1. By: Ivelisse Avila What your zip code reveals about you By: Melanie Hicken Source: CNN Money; April 10, 2013

2.  When you go shopping and the retailer asks for your zip code, it can reveal more about you than you think.  After giving out your zip code to a sales clerk, some retailers sell this information to data brokers who also sell it to other companies.  Such as: banks -credit card issuers  Airlines-hotels  auto manufacturers -even Facebook!  Data brokers are people or businesses that research information for clients.

3.  With this being said, data brokers can determine whether you are married/divorced, a smoker, what size clothes you wear, etc.  Because of this, Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that zip codes are personal; retailers cannot ask for your zip code.

4.  Data companies such as Acxiom, Datalogix, and CoreLogic claim to have a database that holds information on 190 million individuals.  Includes: one’s age -education level  Hobbies-income level  political learning -martial status.  The Population in the U.S is 316,668,567.  Your five-digit zip code is a key element data brokers use to link a wealth of public records.  Your zip code is going to be the puzzle piece that is going to enable a tradesman to identify you.

5.  Identity Theft is making illegal purchases by stealing someone’s:  Social Security number-Credit Card number  Passwords-Bank Account Info.  Since data brokers have this kind of information in their system, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is concerned about the broker’s databases being hacked into.  FTC an independent agency of the United States federal government that maintains fair and free competition; enforces federal antitrust laws; educates the public about identity theft.  Their job is to make sure companies compete fairly and don't mislead or trick people about their products and services.  If the systems of these companies are hacked, many people will or might have their identities stolen.

6.  In conclusion, be careful who you give your zip code out to. You never know what other information data brokers and retailers have about you and what they can still find out.