Most folks these days don't just pitch credit card applications in the recycling bin without destroying them in some manner, since they could be used by someone else to obtain a card in your name. However, it turns out that simply tearing apart the forms may not be enough of a deterrent.
Results of the Torn-Up Credit Card Application experiment show that a bank may issue a credit card when the application is received on a taped-together form, so shredding such documents is a much better approach. Do you have a good shredder recommendation or any other strategies for deterring dumpster-diving identity thieves? Post a comment or send us a note at tips at lifehacker.com.
MSN Money's got some advice for unmarried couples moving in together: get your financial agreements out on paper before you start mixing up the CD collections and opening up that joint bank account.
The No. 1 hazard of living together is that it offers almost none of the financial or legal protection that marriage does... As unromantic as it sounds, most experts on the unmarried state advise those of us contemplating it to make some kind of contract, even an informal cohabitation agreement, that will protect each person's assets and document key expectations.
The whole "Let's move in together!", "Ok, let's sign a financial agreement first" conversation is a tough one to have, one neither my unmarried former self nor any of my co-habitating couple friends ever had (to my knowledge). Any lifehackers have advice on how to lessen the awkwardness and "Oh my God you're planning for our breakup"-ness of the discussion? Let us know in the comments or to tips at lifehacker.com.