EIN versus SS - more things I wish I knew my first year out.

[Kyung]

Here's more things I wish I knew my first year out.

It's a little slow; right? Or not. But you're looking to expand your base of people for whom you're working. You're getting calls from out-of-state agencies. You're getting e-mails from CSRnation from nationwide firms. But you don't know them. Do you really want to give them your Social Security number?

Probably not. That's why you should apply for an EIN (Employee identification number) or TIN (taxpayer identification number). Pretty much the same thing for our purposes. It's one way of getting around handing out our Social Security number.

Apply on-line for EIN. It's free.

If you give out your Social Security number, unscrupulous people could use it to steal your identity. They can't do that w/the EIN. If you've all seen the identity theft commercials.

Hey, I know you're thinking but I trust the people I work for. Yeah, great!! But servers w/people's personal information get hacked into all the time. I'm not saying be crazy and paranoid, I'm just saying if you work for more than one agency or you've got your own private clients, maybe not such a good idea to have your SS out there for everybody to see.

Anyway, here's a little article that explains it better than I. EIN versus Social Security Numbers

[Jeannie Wright]

Wow, Kyung! You are so right and I'm really glad you brought that to everyone's attention -- one of those little details that can make a HUGE impact on your life! Thanks!

[Ellen Sarem]

Kyung, thank you for the information!
That's very good to know.