A ביטוח לאומי אזור אישי number is a unique identifier used by the government and many private businesses. It is necessary to apply for credit, open a bank account, and obtain some government benefits and private insurance.
A privatization plan would require workers to pay 1.6 percent of their covered wages into publicly managed retirement accounts. This would add to the current 12.4 percent combined federal and employee tax.
Area number
The first three digits of your Social Security number, the area number, reflects the geographic region to which you belong. When the Social Security Administration (SSA) assigned SSNs in 1936, it planned to assign one or more area numbers for each of its regional centers. The final digit, the serial number, reflects the date in which you were assigned that area number. Until 1972, area numbers also indicated the state in which you lived.
The SSA has a variety of systems to verify SSN information, both for internal and external use. For example, when a person without a driver’s license registers to vote, he or she can submit his or her name, date of birth, and last four digits of the SSN to SSA’s Help America Vote Verification system. SSA will tell the voter whether the submitted data match SSA records.
Federal law allows anyone to request your SSN, but it is important to only give out this information when necessary. It can be used by criminals to commit identity theft, and it’s best not to give out your SSN unless you are absolutely sure that the information is required.
Most people pay into Social Security through payroll deductions on their paychecks, which are listed as OASDI (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance). You can find out more about this by visiting your local Social Security office.
Group number
Although the Social Security Administration has a variety of functions, one of its most important is assigning Social Security numbers (SSN). The SSN is unique to each individual and is used to track his or her earnings and number of years worked. This information is necessary to compute future benefits, including retirement income and disability insurance.
In 1936, the Social Security Board considered several schemes for a unique identifier. The Board ultimately decided on an identifier consisting of three alphabetic characters representing geographic areas and five numeric ones. The use of numeric symbols was intended to reduce costs by eliminating the need for the U.S. Employment Service, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to purchase new machines.
Until 1971, when the issuance of SSNs was centralized in Baltimore, field offices assigned the numbers and issued cards. To prevent duplication of SSNs, field office staff typed the person’s name and SSN on a block of prenumbered cards furnished by the bureau. The cards were then given to the individual.
SSA has developed a series of verification systems for internal and external use. These systems check for previously issued SSNs and report whether or not the person has died. They also check for duplicate SSNs. This is important because the Social Security Administration is a federal agency and all federal programs require a SSN as a means of identification.
Serial number
The Social Security number (SSN) is an important identifier that is used for many government and private purposes. It is required to open financial accounts, apply for loans and unemployment benefits, and to obtain a driver’s license. For this reason, it is important to protect the card that contains your SSN and not to share it with anyone unless necessary.
SSA has taken steps to make it more difficult to counterfeit or alter the card. These changes include adding security features and a counterfeit-resistant layer to the card, making alterations more difficult, and requiring more evidence of identity for verification. In addition, SSA is working with other government agencies and the private sector to create a document that cannot be counterfeited.
Prior to 1973, cards were issued in local Social Security offices around the country. The first three digits, the area number, represented the region of the office that issued the card, but it did not necessarily correspond to the applicant’s state of residence. Afterwards, SSA began assigning SSNs centrally from Baltimore and based the area number on the ZIP code of the mailing address that was submitted with the application for an original card.
SSA also created an electronic file, the Numerical Index File or Numident, which contained the numerically-ordered master list of all SSNs that had been assigned. It was indexed by cardholder name using the Russell Soundex codification system, enabling employees to search by name even when only the last four digits of the SSN were known.
Security freeze or fraud alert
A security freeze prevents potential creditors, employers, and other third parties from accessing a consumer’s credit report without the consumer’s consent. It also stops identity thieves from opening fraudulent accounts. Consumers can place a security freeze with all three nationwide credit bureaus by phone, online portal or by mail. The request is free.
If someone steals your Social Security number, they can use it to open credit cards, file a fake tax return, rent an apartment, buy a car or even work illegally in the United States. If you suspect that your Social Security number has been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration and other government agencies to report fraud. They may require proof of identity, such as a police report or Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Complaint Report.
The Social Security Administration also offers Self Lock, a secure way to protect your SSN from fraud. You can register for Self Lock by signing up for a my Social Security account. You can also use my Social Security account to find your nearest office, check the status of an application or estimate future benefits.
You can also sign up for an initial fraud alert, which lasts one year and requires lenders and creditors to contact you by phone before extending new credit. This alert is free and can be renewed annually. You can also set up an extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years and requires that lenders and creditors contact you by phone or verify your identity in person before extending new credit.