The 8 things you should never carry in your wallet

Lugging those receipts around is a terrible idea

Credit card receipts are surprisingly dangerous to have in your wallet.
(Image credit: iStock)

If your wallet could double as a free weight, chances are you're due for a clean-out.

It's probably fair to assume you're carrying a few things that — clutter aside — would be better left at home. After all, if your wallet is lost or stolen, you don't want to surrender anything that will make it easier for someone to impersonate you, infiltrate your accounts, or go on a shopping spree on your dime. So, haul out that wallet and get ready to purge. Here are eight items to remove:

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Alexis Boncy is special projects editor for The Week and TheWeek.com. Previously she was the managing editor for the alumni magazine Columbia College Today. She has an M.F.A. from Columbia University's School of the Arts and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.