BBB. Secure Your ID Day

E v e r y d a y Habits to Sa feguard Your Ident i ty

Shred statements and applications you get in the mail that you don't want to keep, including credit card applications, insurance forms, financial statements, health forms, billing statements for utilities, phone service, etc.

Cut up expired credit and debit cards, cutting through the numbers.

Protect your Social Security number, all account numbers and your passwords. Don't carry these numbers in your wallet. Give out your Social Security number only if absolutely necessary, and offer to provide another type of personal identifier, if possible.

Secure your personal documents at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house.

Minimize the personal information you print on checks. You don't need to include your Social Security number, phone number or driver's license number.

Monitor your bank and credit card transactions for unauthorized transactions. Crooks with your account number generally start with small transactions to see if you'll notice.

Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills do not arrive on time, follow up with your creditors.

Don't create obvious passwords, such as your birth date, child's name or birth date, mother's maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

I f you conduct business online, use your own computer. A public computer is less secure.

Never respond to emails requesting to "verify" your personal information and identifiers. Your bank, credit card company, online payment system, the IRS - none of these types of organizations will call or e-mail asking for your confidential information. They already have it.

Never use e-mail to communicate sensit ive personal information such as your user name, password, Social Security number or credit card number.

Don't use your PDA or cell phone to store credit card numbers or other financial information.

Don't store passwords, tax returns or other financial information on your computer hard drive.

Back up your computer data and store it away from your computer.

Keep your computer system and browser software up to date, and set to the highest security level you can tolerate.

Check your credit report at least once/year. There is onlv one source authorized to give vou ONE FREE annual credit file disclosure/vear from each of the three consumer credit reporting companies: Call 877-322-8228 or visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com.

I f your I D or credit cards are lost or stolen, immediately notify your credit providers by phone and then notify each of the three credit bureaus to request a "Fraud Alert" be placed on your file. Placing this alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. Posting a Fraud Alert will also make it difficult for vou to open instant credit, so be sure to read all information before engaging a Fraud Alert. It also entitles you to free copies of your credit report. When reviewing your credit report, look for inquiries from companies you have not contacted, accounts you did not open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. Close anv accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently.

www.equifax.com 800-525-6285 www.experian.com 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) www.transunion.com 800-580-7289

BSB. Secure Your ID Day

Records Retent ion Schedu le (Source: Internal Revenue Service)

Accident reports/claims (settled cases) 7 yrs. Accounts payable ledgers & schedules 7 yrs. Accounts receivable ledgers & schedules 7 yrs. Audit reports Permanently Bank reconciliations 2 yrs. Bank statements 3 yrs. Capital stock & bond records: ledgers, transfer

registers, stubs showing issues, record of interest coupons, options, etc Permanently

Cash books Permanently Charts of accounts Permanently Checks (canceled - see exception below) 7 yrs. Checks

(canceled for important payments - i.e., taxes, purchases of property, special contracts, etc. Checks should be filed with the papers pertaining to the underlying transaction.) Permanently

.\, mortgages, notes, & leases (expired) 7 yrs.

Contracts, mortgages, notes, & leases (still in effect) Permanently

Correspondence (general) 2 yrs. Correspondence

(legal & important matters only) Permanently Correspondence (routine) with customers

and/or vendors 2 yrs. Deeds, mortgages, & bills of sale Permanently Depreciation schedules Permanently Duplicate deposit slips 2 yrs. Employment applications 3 yrs. Expense analyses/expense distribution

schedules 7 yrs. Financial statements

(year-end, other optional) Permanently Garnishments 7 yrs. General/private ledgers, year-end trial

balance Permanently Insurance policies (expired) 3 yrs. Insurance records, current accident reports, claims,

policies, etc Permanently Internal audit reports (longer retention periods may

be desirable) 3 yrs. Internal reports (miscellaneous) 3 yrs. Inventories of products, materials, and

supplies 7 yrs. Invoices (to customers, from vendors) 7 yrs. Journals Permanently

Minute books of directors, stockholders, bylaws, and charter Permanently

Notes receivable ledgers & schedules 7 yrs. Option records (expired) 7 yrs. Patents & related papers Permanently Payroll records & summaries 7 yrs. Personnel files (terminated) 7 yrs. Petty cash vouchers 3 yrs. Physical inventory tags 3 yrs. Plant cost ledgers 7 yrs. Property appraisals by outside

appraisers Permanently Property records, including costs, depreciation reserves,

year-end trial balances, depreciation schedules, blueprints, & plans Permanently

Purchase orders (except purchasing department copy) 1 yr.

Purchase orders (purchasing department copy) 7 yrs.

Receiving sheets 1 yr. Retirement & pension records Permanently Requisitions 1 yr. Sales commission reports 3 yrs. Sales records 7 yrs. Scrap & salvage records

(inventories, sales, etc.) 7 yrs. Stenographers' notebooks 1 yr. Stocks & bonds certificates (canceled) 7 yrs. Stockroom withdrawal forms 1 yr. Subsidiary ledgers 7 yrs. Tax returns & worksheets, revenue agents' reports,

and other documents relating to determination of income tax liability Permanently

Time books/cards 7 yrs. Trademark registrations and

copyrights Permanently Training manuals Permanently Union agreements Permanently Voucher register & schedules 7 yrs. Vouchers for payments to vendors, employees, etc.

(includes allowances and reimbursement of employees, officers, etc., for travel and entertainment expenses) 7 yrs.

Withholding tax statements 7 yrs.

The retention period is the number of years from the date the tax return was filed. All material presented is for general information only and should not be acted upon without professional assistance.