The excuse is that there are Data Breaches and la, la, la.
They reality is that the Social Security Department is about to go away, period, and the DOD wants it's retiress to be taken care of.
In fact - many companies and agencies dealing with Money and ID Cards are going through Huge changes at the moment so expect anything in terms of Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, etc.
Here is what happened to a guy who served in the US Navy for for 40 years:
My wife's dependent ID card expired last April. She discovered this when she tried to invoke Tricare as secondary insurance and it was denied. My ID card had "INDEF" on the expiration date. I went to the Draper National Guard center, where the nearest DEERS contact was located and was told several things. 1. My ID card was considered invalid because it had my Social Security Number on it. ID theft, SSN, yada, yada, yada. I was issued a new one with a "DOD ID Number" in place of the SSN. 2. The DEERS rep set my ID card to expire in a year when I turn 65, and my wife's a few years later when she turns 65. At that time we will automatically be put on Medicare A and B and enrolled in "Tricare For Life." I found this out by accident. Please send this warning to all retirees you know. Tell them if they still have their SSN on their ID card it needs to be replaced. In a few years DEERS might not know who they are without a new DOD ID Number.
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The News You Need
Dr William B. Mount