Statements? 

Yes, shredding is the best way to dispose of your credit card statements. It’s the safest method because it tears your private information into separate parts.

If you don’t have a shredding machine, you can shred the papers by hand or using a pair of scissors. Just make sure to rip the statements enough to make the sensitive parts difficult to put together.

What’s The Safest Way To Get Rid Of Credit Card Statements?

The safest way to get rid of credit card statements is to shred them. You can use your hands, a pair of scissors, or a shredding machine to do this.

You can also burn them if you like, but this isn’t as safe as the first option.

How To Get A Credit Card Statement Online?

You can get your credit card statement online by following a few steps.

Step 1

First, you need to create an account on your credit card issuer’s website. You’ll have to enter some basic information, including your credit card account number.

You can also get to your credit card account using your online banking account.

Step 2

Once you log in, you’ll see some of your credit card’s information, such as a list of transactions, your current balance, and available credit. Here you’ll also see a link that will lead you to a copy of your credit card statement.

It’ll be in the form of a PDF so you can download and save it for later use.

Remember that most credit card companies will make your online credit card statements available to you for a year. Still, some companies will allow you to access older statements.

Every month, you should download your statements and keep them safe in a password-protected file.

Is There a Way to Receive Only Online Bank Statements?

Yes. The majority of the banks will give you an option to “go paperless.” This will allow you to only view your bank statements online.

To be on the safe side, you should download your bank statements as you receive them. Downloading them will make them easy to access if you need to review them in the future.

Related Post: What Kind Of Mail Can Be Thrown Away?(Simple Guide)

Final Words

All in all, you should never directly throw your credit card statements in the trash. They can fall in the wrong hands and result in identity theft.

Instead, you should use a paper shredder or your hands/scissors to shred the statements. This will make your private information harder to access.