Illinois, Get This Out Of Your Wallet Immediately

You may think it's a good idea to keep a certain thing tucked away in your wallet but that's not what experts advise.

Holidays are here and you may be going a lot of places to shop. That opens up the danger for both pickpockets and your own forgetfulness causing you to leave your purse or wallet somewhere.

That's why there's some advice from experts on what you should and should not keep in your wallet this holiday season.

Do Carry

Experts recommend you carry $100-$300 in cash in your wallet (however, not in a giant wad of bills. That can make you a target.) Here's what Discover says to carry:

• no more than 2 credit cards
• emergency contact info
• health insurance card
• Driver's License
• debit card

If a credit card is stolen, you can put a freeze on it. Protecting yourself is exactly why you shouldn't carry one specific card in your wallet.

Why You Shouldn't Carry This

The risk of being unable or at least struggling greatly to recover your identity if you lose this is very real.

• So difficult to replace
• Can compromise your bank accounts, credit, and pretty much everything related to you
• You don't need it on the daily

I'm talking about none other than your Social Security Card.

It's a good idea to keep this document in a bank lockbox or tucked away somewhere safe where only you know where it is. Don't keep it on you or even pictures of it on your phone (cybercriminals can get into that too).

If you do need to provide your Social Security number for any reason, hopefully you have it memorized by now. That's the only place besides the card that number should be.

Even though many of us do mostly online shopping around the holidays, you still want to be mindful of how much power someone could have if they took your wallet. Taking your Social Security Card out and putting it somewhere safe is a very good idea.