Why You Should Use ‘2020’ In Full When Writing Out The Date

I know this is something I am very guilty of, simply because I am lazy. However, now that I have read the warnings about this, I am hoping that I can change my habits.

Normally when writing out the date, most people start with the number month it is, the day, and then the year. In a format like this: MM/DD/YY. For example, 01/02/20. But a warning has been issued encouraging everyone to get in the habit of writing out 2020 in full to eliminate the chance of being scammed.

Instead of writing the date out as 01/02/20, you should write it like 01/02/2020 to eliminate the potential for fraud.

Why? This is because anyone can make changes in the date and can easily modify it to 01/02/2000 or really, any year that took place prior to 2020 after the year 2000.

The Economic Times has outlined why it is crucial to write the date in full, according to several legal professionals.

Any legal document should be marked with the full date to verify the identity of the person signing or witnesses to the signatures. This also applies to checks, receipts, and other notarized legal documents.

This could also apply to rent agreements, as the year could be changed if you don't write 2020 and could get you into trouble.

The general warning is to be cautious this year when writing the date on any documents, as well as accepting documents without the full date. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Carry on.