FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Digital Filing: Less Paperwork to Pile, File, or Shred

Columbus, Ohio (Sept. 19, 2016) Most everyone has too many digital files to count these days. Music, pictures, financial files, product warranties, even retail receipts that are e-mailed rather than printed at the cash register leave us with digitized pieces of our everyday life.

Sixty-eight percent of Ohioans organize their important documents digitally, according to a 2016 Mid-Year Consumer Survey, conducted by the Ohio Credit Union League. When it comes to their personal bookkeeping, 27 percent said they receive all their monthly account statements digitally via e-mail, 52 percent said they receive at least some of their monthly statements digitally, and 21 percent said they still prefer to receive hard copies of all statements.

Even while people utilize digitization for their personal accounting and filing systems, almost 57 percent of the survey’s respondents said they’re not entirely sure their personal information is safe. Less than 32 percent said they have complete faith that their files are safely stored.

A 2015 international survey conducted by Accenture Consulting noted that while consumers find smart devices, and the files stored on them, to be increasingly relevant to their lives, they are not convinced there is a satisfactory level of security and privacy.

While less paperwork to pile, file, or shred is a bonus, digital consumers still want to feel like their personal information is safe. Here are a few helpful tips for staying organized and keeping digital data safe.

  • Take control of your computer. Perhaps the most important step in digital organization is taking control of your computer. File important e-statements in labeled folders in your “My Documents” folder. It reduces desktop clutter, adds a level of security if your system crashes, and makes searching easier should you need to find a document.
  • Set a rule for creating passwords. You don't need to remember 75 passwords if you have one rule set for generating them. For instance, try always using your initials to start, followed by a favorite number, then the first two to three letters of the service name. Using the same password repeatedly makes it easier for identity thieves to hack into your accounts. And creating multiple passwords with no rule makes it difficult to remember them all.
  • Archive files. Archive what you don’t want or need. Create a folder in your “My Documents” folder called “Archives.” You can place items there you don’t necessarily need, but aren’t comfortable deleting right away.
  • Keep a paper trail. Keep a digital and a safely-stored paper version of critical documents that are either hard to replace, such as family health records and major home improvements, or for documents that are tax or business related.

To learn about credit unions in your community and how they can provide digital documents for your financial needs, visit

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The Ohio Credit Union League, with offices in Columbus, is a state trade association representing 300 credit unions. Credit unions are not-for-profit financial institutions owned and democratically-controlled by their members. Ohio credit unions provide savings, loans, and other consumer financial services to 2.81 million members. To learn more, visit