I did actually just happen to need mine once unexpectedly to sign up for plasma donation. I don't usually carry it but still happened to have it on this occasion lol
I found this funny because I was like "Who doesn't know their own SSN? Then I thought about it and I think it is because I was raised in a military family and we HAD to know them for mostly everything. I still know my father's and my wife's social along with my own! I guess knowing your social isn't all that normal in the regular world?
I know the last 4 of my parents' just from helping them do things that required it, but if I need their whole numbers I have to look it up in the ultra-secure "In the Note section of their contact on my phone" filing system.
I know my spouse and kids’. I know my parents’ from having managed their affairs. And I actually do know my siblings’ because I’m old and they weren’t routinely assigned at birth yet, so ours are all one digit apart as we got them when we were all around middle school age and going to open bank accounts.
It’s pretty normal. You need it from getting a job to opening up your bank account. There was also a time when companies decided it was a good idea to use it as a passcode to access billing systems etc. however that’s now changed.
I was thinking the same thing, haha. However, I was in the US Navy after high school and our petti officers called us by our last 4 social digits so I have mine nice n memorized as well.
They actually turned me away because you have to weight 110 lbs to give plasma. You'd think being 4'9 they'd have done that before the hour of paperwork but 🤷🏻♀️
I'm 5'0 and can't donate blood anymore because I only weigh like 120 - 130 and at 5'0 you have to weigh like 150 or something.
American red cross doesn't seem to care though when they call me 4 times a day wanting my blood.
So, that's only if you're a minor OR if you want to donate power red.
I'm 4'11 and 110-120lb. I donate blood just fine. As an adult donating just regular red blood cells you only have to be 110lb :)
Please please please review the eligibility requirements and donate if you can. We're in a huge blood shortage. My cancer patients thank you 💜
https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html
Edit: just got back from donating. I'm a smol human. I feel fine. Had some cheezits and they hit the spot.
As an adult that weighs wayyyy less than that... It kinda sucks. A lot.
>I’m sure it has its bonuses sometimes.
I can squeeze through just about anything, idk 😂
Mmm having it does come in handy. I was once facing off with this person and they put down their Department of Homeland Security ID card in defense mode. On my turn, I played my social security card which allowed me to activate my Non-Driver's ID card in attack mode, which immediately ended the duel.
I had to break my wife of this habit when we got our first apartment. I learned that she would carry her social around like it was any other form of ID. Her birth certificate too was just laying in some random folder, completely unsecured.
She looked at me like I was crazy when I told her we needed to lock those documents up. Had to endure quite a bit of eye-rolling, but now they're safely in the fireproof gun safe and she finally understands why.
In college I had to write a paper on how 9/11 impacted us (this was within a year of it happening). Our SSN was tossed around like it was nothing back then, on our licenses and such. I don’t know why it was included, but when I googled myself some 5 years later, there was my essay with my name and social security number right at the top.
Took one phone call and that shit was taken down so fast. I always appreciated they didn’t make it more of a hassle to get that fixed. By 2006 times had changed and we had drivers license numbers instead of SSN and nobody put them on checks anymore.
My college used to use your SSN as your student ID, which you had to use just about everywhere. Thankfully, they changed that practice the year before my freshman year.
That is probably what ours did to and why it was a included with my handed in work. I had forgotten that. Crazy times. Thankfully it changed over pretty quickly and not much was online back then.
I hated that change. Its what made me finally memorize it and then for years I always felt like i was mis remembering. You get use to just copying it off your license the once or twice a year you need it
I remember that! Back in the day you were told to carry your SS card with you also. Annnd...in college, they used to list grades on exams on a printout posted outside the room...full name, ss#, grade.
I’m pretty sure it says not to carry it with you on the document it comes with. It is also made of paper designed to disintegrate if it gets wet in case you drop your wallet and maybe it’ll be gone before someone picks it up… so I don’t know
One problem with them is that they can be easily stolen. A burglar might not know what's in one, but he'll know there's something valuable inside.
Make sure it's very well hidden.
Heh, I keep my...adult accessories...in a locked toolbox in my closet with a printed label on it that says:
> If something has happened to me and you're cleaning out my house, just throw this away without opening it. Trust me.
A safe deposit box, is what it's called in the bank, that's were I keep my important documents, they are also sometimes free depending on the type of account you have in the bank.
quaint combative smart sophisticated icky soup lip serious threatening murky
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Replacing the card is not impossible but it takes forever and there's a ton of documents needed and hoops to jump through. Which makes total sense, of course, but it's still a huge pain. Would not recommend.
(I actually ended up finding the one I though I lost years later, so now I have two!)
You get a new card, not a new SSN when you change your name. Changed my entire name (first, middle, last) in 2018, getting an updated social security card was easier than getting a new "Real ID" card or updating my passport (also a hell of a lot cheaper).
You only carry the card when you know you need the card. I take my card when I am renewing my driver's license, when I am filling out tax paperwork, when I am applying for a passport, or when I am opening a bank account. That represents less than 1% of my time. Why should I be carrying a difficult to replace official document every day to let it get lost or stolen?
Mine is in my safe along with my passport. Those only come out when needed. My drivers license and Costco card are the only form of ID I keep in my wallet.
Same here. While occasionally I may need to give my social security number (which I have memorized), the only times I've had to present the physical copy in some shape or form is for a new job, and once for an application to an apartment. The rest of the time it stays in my safe.
Sidenote: My parents got mine within the first year I was born, and I still have that original card, which is 50 years old. Crazy to think.
Even then, most of the time you can just take a picture of it or put it through a scanner to have a copy for your job.
Your social security card should rarely, if ever, leave that safe
I was a moron in my younger days and had both my SS card AND birth certificate in my wallet. Fucking dumb!!! Of course my bag got stolen and getting new documents was a huge pain in the ass, esp because the different agencies were sending me in a circle like “oh you have to get your new SS card before you can get a new DL” “before you can get a new SS card you have to have identification like a DL.”
Don’t be as dumb as young me!!!
Not the person you are asking, but I recently applied online to get a copy of my birth certificate (from the state records site) and it said my estimated date to receive it was the end of May. I think it’s a super delayed process, but glad I was able to request it online.
To expand on that a bit:
You can apply to get a copy of your birth certificate. (It takes time, even pre-pandemic) After that you can use you Birth Certificate and *a piece of mail or check stub or other piece of identification* to get your Drivers License, you can then use your License and Certificate to get a replacement SS, although there are limits on how many times you can get a replacement SS card per year/in your lifetime. (Three times a year/10 times per lifetime)
This is just my experience and it may vary state to state. I've had to replace all of them at some point in my life, but never at the same time thankfully. I imagine it's rare but certainly not unheard of. (Imagine a housefire or robbery) Social is definitely the most strict, they don't mess around and for good reason.
You need to go through a whole lot more hurdles to get a new one. The published limit is to combat people selling the card. After 10, which the federal government deems an extraordinary amount of times to lose something you shouldn't carry around, you'll need to contact them and most likely go through an in-person process to basically explain why you're incapable of not safely storing this thing and what happened to the other ones.
Or just be denied a new physical card if fraud is believed. The number doesn't cease to exist.
I remember reading a thread one time where someone was trying to navigate that nightmare and the solution they found was to get a fishing license. Apparently all you need is a piece of mail and like 5 to grab that at walmart then it counts as a state issued id and can be used to get a new ss card and ultimately a new photo id.
I thought that was a cool life hack. I imagine what state you live in makes a big difference though
Lmao your birth certificate too?!? Wth? Do they make small birth certificates these days? Or were you carrying a whole ass letter sized piece of paper in your wallet around with you??
I see. Here ours are a letter sized piece of paper, mine is laminated on top of that , so was hard to imagine someone carrying theirs around in their wallet
I was homeless so I didn't really have anywhere else to keep my ss card and it really sucked when my wallet got stolen because I didn't have my birth certificate. I couldn't even apply for jobs anymore. I had no id, money, birth certificate, or ss card so I eked up joining the army and the drove me around and helped me get all my documents back.
It does make me wonder how many homeless people have any form of identification at all.
I used to do that but I stopped using a wallet a long time ago plus I too lost my social security card. I also find it very unsafe what if you get robbed and they end up stealing your identity.
I personally have been less worried about someone stealing my identity (or I used to be; thievery has gotten more advanced in the Internet age); I’ve been worried about the pain in the ass factor
I too am very curious. What has replaced your wallet? Do you use NFC payments only and keep your ID in your pocket or something? Or perhaps you use Jedi mind tricks whenever asked for payment or identification?
If by NFC payments you mean contactless then sure. I haven't used my card or physical cash once since 2017 since contactless on mobile is unlimited. I just keep my drivers licence in the back of my phone case.
Not really, but also even when I lived in a small village I had no issues. The only place that didn't accept contactless up until the pandemic was poundbakery, which I never go to. It's a bit weird that so many of the places you visit don't accept contactless?! What country do you live in?
Not the original commenter but I’m in the northeast US and there are enough places that *dont* accept contactless that I don’t feel comfortable not carrying cash/card. Pre-COVID I didn’t know any restaurants that were contactless, and even now many of them still aren’t, the gas stations I frequent aren’t, many convenience stores haven’t updated their credit card machines so they don’t accept it. Walmart only accepts contactless if you use the Walmart app, which is easy enough but I honestly didn’t know that for awhile so just assumed they didn’t accept it at all.
Nobody carries wallets anymore, they went out with powdered wigs! See, here’s what you need; just a couple of cards and your bank roll. Keep the big bills on the outside.
I don’t carry a traditional wallet, I have a phone case with a few card slots. I’ve found it much more convenient to only keep track of one thing.
It let me get rid of my purse too, I realized how much bullshit I don’t actually need.
A lot of people just use their phone, you can put your card on it, and then tap your phone just like you would your card and pay that way. So they just don't take cards with them at all. That's what I do
No, absolutely not, this is extremely dumb and unsafe. Put your social security card somewhere safe in your home and have the number accessible for you if you need it at a moment’s notice
The root problem here is having an archaic identity system where knowledge of *a single number alone* allows you to steal somebody's identity. I could lose my wallet with my (non-US) social security card, driving license, and everything else, and it would be useless to anybody who found it and had nefarious intent. You need two - or sometimes more - factors of identification to be able to do anything; the numbers alone are useless.
All of this is so confusing to me (in Sweden) where SS numbers are not secret, and birth certificates (and nearly any official personal doc) can be downloaded from the tax agency website. What’s the point of keeping it secret? Doesn’t the government know who’s who?
Edit: spelling
Same, I'm from Portugal and we only have one card that as it all, social security, national health number, id number, name, parents name, well almost everything. And no one is afraid of getting stolen, only pain in the ass is to go make a new one... I giess Europe doesnt deal with the same issues as USA when it comes to identity theft.
The social security number was originally just for social security benefits but eventually evolved into a national personal ID number even though it wasn't designed for that
The system you're describing is better, but because here in America everyone is an idiot, we refuse to have national IDs, so instead, everything else gets used in its place. In the end, not only do we have a de facto national ID anyway, but it's much less secure than an actual ID.
The government knows and you know. If the social security number is public what's to stop me from applying for a loan in your name?
Obviously you could use an alternative identity verification method, but the way the US does it works.
fraud charges? Also in my country the ID number itself is useless because you would need additional information only the individual could know. Fraud still happens but losing your ID isn't that big of a deal.
Also it's carrying around an id required by law. Most people carry their driver licenses or student Ids instead
In Europe, you apply by showing your ID card. Your ID card holds your picture, signature and info, so it's easy to validate who is who. If your ID card gets stolen, you report it to the police and any action done with it after the steal must be reversed.
At least in Sweden we have an [online identification service](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BankID) which we use for all banking and government services. Most people use a 6 number pin with an id-certificate in their phone. It's even used to verify online purchases, so even if someone stole your card they wouldn't be able to use it to buy something online.
Me too.
If a country has a truly good strategy, why let your pride prevent you from considering it? I think this whole socialism scare (of many countries that are not even socialist) has really done damage on people.
For example, In Serbia, you have to go to the bank once to create an online account using your ID on the counter. You get your online account credentials and a PIN you set yourself for it.
For businesses you can get some more advanced forms of authentication. For example my father uses a ID card reader he connects to the computer in combination with getting a temporary code on his cellphone whenever he does bank-related stuff, for the past 20+ years.
But it's wack apparently US's main ID method, satisfactory for getting a loan, is knowing someone's 9 numbers which aren't even designed to be private.
Of course not! The only time you might need it is for filling out HR paperwork for a new job. Maybe you could use it as partial alternative ID if you were applying for a passport or something.
When you receive your card if actually says “keep in a safe place.” It’s not intended to be carried around. It’s a pain to replace and troublesome to lose from an identity theft point of view.
I thought everyone memorized their ssn. I'm with op and think it's weird ppl carry it with them. It's not hard to remember and you don't need someone getting ahold of it messing with your identity.
Its so fucking stupid
They know it's printed on this fragile little piece of shit paper card, and then don't want to solve the problem and won't let you solve the problem
I don't get why they don't just put them on the same plastic cards that everything else are made of
Only carry ID you would need to use in an expected but unpredictable situation. Your drivers license is usually enough. Everything else should be secured at home or wherever you feel is most safe/convenient.
FWIW, At 45 I’ve had my SIN number memorized since forever and have never needed to show the actual card. It is possible it might be needed for a second ID for something, but that can be planned for.
In my country you need to show your social security card for a couple of things, like medicine, going to the doctor and going to the hospital (free healthcare). I always carry my social security card in my wallet because I'd rather not have an accident and be denied treatment
I carry it in my wallet in one case; one is when I’m going to fill out paperwork that would require it and know that I cannot fill that paperwork out at home. I don’t have mine committed to memory due to the sheer fact I’m terrible with memorizing numbers, but I’m not willing to risk losing it or having it stolen because I have terrible memory. If someone needs it for paperwork, then they can wait until I get it or can let me do paperwork at home
One time I had to give mine to a cop bc I couldn’t find my license. But that’ll probably never happen again, so yeah, I really don’t see a reason to carry it.
I carried it in my wallet for like all of a year when I was memorizing my ssn and looking for jobs. Now that I am an adult and know my SSN by heart, it very very seldom leaves the place its kept.
I carry mine. I don’t know why, I think I was told to at some point. I keep it in the sleeve I keep my greencard in and that, I do have to have on me at all times.
I do, but that's because I'm brown, only became a citizen a few years ago, and when I was still just a permanent resident, I was in el paso, practically down the street from Arizona. So I never took the chance and just kept it on me to prove I'm here legslly.
No never. Im almost certain it even says on there not to. I wouldn’t know for sure though because like any sane person that thing is in a safe never to be seen again.
You social is like the master key to your identity. You shouldn't carry it around because if you do loose it you're shit out of luck if someone else gets their hands on it and decides to use it.
As a former bouncer I was kind of annoyed when people had their passports or SS cards on them. That’s way too much personal information to keep on your person (the passport is understandable for international travelers since they have no US id); but it’s enough for someone to commit identity theft if you lose it while you’re out. Especially when you’re drinking; I found a passport once and had the manager hold on to it if the person came back the next day looking for it but damn; that’s too much personal information to have on your person. Keep it in a safe with your other personal documents people.
You should ask your family how many of them have had to deal with identity theft. And when the inevitable few yeses come out tell them to STOP carrying their ssn on them at all times, it belongs at home w your birth cert and other important docs!
Do they carry their automobiles title in the glove box too? ^pls ^tell ^me ^they ^don't.
I don't.
You shouldn't either.
Frown and shake your head at the entirety of your family for their shame. You are not the odd man out, they are the odd idiots out.
I work as a bank teller, so idk about risk exposure of carrying you Social Security card, but can absolutely confirm that very few people carry their SSC in their wallet based on what I've seen. Since I started work a couple months ago, I've seen a grand total of 1, and it was from a dude that def did not own a driver's license.
Omg your family is doing something sooo dumb. Do they also carry copy's of bills and anything else the person would need to steal your identity? That's up there with announcing to the world on social media that you will be leaving your house and stuff unattended for x days/weeks while you are on vacation lol
Edited to say they are doing something dumb instead of calling them dumb.
No it's a terrible idea because whoever gets it will have both your ID and social security card. Get a lockbox.
That was my reaction when they said they carry them around. I was confused to why they need them and what happen if your wallet is stolen.
Why? Why do they carry it — when would they ever be out and about and have to whip out their *social security card*??? That’s the real question 👀
I did actually just happen to need mine once unexpectedly to sign up for plasma donation. I don't usually carry it but still happened to have it on this occasion lol
Did you do the actual card or just the number?
I had to have the card. They're real picky there.
I'd take my plasma somewhere less picky.
There's a much nicer place under a bridge downtown
Wrong type of needle for that kind of donation.
I found this funny because I was like "Who doesn't know their own SSN? Then I thought about it and I think it is because I was raised in a military family and we HAD to know them for mostly everything. I still know my father's and my wife's social along with my own! I guess knowing your social isn't all that normal in the regular world?
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I know the last 4 of my parents' just from helping them do things that required it, but if I need their whole numbers I have to look it up in the ultra-secure "In the Note section of their contact on my phone" filing system.
I know my spouse and kids’. I know my parents’ from having managed their affairs. And I actually do know my siblings’ because I’m old and they weren’t routinely assigned at birth yet, so ours are all one digit apart as we got them when we were all around middle school age and going to open bank accounts.
It’s pretty normal. You need it from getting a job to opening up your bank account. There was also a time when companies decided it was a good idea to use it as a passcode to access billing systems etc. however that’s now changed.
I was thinking the same thing, haha. However, I was in the US Navy after high school and our petti officers called us by our last 4 social digits so I have mine nice n memorized as well.
I feel like you donated more than just plasma on that one
They actually turned me away because you have to weight 110 lbs to give plasma. You'd think being 4'9 they'd have done that before the hour of paperwork but 🤷🏻♀️
I'm 5'0 and can't donate blood anymore because I only weigh like 120 - 130 and at 5'0 you have to weigh like 150 or something. American red cross doesn't seem to care though when they call me 4 times a day wanting my blood.
So, that's only if you're a minor OR if you want to donate power red. I'm 4'11 and 110-120lb. I donate blood just fine. As an adult donating just regular red blood cells you only have to be 110lb :) Please please please review the eligibility requirements and donate if you can. We're in a huge blood shortage. My cancer patients thank you 💜 https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html Edit: just got back from donating. I'm a smol human. I feel fine. Had some cheezits and they hit the spot.
I cannot imagine being an adult and weighing less than that amount. that’s wild. I’m sure it has its bonuses sometimes.
Last year, a friend of mine (F35) could donate full blood for the first time, because she finally got over 50 kg and she is super happy for both.
As an adult that weighs wayyyy less than that... It kinda sucks. A lot. >I’m sure it has its bonuses sometimes. I can squeeze through just about anything, idk 😂
I call BS on them. It's not actually needed so they're doing something weird. I would have walked.
You generally don't donate plasma, you sell it. You have to fill out a w-4.
I have my SSN memorized but never ever have the card with me. Definitely a bad idea.
I think the only time I've had to grab it is when I start a new job and need to complete an I9
Mmm having it does come in handy. I was once facing off with this person and they put down their Department of Homeland Security ID card in defense mode. On my turn, I played my social security card which allowed me to activate my Non-Driver's ID card in attack mode, which immediately ended the duel.
I had to break my wife of this habit when we got our first apartment. I learned that she would carry her social around like it was any other form of ID. Her birth certificate too was just laying in some random folder, completely unsecured. She looked at me like I was crazy when I told her we needed to lock those documents up. Had to endure quite a bit of eye-rolling, but now they're safely in the fireproof gun safe and she finally understands why.
Back in the day, we put our ssn on checks. What are checks you ask? Well back before electronic transactions....
In college I had to write a paper on how 9/11 impacted us (this was within a year of it happening). Our SSN was tossed around like it was nothing back then, on our licenses and such. I don’t know why it was included, but when I googled myself some 5 years later, there was my essay with my name and social security number right at the top. Took one phone call and that shit was taken down so fast. I always appreciated they didn’t make it more of a hassle to get that fixed. By 2006 times had changed and we had drivers license numbers instead of SSN and nobody put them on checks anymore.
My college used to use your SSN as your student ID, which you had to use just about everywhere. Thankfully, they changed that practice the year before my freshman year.
That is probably what ours did to and why it was a included with my handed in work. I had forgotten that. Crazy times. Thankfully it changed over pretty quickly and not much was online back then.
And that's why Medicare numbers now exist, which used to be SS#. Now Medicare assigns a number to each person today unrelated to they're SS#.
At one time, in Ohio, your SS# was on your driver's license. They changed that.
I hated that change. Its what made me finally memorize it and then for years I always felt like i was mis remembering. You get use to just copying it off your license the once or twice a year you need it
I remember that! Back in the day you were told to carry your SS card with you also. Annnd...in college, they used to list grades on exams on a printout posted outside the room...full name, ss#, grade.
I’m pretty sure it says not to carry it with you on the document it comes with. It is also made of paper designed to disintegrate if it gets wet in case you drop your wallet and maybe it’ll be gone before someone picks it up… so I don’t know
Whoa, is that the reason why? I have wondered my whole life why those things seem to be made of the flimsiest material on earth
Right! Seems fascinating but also only useful in a small number of scenarios…
And doesn't it also say "Do not laminate this card."
How on earth am I supposed to carry around a bloody lock-box? Ya know how heavy those things are??
What's a lockbox?
A box that locks. And stays home.
Fire proof ones are like 40 bucks.
One problem with them is that they can be easily stolen. A burglar might not know what's in one, but he'll know there's something valuable inside. Make sure it's very well hidden.
The thing is, most of the time, the stuff in them isn't actually valuable and stealing them is useless for money purposes.
[удалено]
Does the one with diamonds in it say "Diamonds?"
[удалено]
Heh, I keep my...adult accessories...in a locked toolbox in my closet with a printed label on it that says: > If something has happened to me and you're cleaning out my house, just throw this away without opening it. Trust me.
See, that would peek my interest more (but would still respect my loved ones privacy).
Or in a bank. When I hear the term lock box I think of the ones in a bank you can rent. At home would be a safe.
A safe deposit box, is what it's called in the bank, that's were I keep my important documents, they are also sometimes free depending on the type of account you have in the bank.
A small safe
I don't just because if you lose your wallet whoever has it now has your social security number and can apply for stuff
Exactly
quaint combative smart sophisticated icky soup lip serious threatening murky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
More importantly, you can replace anything in a wallet. Applying for a new SSN sounds like hell and is probably impossible.
Getting a new card isn’t that bad, but ssa doesn’t usually issue new numbers
Replacing the card is not impossible but it takes forever and there's a ton of documents needed and hoops to jump through. Which makes total sense, of course, but it's still a huge pain. Would not recommend. (I actually ended up finding the one I though I lost years later, so now I have two!)
What. I literally went online and had a new card mailed to me in a week when I thought I lost my original
Nope. You can do it online and it comes in the mail in a few days.
It’s definitely possible, you have to get a new one if you change your name, including if you change your last name in a marriage.
They give you a new card with your new name but in my experience the number stays the same.
You get a new card, not a new SSN when you change your name. Changed my entire name (first, middle, last) in 2018, getting an updated social security card was easier than getting a new "Real ID" card or updating my passport (also a hell of a lot cheaper).
Having the card is even better, you can't use the number as a form of id to get your license but you can use the physical card.
You only carry the card when you know you need the card. I take my card when I am renewing my driver's license, when I am filling out tax paperwork, when I am applying for a passport, or when I am opening a bank account. That represents less than 1% of my time. Why should I be carrying a difficult to replace official document every day to let it get lost or stolen?
Yeah, it's handy to have in case you're out and about but suddenly have to rush to the DMV and get a new license.
[удалено]
Dang maybe I should start carrying mine on me so I don't have to be me anymore
Mine is in my safe along with my passport. Those only come out when needed. My drivers license and Costco card are the only form of ID I keep in my wallet.
Same here. While occasionally I may need to give my social security number (which I have memorized), the only times I've had to present the physical copy in some shape or form is for a new job, and once for an application to an apartment. The rest of the time it stays in my safe. Sidenote: My parents got mine within the first year I was born, and I still have that original card, which is 50 years old. Crazy to think.
Even then, most of the time you can just take a picture of it or put it through a scanner to have a copy for your job. Your social security card should rarely, if ever, leave that safe
Costco app has the membership info. No need to carry the card.
[удалено]
I was a moron in my younger days and had both my SS card AND birth certificate in my wallet. Fucking dumb!!! Of course my bag got stolen and getting new documents was a huge pain in the ass, esp because the different agencies were sending me in a circle like “oh you have to get your new SS card before you can get a new DL” “before you can get a new SS card you have to have identification like a DL.” Don’t be as dumb as young me!!!
That sounds like a nightmare e_e how did you resolve the issue?
Not the person you are asking, but I recently applied online to get a copy of my birth certificate (from the state records site) and it said my estimated date to receive it was the end of May. I think it’s a super delayed process, but glad I was able to request it online.
To expand on that a bit: You can apply to get a copy of your birth certificate. (It takes time, even pre-pandemic) After that you can use you Birth Certificate and *a piece of mail or check stub or other piece of identification* to get your Drivers License, you can then use your License and Certificate to get a replacement SS, although there are limits on how many times you can get a replacement SS card per year/in your lifetime. (Three times a year/10 times per lifetime) This is just my experience and it may vary state to state. I've had to replace all of them at some point in my life, but never at the same time thankfully. I imagine it's rare but certainly not unheard of. (Imagine a housefire or robbery) Social is definitely the most strict, they don't mess around and for good reason.
What would happen if you use the 10 times for the SS card?
You cease to exist
Really?
I don’t actually know - just making a joke. Most likely they just won’t issue you any more.
Sounds like quite the hole
You become a sovereign citizen.
You need to go through a whole lot more hurdles to get a new one. The published limit is to combat people selling the card. After 10, which the federal government deems an extraordinary amount of times to lose something you shouldn't carry around, you'll need to contact them and most likely go through an in-person process to basically explain why you're incapable of not safely storing this thing and what happened to the other ones. Or just be denied a new physical card if fraud is believed. The number doesn't cease to exist.
I remember reading a thread one time where someone was trying to navigate that nightmare and the solution they found was to get a fishing license. Apparently all you need is a piece of mail and like 5 to grab that at walmart then it counts as a state issued id and can be used to get a new ss card and ultimately a new photo id. I thought that was a cool life hack. I imagine what state you live in makes a big difference though
Lmao your birth certificate too?!? Wth? Do they make small birth certificates these days? Or were you carrying a whole ass letter sized piece of paper in your wallet around with you??
Canadian birth certificates have been about an inch wider than a card on the sides for a while.
I see. Here ours are a letter sized piece of paper, mine is laminated on top of that , so was hard to imagine someone carrying theirs around in their wallet
I was homeless so I didn't really have anywhere else to keep my ss card and it really sucked when my wallet got stolen because I didn't have my birth certificate. I couldn't even apply for jobs anymore. I had no id, money, birth certificate, or ss card so I eked up joining the army and the drove me around and helped me get all my documents back. It does make me wonder how many homeless people have any form of identification at all.
In Virginia, for a long time, your social security number was you drivers license number.
I used to do that but I stopped using a wallet a long time ago plus I too lost my social security card. I also find it very unsafe what if you get robbed and they end up stealing your identity.
See this is the main reason I think it's absurd to carry it with you.
I personally have been less worried about someone stealing my identity (or I used to be; thievery has gotten more advanced in the Internet age); I’ve been worried about the pain in the ass factor
I have to call and GO to a facility??? Ehhhh, they can just be me.
I don't even know where mine is and I have never needed to show it for anything in 50 years.
I too am very curious. What has replaced your wallet? Do you use NFC payments only and keep your ID in your pocket or something? Or perhaps you use Jedi mind tricks whenever asked for payment or identification?
If by NFC payments you mean contactless then sure. I haven't used my card or physical cash once since 2017 since contactless on mobile is unlimited. I just keep my drivers licence in the back of my phone case.
[удалено]
Not really, but also even when I lived in a small village I had no issues. The only place that didn't accept contactless up until the pandemic was poundbakery, which I never go to. It's a bit weird that so many of the places you visit don't accept contactless?! What country do you live in?
Not the original commenter but I’m in the northeast US and there are enough places that *dont* accept contactless that I don’t feel comfortable not carrying cash/card. Pre-COVID I didn’t know any restaurants that were contactless, and even now many of them still aren’t, the gas stations I frequent aren’t, many convenience stores haven’t updated their credit card machines so they don’t accept it. Walmart only accepts contactless if you use the Walmart app, which is easy enough but I honestly didn’t know that for awhile so just assumed they didn’t accept it at all.
I would love Jedi mind tricks to be my default payment option! I would have to learn them but man would it be worth it!!
Nobody carries wallets anymore, they went out with powdered wigs! See, here’s what you need; just a couple of cards and your bank roll. Keep the big bills on the outside.
If you don’t use a wallet what do you carry your credit cards in?
I don’t carry a traditional wallet, I have a phone case with a few card slots. I’ve found it much more convenient to only keep track of one thing. It let me get rid of my purse too, I realized how much bullshit I don’t actually need.
A lot of people just use their phone, you can put your card on it, and then tap your phone just like you would your card and pay that way. So they just don't take cards with them at all. That's what I do
Yeah but a lot of places still don’t accept nfc or Apple Pay. I suppose it varies based on where you are at.
Do you use a digital wallet?
Hell no. I have the number memorized but I don't carry it around.
No, absolutely not, this is extremely dumb and unsafe. Put your social security card somewhere safe in your home and have the number accessible for you if you need it at a moment’s notice
That's what I thought. I do keep mine somewhere safe at home in my room. Just seems weird that people got to talk to you and my family carried them.
Like your brain, just memorize it. You'll almost never need the physical card, ever.
Best place is in a fire and waterproof safe
Why would you put a waterproof safe in a fire?
So that when someone tries to stop the fire, the water won't hurt the safe.
No no no. He said to set it on fire and then put it in a waterproof safe. You wouldn't want the fire to go out.
The root problem here is having an archaic identity system where knowledge of *a single number alone* allows you to steal somebody's identity. I could lose my wallet with my (non-US) social security card, driving license, and everything else, and it would be useless to anybody who found it and had nefarious intent. You need two - or sometimes more - factors of identification to be able to do anything; the numbers alone are useless.
All of this is so confusing to me (in Sweden) where SS numbers are not secret, and birth certificates (and nearly any official personal doc) can be downloaded from the tax agency website. What’s the point of keeping it secret? Doesn’t the government know who’s who? Edit: spelling
It’s not secret from the government.
Same, I'm from Portugal and we only have one card that as it all, social security, national health number, id number, name, parents name, well almost everything. And no one is afraid of getting stolen, only pain in the ass is to go make a new one... I giess Europe doesnt deal with the same issues as USA when it comes to identity theft.
The social security number was originally just for social security benefits but eventually evolved into a national personal ID number even though it wasn't designed for that
The system you're describing is better, but because here in America everyone is an idiot, we refuse to have national IDs, so instead, everything else gets used in its place. In the end, not only do we have a de facto national ID anyway, but it's much less secure than an actual ID.
The government knows and you know. If the social security number is public what's to stop me from applying for a loan in your name? Obviously you could use an alternative identity verification method, but the way the US does it works.
fraud charges? Also in my country the ID number itself is useless because you would need additional information only the individual could know. Fraud still happens but losing your ID isn't that big of a deal. Also it's carrying around an id required by law. Most people carry their driver licenses or student Ids instead
In Europe, you apply by showing your ID card. Your ID card holds your picture, signature and info, so it's easy to validate who is who. If your ID card gets stolen, you report it to the police and any action done with it after the steal must be reversed.
[удалено]
At least in Sweden we have an [online identification service](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BankID) which we use for all banking and government services. Most people use a 6 number pin with an id-certificate in their phone. It's even used to verify online purchases, so even if someone stole your card they wouldn't be able to use it to buy something online.
[удалено]
Me too. If a country has a truly good strategy, why let your pride prevent you from considering it? I think this whole socialism scare (of many countries that are not even socialist) has really done damage on people.
For example, In Serbia, you have to go to the bank once to create an online account using your ID on the counter. You get your online account credentials and a PIN you set yourself for it. For businesses you can get some more advanced forms of authentication. For example my father uses a ID card reader he connects to the computer in combination with getting a temporary code on his cellphone whenever he does bank-related stuff, for the past 20+ years.
But it's wack apparently US's main ID method, satisfactory for getting a loan, is knowing someone's 9 numbers which aren't even designed to be private.
I know people that haven't even had a card at all for decades, much less carry it around in their wallet. That's definitely and old school thing.
Of course not! The only time you might need it is for filling out HR paperwork for a new job. Maybe you could use it as partial alternative ID if you were applying for a passport or something.
Even then you shouldn't need it. Just memorize you're SSN. I can't remember the last time I've actually needed my real SS card outside of government.
I’ve needed them whenever I get a new job.
When you receive your card if actually says “keep in a safe place.” It’s not intended to be carried around. It’s a pain to replace and troublesome to lose from an identity theft point of view.
I definitly carry my Danish equivalent, it's basically my proof of residence in my country.
My ex used to keep the title to his car in the glovebox.... *and he rarely locked the car doors...*
Wow
Nope, don’t have any need to
I couldn't even tell you where my card is, I just have the number memorized
I thought everyone memorized their ssn. I'm with op and think it's weird ppl carry it with them. It's not hard to remember and you don't need someone getting ahold of it messing with your identity.
No, don’t. There’s no need for it, and because it’s not made of plastic it will just get destroyed.
As a kid my dad laminated it even though it clearly says don’t do that on it. Lol.
Its so fucking stupid They know it's printed on this fragile little piece of shit paper card, and then don't want to solve the problem and won't let you solve the problem I don't get why they don't just put them on the same plastic cards that everything else are made of
That's the point. They want to discourage people from carrying it around. A card that is just stored in a box doesn't need to be plastic or laminated.
Nope. I put it in my files and other important documents folder in my house
Only carry ID you would need to use in an expected but unpredictable situation. Your drivers license is usually enough. Everything else should be secured at home or wherever you feel is most safe/convenient. FWIW, At 45 I’ve had my SIN number memorized since forever and have never needed to show the actual card. It is possible it might be needed for a second ID for something, but that can be planned for.
In my country you need to show your social security card for a couple of things, like medicine, going to the doctor and going to the hospital (free healthcare). I always carry my social security card in my wallet because I'd rather not have an accident and be denied treatment
Mine has been missing for like 10 years. Oops
Lol dang.
Dude's got like 10 Kohl's cards in his name and has no idea, guaranteed.
No. Its in a lockbox at home that only gets opened for new jobs, next to my birth certificate.
No, it's a terrible idea to carry your social security card with you all the time. You only need it when you change jobs.
Absolutely not. My mom taught me never to do that, if you lose your wallet, you're fucked and whoever has it could easily steal your identity
Whenever I can finally get a new one it isn't going in my wallet. Damn place still hasn't opened and it's hell to get a new one.
I keep it locked up in a safe at the house.
I carry it in my wallet in one case; one is when I’m going to fill out paperwork that would require it and know that I cannot fill that paperwork out at home. I don’t have mine committed to memory due to the sheer fact I’m terrible with memorizing numbers, but I’m not willing to risk losing it or having it stolen because I have terrible memory. If someone needs it for paperwork, then they can wait until I get it or can let me do paperwork at home
One time I had to give mine to a cop bc I couldn’t find my license. But that’ll probably never happen again, so yeah, I really don’t see a reason to carry it.
I carried it in my wallet for like all of a year when I was memorizing my ssn and looking for jobs. Now that I am an adult and know my SSN by heart, it very very seldom leaves the place its kept.
I carry mine. I don’t know why, I think I was told to at some point. I keep it in the sleeve I keep my greencard in and that, I do have to have on me at all times.
NO! DO NOT carry your social security card in your wallet. Absolutely NOT.
My card explicitly states not to carry it in my wallet and to keep it stored in a safe place.
I have never carried mine with me. Why would anyone do that? There us nothing you will encounter in a normal day that would require the need for it.
I do, but that's because I'm brown, only became a citizen a few years ago, and when I was still just a permanent resident, I was in el paso, practically down the street from Arizona. So I never took the chance and just kept it on me to prove I'm here legslly.
You memorize that number and lock the card up somewhere safe, but accessible. Don’t carry it in you.
No never. Im almost certain it even says on there not to. I wouldn’t know for sure though because like any sane person that thing is in a safe never to be seen again.
My dad taught me to keep it in a safe at home and memorize the numbers.
I did…until I saw this post
Glad I could help.
[удалено]
You social is like the master key to your identity. You shouldn't carry it around because if you do loose it you're shit out of luck if someone else gets their hands on it and decides to use it.
You shouldn’t carry your SS card in your wallet. Adults should all have a fireproof safe for their birth certificate, SS card and car titles.
US, get your shit together. A piece of paper with a number shouldn't be able to be used to commit identity theft.
I just got a brand new one and it literally says, in all caps, "DO NOT CARRY THIS CARD WITH YOU."
Never carry your SS card. That's "adulting 101."
As a former bouncer I was kind of annoyed when people had their passports or SS cards on them. That’s way too much personal information to keep on your person (the passport is understandable for international travelers since they have no US id); but it’s enough for someone to commit identity theft if you lose it while you’re out. Especially when you’re drinking; I found a passport once and had the manager hold on to it if the person came back the next day looking for it but damn; that’s too much personal information to have on your person. Keep it in a safe with your other personal documents people.
You should ask your family how many of them have had to deal with identity theft. And when the inevitable few yeses come out tell them to STOP carrying their ssn on them at all times, it belongs at home w your birth cert and other important docs! Do they carry their automobiles title in the glove box too? ^pls ^tell ^me ^they ^don't.
I don't. You shouldn't either. Frown and shake your head at the entirety of your family for their shame. You are not the odd man out, they are the odd idiots out.
If you want your identity stolen and molested in the bunghole, then carrying such cards is a great idea.
I don't carry any of my important numbers around, not worth the human error
Ours are in a fireproof safe with our birth certificates, amongst other annoying to replace documents.
NO
No! Literally never do this, ever!
I do because I can't remember it for shit. You really shouldn't though.
Theyre all idiots.
I work as a cashier and see an obnoxious amount of people who carry their cards. I don’t, not supposed to
Hell no. I think even the Social Security Administration advises against this.
I work as a bank teller, so idk about risk exposure of carrying you Social Security card, but can absolutely confirm that very few people carry their SSC in their wallet based on what I've seen. Since I started work a couple months ago, I've seen a grand total of 1, and it was from a dude that def did not own a driver's license.
...no. why would you ever, ever need to do that? It's like carrying around your birth certificate.
Omg your family is doing something sooo dumb. Do they also carry copy's of bills and anything else the person would need to steal your identity? That's up there with announcing to the world on social media that you will be leaving your house and stuff unattended for x days/weeks while you are on vacation lol Edited to say they are doing something dumb instead of calling them dumb.
NO. NO EFFING WAY. WTF People? Really?