social security card https://www.wisebread.com/taxonomy/term/24133/all en-US 11 Essential Documents You Should Keep in Your Safe https://www.wisebread.com/11-essential-documents-you-should-keep-in-your-safe <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-blog-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="/11-essential-documents-you-should-keep-in-your-safe" class="imagecache imagecache-250w imagecache-linked imagecache-250w_linked"><img src="https://www.wisebread.com/files/fruganomics/imagecache/250w/blog-images/beautiful_businesswoman_working_at_the_office.jpg" alt="Beautiful businesswoman working at the office" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-250w" width="250" height="140" /></a> </div> </div> </div> <p>It's important to keep the documents you need to establish your identity, property ownership, and financial assets safe &hellip; which doesn't mean in your filing cabinet or stacked in a pile on your desk. While you may have digital copies of IDs and tax forms stored on your computer, you should also have a hard copy, in case the digital version is accidentally deleted or your computer crashes. Certain documents deserve a very safe place &mdash; like a fireproof safe &mdash; in case of identity theft or fire or a break-in. These are the documents you need to put in there.</p> <h2>1. Birth certificates and adoption papers</h2> <p>Keep your original birth certificate and those of your spouse and dependents in your safe. If you need one for reference or proof of identity, make a copy to keep handy. Or you can order a duplicate by contacting the <a href="https://www.usa.gov/replace-vital-documents#item-36582" target="_blank">Vital Records office</a> in your state. Keep any legal foster records or adoption papers in your safe, too.</p> <h2>2. Social Security cards</h2> <p>You should never carry your Social Security card with you for identification. It should stay tucked away in your safe at all times, unless you need to bring it to a job interview or provide proof of your identity. Once you do, lock it back up.</p> <h2>3. ID cards and naturalization papers</h2> <p>Get a copy of your military ID, driver's license, or state-issued ID, as applicable, and keep the copy in your safe. You should also keep your passport or green card in there when not in use. Any other documents you have relating to your citizenship, immigration status, or naturalization should be kept in your safe, as well.</p> <h2>4. Marriage and/or divorce papers</h2> <p>Keep your original marriage certificate and/or divorce papers in your safe. Any legal documents related to your marital status, such as a prenuptial agreement, alimony, or child support agreement, should also be in there in case you need to refer to them again later.</p> <h2>5. Living will</h2> <p>Should something happen to you that prevents you from being able to make decisions about your health, a living will provide instructions for your loved ones to execute on your behalf. This could relieve the burden on them of having to make a difficult decision.</p> <h2>6. Will</h2> <p>A last will and testament, on the other hand, is a detailed account of your estate and lists who gets what once you pass away. If you don't already have a legal will, put one together and then keep a notarized copy. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-writing-a-will?ref=seealso" target="_blank">What You Need to Know About Writing a Will</a>)</p> <h2>7. Power of attorney papers</h2> <p>If you have the power of attorney for anyone (such as an elderly parent), keep the order in your safe. In addition, if you have any formal agreements for caregiving or elder care arrangements, keep those in there, too.</p> <h2>8. Proof of benefits and disability documentation</h2> <p>If you qualify for any government benefits or assistance programs, keep proof of your beneficiary status in your safe. Keep any official documentation regarding a disability, workplace injury, or military injury in your safe, as well.</p> <h2>9. Professional appraisals</h2> <p>If you've had a professional appraisal done on your house, or any high-value you item you own (such as original art, heirloom jewelry, or antique furnishings), keep these documents in your safe. If you decide to sell these items later, this documentation will give you the upper hand in the selling process.</p> <h2>10. Deeds and ownership forms</h2> <p>Keep your mortgage papers or any real estate deeds in your safe, as well as the title and registration for any vehicle you own. Don't forget boats, trailers, and tractors.</p> <h2>11. Financial account info documents</h2> <p>Most, if not all, of our financial documents and statements can be accessed online, but a list of your accounts, including account numbers and institutions for each, would be helpful in cases where you or your loved ones don't remember or don't know what accounts you hold. This includes checking and savings accounts, retirement and investment accounts, and life and other insurance policies. You might also want to include a list of usernames and passwords, although there are other, more secure, ways to keep and share passwords. Products like <a href="https://www.lastpass.com/" target="_blank">LastPass</a> are helpful. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/organize-8-key-areas-of-your-life-with-these-17-smart-apps?ref=seealso" target="_blank">Organize 8 Key Areas of Your Life With These 17 Smart Apps</a>)</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;">Like this article? Pin it!</h2> <div align="center"><a data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-count="above" data-pin-tall="true" data-pin-save="true" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wisebread.com%2F11-essential-documents-you-should-keep-in-your-safe&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wisebread.com%2Ffiles%2Ffruganomics%2Fu5180%2F11%2520Essential%2520Documents%2520You%2520Should%2520Keep%2520in%2520Your%2520Safe.jpg&amp;description=11%20Essential%20Documents%20You%20Should%20Keep%20in%20Your%20Safe"></a></p> <script async defer src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script></div> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.wisebread.com/files/fruganomics/u5180/11%20Essential%20Documents%20You%20Should%20Keep%20in%20Your%20Safe.jpg" alt="11 Essential Documents You Should Keep in Your Safe" width="250" height="374" /></p> <br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="https://www.wisebread.com/user/947">Annie Mueller</a> of <a href="https://www.wisebread.com/11-essential-documents-you-should-keep-in-your-safe">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-4"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/the-5-best-home-safes">The 5 Best Home Safes</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/12-garage-sale-items-that-sell-like-hotcakes">12 Garage Sale Items That Sell Like Hotcakes</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/25-things-to-throw-out-today">25 Things to Throw Out Today</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/9-things-in-your-house-youre-forgetting-to-clean">9 Things in Your House You&#039;re Forgetting to Clean</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/flashback-friday-the-82-best-spring-cleaning-hacks-we-ve-ever-shared">Flashback Friday: The 82 Best Spring Cleaning Hacks We’ve Ever Shared</a></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div><br/></br> Home Organization birth certificate financial documents identification documents important documents important paperwork Passport safe social security card Fri, 18 Aug 2017 09:00:05 +0000 Annie Mueller 2004901 at https://www.wisebread.com What to Do After Losing Your Social Security Card https://www.wisebread.com/what-to-do-after-losing-your-social-security-card <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-blog-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="/what-to-do-after-losing-your-social-security-card" class="imagecache imagecache-250w imagecache-linked imagecache-250w_linked"><img src="https://www.wisebread.com/files/fruganomics/imagecache/250w/blog-images/identity_theft.jpg" alt="Identity Theft" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-250w" width="250" height="140" /></a> </div> </div> </div> <p>You lost your Social Security card. Any time personal information goes missing, it can be unnerving. How big of a problem is this, exactly?</p> <p>The card itself is not much of one. Replacing a lost Social Security card is free and relatively simple. The bigger worry is what happens if your Social Security <em>number</em> falls into the wrong hands, and criminals use it to steal your identity. Then, you have a problem.</p> <p>You can reduce the odds of trouble by acting quickly. Follow this fast plan if you've lost your Social Security card.</p> <h2>Protecting your identity</h2> <p>To understand whether someone has stolen your Social Security number, keep a close watch on your credit reports. Thieves could use your Social Security number to apply for new credit cards in your name, racking up debt without you even realizing. This could send your credit score tumbling. You might also start receiving calls from angry creditors wondering why you haven't paid your bills.</p> <p>The best way to determine if someone is illegally using your Social Security number is to order copies of your credit reports from <a href="https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action" target="_blank">AnnualCreditReport.com</a>. You are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus &mdash; Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion &mdash; each year. Once you have your reports, study them carefully. Look for new lines of credit taken out in your name that you know you never applied for.</p> <p>If you do suspect someone is using your Social Security number illegally, visit <a href="http://www.identitytheft.gov" target="_blank">IdentityTheft.gov</a>, a website run by the Federal Trade Commission, to report the theft. You can also file an online complaint with the <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx" target="_blank">Internet Crime Complaint Center</a>.</p> <p>It's important to also report the theft to either <a href="https://www.alerts.equifax.com/AutoFraud_Online/jsp/fraudAlert.jsp?_ga=1.38645931.963795184.1492791088" target="_blank">Equifax</a>, <a href="https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html" target="_blank">Experian</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://fraud.transunion.com/fa/fraudAlert/landingPage.jsp" target="_blank">TransUnion</a>. The credit bureau will place a fraud alert on your credit report, and will also notify the other two bureaus so that they will do the same.</p> <p>Next, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/identity-protection" target="_blank">contact the IRS</a>. This will keep identity thieves from filing a tax return in your name and then collecting a refund that is owed to you.</p> <h2>A simple fix if there's no evidence of identity theft</h2> <p>If you want a new Social Security card, you may be able to apply for a replacement on the <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/" target="_blank">Social Security Administration's website</a>. Replacements are free. First, you'll need to create a mySocialSecurity account. You must be a U.S. citizen who is 18 or older with a U.S. mailing address. You must also have a driver's license or state-issued ID from one of the following 18 places: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin.</p> <p>If you don't meet the criteria for an online application, you can submit an <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf" target="_blank">application for a replacement card</a> in person or by mail to your local Social Security office. You'll need to provide your U.S. driver's license, state-issued nondriver identification card, or U.S. passport.</p> <p>You can apply for a maximum of three new Social Security cards a year, and a maximum of 10 during your lifetime.</p> <h2>What if you're a victim of identity theft?</h2> <p>If you have evidence that someone else is using your Social Security number, you can request a new Social Security number from the Social Security Administration. Just be sure you can actually prove that someone is using your number and that this use is harming you. If you can't provide evidence of this, you won't be given a new Social Security number.</p> <p>For example, your evidence could be a credit report listing several credit cards that you've never applied for. Or, evidence could be a letter from the IRS informing you that your income tax filings were rejected because someone else already filed them.</p> <p>If you suspect someone is using your number, call the Social Security Administration fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271.</p> <p>To prevent your Social Security number from falling into the wrong hands, don't carry your card with you. There is absolutely no reason to keep your Social Security card in your wallet. Instead, keep it in a safe-deposit box, at home, or in another secure location. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/5-things-to-never-keep-in-your-wallet?ref=seealso" target="_blank">5 Things to Never Keep in Your Wallet</a>)</p> <br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="https://www.wisebread.com/user/5177">Dan Rafter</a> of <a href="https://www.wisebread.com/what-to-do-after-losing-your-social-security-card">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-8"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/when-is-it-okay-to-share-your-social-security-number">When Is It Okay to Share Your Social Security Number?</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/how-to-spot-a-credit-repair-scam">How to Spot a Credit Repair Scam</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/how-to-protect-your-credit-after-the-equifax-breach">How to Protect Your Credit After the Equifax Breach</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/5-times-you-dont-have-to-give-your-social-security-number">7 Times You Don&#039;t Have to Give Your Social Security Number</a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://www.wisebread.com/9-ways-expats-can-maintain-their-credit-scores">9 Ways Expats Can Maintain Their Credit Scores</a></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div><br/></br> Personal Finance credit reports credit unions identity theft IRS lost missing replacements social security card social security number ssa ssn Wed, 31 May 2017 09:00:11 +0000 Dan Rafter 1955703 at https://www.wisebread.com