RE: CreditCard info

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Brian Lane <blane@squeaky.free.org> asked:

>  I filled out a credit app at Sears last month that asked for my SSN, I 
> didn't give it and didn't get credit either. What exactly is SS related 
> use? Banks, Employment only?

Employers are REQUIRED to obtain an SSAN for tax purposes, as are banks for
reporting interest, etc. to the IRS.  Regarding credit, they generally ask
for an SSAN because that's the "unique personal identifier" that most credit
bureaus index your records by (and still screw them up, even then!).

 --- Diogenes

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On Sun, 7 Aug 1994 nobody@shell.portal.com wrote:

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> 
> Brian Lane <blane@squeaky.free.org> asked:
> 
> >  I filled out a credit app at Sears last month that asked for my SSN, I 
> > didn't give it and didn't get credit either. What exactly is SS related 
> > use? Banks, Employment only?
> 
> Employers are REQUIRED to obtain an SSAN for tax purposes, as are banks for
> reporting interest, etc. to the IRS.  Regarding credit, they generally ask
> for an SSAN because that's the "unique personal identifier" that most credit
> bureaus index your records by (and still screw them up, even then!).
> 
>  --- Diogenes
> 
  Yep, you give them the numbers and they still mess it up. My boss's 
credit report had him with 2 Sears cards, one not his. My friend's credit 
report showed that he had a lein agains his house(he doesn't own one), a 
reposses car(not true), garnished(sp?) wages(not true). Pretty sad.

  I guess a nation ID card/number/barcode/embedded microchip would solve 
this, wouldn't it? I can see us making the progression - in 10 years all 
newborns will have a small uP implanted into their hand(ala Demolition 
Man) that will keep track of all their electronic data. Scares the crap 
out of me.

   Brian

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