If you were to stop what you were doing and give yourself 10 seconds to list everything in your wallet or purse, what would be on your list?

Cash, driver's license, credit cards, debit cards, membership ID, a receipt or two and a subway card -- that's my list.


If after making your list, you actually emptied your purse or wallet in front of you, would there be more than you expected? An unpaid bill with your address and account number on it? A credit card receipt with your card number on it? An expired ID you haven't used in months?

With one in four US households falling victim to identity theft in the last five years (FTC)--many of us are walking around with ticking time bombs in our own back pockets.

Author "Fox" of the Squawkfox blog emptied her purse recently and found she had already lit the fuse. The result of her exercise was "Ten Things You Should Never Carry in a Purse or Wallet" to avoid identity theft. Besides the obvious social security card, passport and birth certificates, some surprising items also made the list: business cards, flash drives, checkbooks and even condoms!

In addition to Fox's post, Truecredit.com and MyFICO.com offer excellent resources for protecting yourself from identity theft--from simple common sense practices to identity theft insurance.

Are you toting more than the bare necessities? Do yourself a favor and purge the purse of risky business.