You should probably buy a shredder today.

I get a heck of a lot of credit card applications in the mail. 
A bunch for Visa, quite a few from Mastercard and tons of them from American Express. 

I almost always tear credit card applications in half and throw them away. Sometimes, if I am feeling particularly paranoid, I'll tear them into little bitty pieces. 

Is that good enough? Could a determined and dexterous criminal gather all the bits, tape them together and apply for a credit card in my name? Would a credit card company balk when confronted with an obviously resurrected application?

A test was in order, and when the latest application arrived from Chase Mastercard, I was equal to the task.

The application itself turned out to be quite small, so instead of just ripping it in half, I tore it into small bits.

Next, I arranged the bits on the countertop. It actually took a surprising amount of effort to get them all flipped and aligned properly. It was the kind of methodical effort a methamphetamine addict might enjoy.

Then I grabbed some Scotch.

And some tape.

Please Continue Reading Page Two of My Torn-Up Credit Card Application.