TOPIC: The Torn-Up Credit Card Application...
Do you receive credit card invitations in the mail? So do I. Well, an enterprising guy named Rob received an application from Chase... and wrote:

"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 them 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 card in my name? Would a credit card company balk when confronted with an obviously resurrected application?"

SEE WHAT HAPPENED HERE!

Very enlightening website! I have one thing to add -- that goes a step further towards protection...
I remove the personally identifiable information (pre-printed) from the application. That part is shredded, then the remainder of the application is thrown away in the rubbish cab. I toss out the shredded material once every two to three months. The regular trash is hauled to the dump weekly. There is virtually no way anyone could piece together a credit card application from the mail when handled this way.