A prospective client wants to see a sample year-end pack before signing up. The only sample on your desk is full of a real client's salary, dividend history, and bank balances. You can't send it without proper redaction.
Financial redaction has higher stakes than ordinary redaction. Get it right.
What counts as financial information
Account numbers, sort codes, IBANs, card numbers. Balances at any point in time. Salaries and bonuses. Dividend amounts. Pension contributions. Investment portfolio values. Any figure that would identify the client's wealth, income, or specific financial position. Tax reference numbers and UTRs.
Proper redaction technique
Use redact PDF for permanent removal. The text under the redaction is gone from the file, not just covered. Test by selecting in the redacted regions — nothing should copy out. This is the difference between a sample and a data breach.
What to leave intact
Structure, headings, the format of the pack. The point of the sample is showing what your service produces. Over-redaction makes the sample useless. Replace numbers with `£X` or `XXX` to show that figures sit there without revealing the originals — use annotate PDF to add placeholder text after redacting.
Final checks
Spot-check every page. Financial info hides in headers, footers, and footnotes. Search the document for the client's name and surrounding context — if any instance is missed, the whole exercise was for nothing. Password-protect the final sample before sharing.
FAQ
Can I leave aggregated totals visible?
Aggregated totals can be identifying too — a client's annual income or total assets reveals more than they'd want shared. Redact aggregates as well unless they're genuinely generic.
Should I redact the client name?
For samples to prospects, yes — the name connects every other piece of information. For internal use or regulator disclosure, follow the specific guidance.
Is search-and-redact reliable for numbers?
Use it as a starting point, then verify visually. Numbers appear in different formats (with commas, without, in tables) and search may miss instances.
Can I just use a generic template instead?
Yes — building a clean sample with placeholder data avoids the redaction risk entirely. For prospects, this is the safer approach.
Financial samples need redaction discipline. Redact properly in Flint — better still, build a clean sample with placeholder data.