Amidst the rising theft rates nationwide, it’s natural to feel uneasy. From New York to Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and even Seattle, authorities are reporting an alarming surge in people’s inclination towards taking what doesn’t belong to them. However, there are simple steps you can take to safeguard yourself and your finances.
To counter the skyrocketing car thefts nationwide, always lock your car and avoid leaving your wallet inside. If you must keep it there, ensure it remains out of sight. Equally important is being mindful of the contents of your wallet while carrying it. This small act of caution can make all the difference between experiencing immense stress, potential financial losses, or enjoying a sense of security. Experts suggest avoiding these 15 items in your wallet to mitigate any risks.
Passport
Financial experts strongly advise against carrying your passport in your wallet. If stolen, it can serve as a valuable tool for identity thieves, not to mention the significant complications it can cause for your return journey. When traveling abroad, it is recommended by experts to securely store your passport in a hotel room safe and carry a photocopy instead. Additional tips include scanning each page of your passport before departure and storing it in a cloud storage account like Dropbox or Google Drive in case a replacement is needed while abroad. Furthermore, it is crucial to never place your passport in your luggage during travel to mitigate the risk of loss or theft.
Social Security Card
As advised by experts, it is of utmost importance to refrain from carrying your social security card in your wallet. The potential repercussions of its theft are grave, as malicious individuals can exploit it to secure credit, submit fraudulent tax returns, or fraudulently claim refunds under your identity. The aftermath of such actions can have far-reaching consequences, often necessitating significant time and effort to rectify the damage caused, sometimes spanning over several years. It is crucial to safeguard this sensitive document by always keeping it in a secure location.
Family Photos
Keeping photos of your kids or family in your wallet may seem sentimental. Still, it poses a significant risk. If your wallet is lost or stolen, these personal photos could fall into the wrong hands, compromising the privacy and safety of your loved ones. It’s essential to prioritize the security of your family’s images by keeping them in a more secure location, such as a password-protected digital album or a physical photo frame at home, to prevent unintended consequences.
Bank Details
Storing your bank details in your wallet can be highly dangerous and increase the risk of financial fraud or identity theft. If your wallet is lost or stolen, the perpetrator could quickly access your account numbers, routing numbers, and other sensitive banking information. This puts you at significant risk of unauthorized transactions, fraudulent activities, and potential financial losses. It is crucial to keep your bank details secure by memorizing them or securely storing them at home and only accessing them when necessary from a trusted and secure environment.
Anything Other than Your Driving License with Your Address on
Having anything other than your driving license with your address in your wallet can be risky. Thieves directly access your personal information if your wallet is lost or stolen. It puts your privacy and security at risk. With your address readily available, individuals with malicious intent can potentially exploit this information for identity theft, fraud, or even physical harm. It is advisable to keep sensitive documents containing your address in a secure place at home and only carry essential identification such as your driving license when necessary.
Friends’ or family’s Phone Numbers
Keeping friends’ written down phone numbers in your wallet is convenient. Still, it can pose a potential risk to your privacy and security. If your wallet is lost or stolen, someone who finds it can easily access your friends’ contact information, potentially leading to unwanted solicitations or even more malicious activities. It is safer to store phone numbers in your phone’s contact list, which often provides encryption and password protection options, ensuring that personal contact information remains confidential and protected.
Irreplaceable items
Carrying sentimental or irreplaceable items, such as original family photos, in your wallet can be devastating if it gets lost or stolen. To mitigate this risk, consider replacing them with copies obtained from digital photo services. Numerous online companies, like Nations Photo Lab, offer the option to create wallet-friendly prints from photos taken on your cellphone, providing a safer alternative to preserve cherished memories while reducing the potential heartbreak associated with their loss.
Membership Cards
While storing membership cards, such as those for your gym or Costco, in your wallet may appear convenient, it can compound the inconvenience in case of wallet loss or theft. Each additional card means contacting more companies to report the incident and awaits replacements. To mitigate this, consider alternative storage options such as attaching membership cards to your key fob if possible or keeping them on a designated table near your door where you typically place your keys at home. Doing so can streamline the process and minimize the hassle of replacing these cards.
Birth Certificate
Due to its significance as a gateway to financial tools and essential life operations, your birth certificate holds immense value. It can be a prime target for identity thieves. Carrying it in your wallet daily poses a significant risk. Suppose you ever need a physical copy of your birth certificate. In that case, it is crucial to transport it promptly and securely to and from its destination to minimize the chances of loss or theft. Safeguarding this vital document is paramount to protecting your identity and personal information.
Lots of Cash
With the widespread acceptance of digital payment apps like ApplePay and Venmo and the ability to use debit or credit cards almost anywhere, the relevance of carrying large amounts of cash in your wallet has remained relatively high. Keeping excessive cash on hand will only exacerbate the inconvenience in case of loss or theft. It is advisable to carry a reasonable amount of cash that aligns with your specific 24-hour needs, as a financial planner recommends. This approach ensures convenience while minimizing the potential risks of carrying excess cash.
Old Receipts
It’s essential to avoid letting old purchase receipts accumulate in your wallet, even if you’ve kept them for safekeeping. Suppose these receipts hold sensitive information, such as your signature. In that case, storing them securely at home is recommended. Leaving them in your wallet could expose you to identity theft, as malicious individuals could exploit the information to access your accounts, forge documents, or make unauthorized purchases in your name. Safeguarding these receipts is crucial for protecting your personal and financial information.
Excessive Credit Cards
While it’s common for multiple credit cards to accumulate in your wallet, experts advise carrying only the card or cards you use regularly. Those used sparingly or rarely should be securely stored at home. This precautionary measure is crucial as it minimizes the risk of granting thieves access to many of your accounts in the event of wallet theft, saving you the hassle of contacting numerous credit card companies to cancel and replace those cards. Additionally, streamlining the cards you carry can serve as a helpful strategy to prevent overspending.
Spare Keys
Storing a spare car or house key in your wallet poses a significant security risk. Since your wallet typically contains your driver’s license or other identification documents that display your address, keeping your key alongside extends an invitation to potential thieves, granting them easy access to your home. Avoiding this practice to safeguard your property and personal security is highly recommended.
PINs and Passwords Cheat Sheet
Managing online passwords and PINs can be challenging, leading many individuals (73%, as per a Pew survey) to write them down on a password cheat sheet. However, it is crucial to avoid storing such sheets in your wallet. Instead, financial experts at Kiplinger recommend keeping the cheat sheet in a secure, locked box at home or utilizing a digital password manager like LastPass. Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication on all applicable accounts, which requires a login code sent to your email or smartphone, adds an extra layer of security against identity theft.
Blank Cheques
It is strongly advised against carrying blank checks in your wallet due to the glaring risk involved. If someone gains access to them, they can exploit the situation by making unauthorized withdrawals from your bank account or engaging in online fraud using the check routing and account numbers. Storing blank checks in a secure location separate from your wallet is best to ensure your financial security.
Protect Yourself and Your Finances: Tips for Securing Your Wallet
Amidst a concerning rise in theft rates nationwide, it’s essential to safeguard yourself and your finances. Authorities from New York to Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to Seattle have reported an alarming surge in theft incidents. To counter this trend, lock your car and avoid leaving your wallet inside. If you must keep it there, keep it out of sight. Additionally, exercise caution regarding the contents of your wallet while carrying it.
These simple measures can significantly reduce the risk of experiencing stress and financial losses and enhance your overall sense of security. Experts recommend being mindful of these 15 items to avoid keeping them in your wallet to mitigate potential risks.
STUCK IN THE 60S: 10 THINGS BABY BOOMERS REFUSE TO LET GO OF
Memories of the “good old days” keep us trapped in the past. Baby boomers love to retell tales of how it was “in my day.” At the same time, millennials will tell them to get with the times. Being stuck in a time warp from which they don’t want to snap out of, here are things that baby boomers still think are fantastic. STUCK IN THE 60S: 10 THINGS BABY BOOMERS REFUSE TO LET GO OF
16 ANNOYING PHRASES THAT MAKE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY HATE YOU!
We wanted to know the most irksome things someone can say that turns you off! These Reddit users didn’t hold back! 16 ANNOYING PHRASES THAT MAKE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY HATE YOU!
OBSOLETE MILLENNIALS: 14 SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THE 90S THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN TODAY’S WORLD
A lot has changed since the turn of the century – just ask this nostalgic lot!
OBSOLETE MILLENNIALS: 14 SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THE 90S THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN TODAY’S WORLD
THE FALL FROM GRACE: 12 PROFESSIONS THAT WERE ONCE REVERED, NOW A TOTAL JOKE
These 12 professions that are now obsolete show how much the times have changed.
THE FALL FROM GRACE: 12 PROFESSIONS THAT WERE ONCE REVERED, NOW A TOTAL JOKE
FROM ‘OKAY BOOMER’ TO ‘UGH BOOMER’: 10 HABITS THAT IRRITATE MILLENNIALS
Each generation has its quirks. Most label it as an “old person thing” when asked why grandpa or grandma does something unusual. The defense from the other side is that “it was the way things were back in our day.”
FROM ‘OKAY BOOMER’ TO ‘UGH BOOMER’: 10 HABITS THAT IRRITATE MILLENNIALS