Home Office: Making the Cut
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: 2004-01-30 14:28:00-05:00
Paper shredders aren't just for politicians and Enron auditors. They're a great defense against identity theft, now the nation's top consumer fraud complaint. A good shredder will obliterate your bank statements, credit card applications—items crooks can use to open accounts in your name. Check out this buyer's guide from the National Association for Information Destruction:
Strip-Cut Models ($15-$25)
These lightweight shredders often fit over a wastebasket and slice paper into strips. But the strips don't squash well, meaning frequent trash can trips. Use the shredder more than a few minutes, and it may overheat.
Bottom Line: Ideal for tiny jobs, but feeding it thick documents is like jamming a sandwich into your VCR.
Ziti Models ($40-$80)
Why ziti? Because they turn paper into ziti-size bits—which makes it harder for thieves to reconstruct documents. Metal gears make mincemeat of staples and, in some models, credit cards.
Bottom Line: Gets the job done for most home users, but ask for a pre-purchase test shred. Some models are as noisy as a rock concert.
Confetti Models ($100 and up)
These heavy-duty workhorses pulverize 8 to 16 sheets of paper at once and up to 1,500 sheets a day.
Bottom Line: They'll shred 30 years of tax returns without breaking a sweat, but unless you're running a small business, you probably don't need to spend the money.
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