As an estate planning attorney, I think a lot about protecting my family and my assets. This summer is no exception. Travel season is in high gear, and many of us are hitting the road (plane or cruise ship) on vacation. Sadly it is in high gear for pickpockets and other bad guys too. I thought a timely reminder about what should be in our wallets (and what shouldn’t be there) might be helpful to all of us.
Thieves love us for keeping the following items in our wallets.
- Social security card
- Medicare card
- Birth certificate
- Passport
- Multiple credit or debit cards
- Password or PIN cheat sheet
- Gift cards
- A blank check or two
- Receipts with personal info on them
- A spare house key (This last one is such a bonus. Not only do they know where we live, but now we’ve literally given them the key to our castle!)
Are you guilty of having ANY of the above items in your wallet? If so, do yourself a huge favor; please remove them and store them in a secure location. Now let’s see what’s left that should be there.
- Cash (what you usually need or feel comfortable carrying)
- One, maximum two, credit cards (or one credit card and one debit card)
- ID/Driver’s license
- Medical card (If you have medical conditions or allergies, providers should know about)
- Insurance card
- Emergency contact information
A stolen or lost wallet is all it takes to ruin a perfect vacation and maybe even result in identity theft. Take action now to make it as difficult as possible for the “bad guys” to have a good time on your dime.
I hope you all stay safe this summer.
Very best regards,
David