Your Social Security Number

If you were born in the U.S., you came with your own bar code--it's located on the back of your neck...Just kidding!

Your social security number (ssn) may be the most important number that will ever belong to you (other than your birth date). Although your parents may have been guarding it since your infancy, it is YOURS. (They have been keeping it stashed for tax purposes and your school registrations.)

It's no secret! Memorize it! It is 3 numbers, followed by a dash, and two more numbers, and another dash, followed by 4 numbers, for a total of 9 numbers (999-99-9999). No other person has your exact same social security number; but you may recognize similar prefixes because they are originally assigned based on the address of the person applying for it (ie yours and your grandmother's may start with 571, because she applied for both in Baltimore).

It could be a rite of passage for you that your parents hand over to you, your little, blue, flimsy, paper card, when you turn 18. However, if they won't give it up, or if they lost it, it is easy to get a new one. Don't worry, it is free!

Visit your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office and fill out the application to request a new card (or fill out the online application, and then take it in...anything to save time because the SSA office can get extremely crowded!!!). Please bring your driver's license, state I.D., or U.S. passport. If you don't have these, try your military I.D., school I.D., or insurance card. They need you to prove who you are.

You will leave the SSA with a computer print out that says you have requested your social security card. Some agencies may accept this paper (if you need to prove your ssn for something in the interim) until your card arrives.

In about 10 days when you receive the card, sign it and put it in a safe place. Many people keep it in their wallets. I have been advised against carrying it with the rest of my identification because of the prevalence of identity theft (i.e. if you lose your wallet, or someone steals it, they will have ALL of your information).

Speaking of identity theft, guard your social security number like a gold mine. Never give it out over the phone unless it is to someone who is authorized to have that type of information about you (like doctors, colleges, etc.). If you aren't too sure, ask if they will accept another form of identification until you verify the company.

You will use your ssn again and again throughout your life--to apply for credit, financial aid, employment, and a host of other things. If someone steals your identity, its a hard theft to recover from.