Nothing gets your heart and mind racing like reaching for your wallet — and discovering it's gone. Missing. Lost. You check your car seat. The top of the dresser where you usually keep it. Did you drop it? Or were you the victim of a pickpocket? Following our advice on what not to keep in your wallet won't eliminate that horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach, but it may lower the panic level.
If your wallet is bursting with personal and financial information, you should know that much of that information can be exploited by identity thieves. All they need to get started is your name and Social Security number. That alone can lead to bogus loan applications and the opening of fraudulent accounts. It can get worse if they can steal from your wallet your government-issued photo ID, including your passport or passport card, and doctor the image.
