Four things you should never carry in your wallet
Although you need to carry important items in your wallet for daily life, like a credit card and your ID, there are a few items better left at home. Now is the time to review the contents of your wallet and make sure the following things are concealed.
Identifying numbers
Your Social Security number should be under lock and key far from the confines of your wallet; it’s just too important to risk losing. Although you may need to recall the number at the Department of Motor Vehicles or when applying for a job, you may not need the physical card in your wallet. It’s best to just memorize the digits, advises Valencia Higuera, writer for MoneyCrashers.com. “It may seem like a convenient place to keep your card, but if your wallet is lost or stolen, thieves can use your Social Security number to open credit card accounts and apply for loans,” she warns.
Entry to your home
A spare key in your wallet is convenient if you lose your key ring, but it’s a dangerous convenience. A spare key in your wallet nestled next to your driver’s license or other ID that displays your address will lead thieves right to your door. Instead of tucking your spare house key into your wallet, Higuera recommends trusting it with a relative or neighbor. If you don’t feel safe without a spare key on you, she suggests putting it on a string you can wear around your neck.
Access to your workplace
If you need a badge to enter your workplace, it is best if you don’t keep it in your wallet. Just like you want to avoid thieves gaining access to your home, your workplace, too, should be a protected destination. If you are off the clock and you have no plans to head into work, remove your employee badge, suggests Harriet Edleson, writer for AARP.
Health information
Carrying your insurance card is a must when you have to go to the doctor. Keeping your health insurance card or Medicare card on you all the time can be excessive, though. Since these cards contain personal identifying information, Edleson warns criminals can use this data to win benefits for themselves.
By keeping your wallet free of these items, you can help protect your identity, money, and workplace from thieves. When you do need to carry any of these items, just be sure to remove them when you get home so you’re not carrying them around longer than necessary.
The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with Adirondack Bank. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. Adirondack Bank is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the information provided or the content of any third-party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. Adirondack Bank makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.
Source: IMakeNews, Inc.
