New Year's resolution: shred

As you head to the store to exchange gifts, don’t forget to pick up this season’s must-have item – a document shredder. Mike Benbow, the Everett Herald's business guy, explains why you need one in his latest column. It includes stats from a new report by an Arizona business called Identity Theft 911, which suggests that 1 in 5 Washington residents became an ID theft victim in the past five years.

“That's where the shredder comes in,” Benbow says. “It's not as cool as an MP3 player, but it could save you some money in the long run.”

As you make out your list of New Year's resolutions, commit to shredding sensitive documents on a regular basis. Check out our Web site for more identity theft prevention tips.