Social Security goes plastic

The U.S. Treasury Department is planning to issue a prepaid debit card for Social Security benefits, starting with a test in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The card is targeted at individuals who do not have bank accounts and is designed to cut down on issuance and mailing of paper Social Security checks.

In a credit and debit card laden society, there would seem to be plenty of room for misuse. Still, there's something enticing about going out to dinner and saying "Charge it to Social Security."