Your Social Security Number Might Mean Something. Here's Why the Government Stopped Using These Hidden Codes.
Social Security isn't just about benefits for retirees, the disabled, and their families. It's become so enmeshed in the American society that it has become a key part of people's identity. Indeed, now that smartphones have made memorizing your phone number largely a thing of the past, the first number many people commit to memory is their Social Security number.
Your unique number isn't just important for receiving Social Security benefits. The IRS uses Social Security numbers for most taxpayers in tracking tax returns and reporting. Financial institutions gather it when you open bank accounts or want a loan.
Given how ubiquitous Social Security numbers are, it's not surprising that many people wonder if there's any meaning behind what your particular Social Security number is. And as it turns out, for more than 75 years, there were indeed some little-known codes that went into determining how a new Social Security number got assigned. Here's the secret behind what your Social Security number means -- and why the federal government changed how it assigns new numbers to eliminate this hidden meaning going forward.
Source Fool.com
