8 Things to Avoid Keeping In Your Wallet

 Imagine going about your day on a normal basis. What item, if lost, would provide you with the most panic? It could be your car keys, that document your working on at work or school, but I imagine several of you may have said your wallet or purse. 

This is understandable, as there are SEVERAL important items in your wallet. If lost, there is a high potential of identity theft. Con artists can open new bank accounts in your name and benefit from healthcare fraud and tax return fraud from stealing your identity. This would be frightening if this were to happen. As I am writing this, I’ve probably checked to make sure my wallet was in my pocket about 3 times! 

Kiplinger.com just reminded us of good practical advice of what to avoid keeping in your wallet in case it does get lost. Check out these 8 items to avoid stuffing your wallet with. 

1) Social Security Card
Not only your social security card, check if anything else in your wallet contains these numbers.
2) Password Cheat Sheets
This includes all your web login passwords AND your PIN number for your debit card.
3) Spare Keys
Your wallet will have your address on it via your drivers license. Combined with a spare key, this is an open invitation.
4) Spare Checks
Your check has a routing number and account number on it, making it a lot easier for someone to transfer funds.
5) Passports
This a gem for thieves. With it, they can travel, open back accounts, and request a new Social Security Card.
6) Multiple Credit Cards
Don’t stop carrying all your credit cards, just carry a lighter load.
7) Birth Certificate
Admittedly, this seems a bit odd, but a birth certificate can be used with other documents to identify a person. 
8) Stack of Receipts
Although they may not seem to hold a lot of compromising information, a thief can take the limited info and merchant info to phish for the remaining information.

Our advice from us at Union Colony Insurance:

1) Clear Out Your Wallet While Traveling
Imagine losing all these things above while you’re in another country. Strip your wallet so you just have the necessities.
2) Take Photo Copies
Photo Copy everything in your wallet so that if you do lose it, you’re not asking the question, “What was in there?”
3) Guys, a stripped down wallet is more comfortable to sit on!