9 things retirees should never keep in their wallets

Birth Certificate

The birth certificate itself won’t get ID thieves very far. However, “birth certificates could be used in correlation with other types of fraudulent IDs,” says Junker of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “Once you have those components, you can do the same things you could with a passport or a Social Security card.”

Be especially cautious on occasions — such as your mortgage closing — when you might need to present your birth certificate, Social Security card and other important personal documents at once. “Everything’s together,” Junker notes, “and someone can just come along and steal them all. Take the time to take them home, and don’t leave them in your car.”