Experts Warn Idahoans to Remove This Item From Their Wallet ASAP

You don’t know how it happens or why it happens, but every now and then your wallet becomes Narnia. It’s full of random receipts, gift cards to businesses that closed eons ago, years of your kids' school pictures, loyalty cards you’ve never bothered to use…you get the idea. 

While all of those things will eventually make your wallet so big that it takes up most of your purse, you’re not going to be in any danger if those things go missing. You probably won’t even miss most of those things. 

KEEP READING: 11 Things You Should Never Leave in Your Car on a Hot Idaho Day

On the flip side, there are certain things you don’t want to go missing if your wallet ends up misplaced or stolen. Your ID. Cash. Credit Cards. Cash is untraceable and would probably be the most difficult of the three to get back. You’ll have to pay $20 to get a new ID and may have to wait up to two weeks for it to show up in the mail, but you can easily make that request on ITD’s website. As for your credit cards? As long as you call and report them lost or stolen as soon as possible, you can prevent thieves from running up charges. Most credit cards also have decent fraud protection in this day and age. 

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While those things can be inconvenient to replace, they’re not the item that the federal government asks you to remove from your wallet immediately. 

Idahoans Should Remove Social Security Card from Their Wallets ASAP

According to the Social Security Administration, there are very, very few situations where you need to show your physical social security card to someone. More or less, that flimsy, lightweight card exists as an official verification of the number assigned to you. The government uses your social security number to track things like your lifetime earnings and how many years you worked. 

That’s why when you get a new job, your employer may ask for your social security card. They’ll document your social security number so they can share your wages with the IRS and the social security administration to let them know how much of your paycheck was social security wages. You can politely decline to hand them the card. Simply providing the number is enough for your employer to take care of this sort of reporting. 

Same goes for opening bank accounts, getting a new credit card, going through a background/credit check or applying for housing. Providing it and an acceptable form of ID is sufficient. 

What About Showing it at the DMV?

With the deadline for enforcing the REAL ID act swiftly approaching, many Idahoans are in the process of making the switch to the Idaho Star Card. Getting the Star Card involves a LOT of different documents, but your social security card isn’t one of them. In Idaho, the DMV matches your number and name electronically. Only Pennsylvania makes you show your social security card while upgrading to a REAL ID.

What’s At Risk if my Social Security Card Gets Stolen?

Your social security number can be used to apply for credit in your name. If a thief does that, runs up the balances without paying them off, YOUR credit score is going to be the one to suffer. They may also use it to open bank accounts, steal money from your bank account or receive medical services, disability, retirement income or unemployment that’s meant for you. 

It’s not worth the risk! Guard your card and store it somewhere secure at home with other important documents. 

While you’re at it, you may want to clean these things out of your wallet as well and here’s why.