You can buy them at grocery stores, etc., with an intial load on them. But to reload them, you do end up providing your SSN to a bank in order to set up an account and get a card with your name on it. Befor doing so, set up a ghost address (such as the Alaska address that Rosie offers elsewhere on this site). In my case, I also set up a cellphone account with a 907 (Alaska) area code using that ghost address as the billing address.

If you are NOT a resident of the USA, you can set up a Netspend debit card without using an American SSN.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.netspend.com/...

Although this code is very common for websites (it's used to create statistics for the site owner) and often automatically added by hosting services, the script itself directs your browser to connect to www.google-analytics.com, which means they can see and collect your IP address and which sites you visited. Possibly a lot more.

If you use Firefox I would highly recommend using the NoScript plugin, as it can selectively block any Javascript that you don't want running in your browser as well as clearly show what sites the various scripts are accessing.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.google.com/urchin/index.html...

I have chosen to use this as my default search engine, and I recommend that others consider doing likewise.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.ixquick.com/...

... I hope Ixquick.com is not a sting operation ...

(2) How would a trust be less private than an LLC?

... (1) Yes, if the utility companies will allow it, but they still often want your name and SSN. (2) It's not.

This article covers a lot. Of interest:

"Rambam says he once tracked down a subject by calling pharmacies near the person's address, posing as the subject and asking if his prescription was ready. He quickly learned both the name of the prescription and the doctor who prescribed it. By calling the doctor's office, he was then able to get the time and date of the subject's next appointment. While all this is illegal (he did it with the subject's permission, as part of a friendly bet) and he says most professional investigators don't do that today, he's certain that scammers use the technique."

At the end of the article is another link for this. "'12 tips for managing your information footprint' Take an active role in controlling your personal data."

Submitted Link #1: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?com...

... Thanks for bringing Robert L. Mitchell's interesting article to my attention, William.

Please consider getting an ANONYMOUS phone exclusively for texting.

You can text to and from a phone without connecting it to anything else in your existence if you are extremely careful. DON'T: EVER EVER EVER actually place a voice call or text to or from that number that isn't going to or from one of the "trusted friends" that you are texting or calling, or else your own voicemail.

If you have a maximum of TWO friends with whom you need to communicate via text or voice, you could set up a 2 to 3-way system of PREPAID cell phones exclusively for the 2 to 3 of you. Set them up ANONYMOUSLY and SIMULTANEOUSLY. IF your friends are THAT TRUSTED, they would be "on-board" with this concept, and they would also agree that they would neither send nor receive communications from that phone to anybody outside your "circle of trust" ... lol! My point here? If your friends are THAT "in tune" with your goals, they will get on-board with this and agree to it.

THEN.... Only use those phones for those purposes and only power those phones on when you are in "safe" locations relative to where you sleep at night or work during the day.

Not that I'm paranoid or anything... :) Seriously, if you're looking for secure communications between 2-3 people, it CAN be done, but EVERYBODY involved has to be in agreement!

- Dorothy 5294: Excellent point - cell #2 could be discovered if one of my contacts' phone history is investigated! Unfortunately, since for me, the benefits to SMS text messaging outweight the privacy costs, I don't see any alternative to giving out my cell #2 number to certain trusted individuals so that they can send texts directly to cell #2 - and, yes, run the risk that these trusted friends will be investigated and my cell #2 discovered.

- Marc 5296: Good point - I do need to be careful about where I power-on cell #1! That said, I'm not so concerned about people finding out I live in metro-NYC: there are a 1,000 other things that link me to the area (but not a specific address). Also, I DO NOT WANT to switch public numbers - so the VOIP suggestion is not pertinent to me. (But to those for whom it might apply - take note! This is a GREAT SUGGESTION!) Also, the VOIP idea doesn't allow me to utilize SMS, which is one of my requirements.

- Dorothy 5297/5301 and Wendy 5298/5299/5302: For me, the benefits to SMS text messaging outweigh the privacy costs. I require a solution that includes use of SMS messaging - and as I understand it, a text sent to my Vumber # will not be forwarded to my cell #. So far as I can tell, the only solution is to tolerate the privacy problems that arise, and give out my cell #2 number to a limited number of individuals.

Thanks for your help, everyone! If anyone can think of a different arrangement that includes keeping my existing number as well as includes the use of SMS, please let me know!

2. Also when submitting credit card information do you have to provide a social security number, if you do not will they deny your card?

3. Are there companies that do not require one?

4. How does one establish credit with out a card?

... 1. No such law.

... 2. Yes, it will be denied.

... 3. No.

... 4. Do not worry about credit. Run your life on a cash basis. If this advice had been followed in past years by Americans, there would be no financial meltdown today.