opt-out of junkmail and credit offers

Resources to help you stop pre-screened credit card offers. junk mail, and telemarketing calls.

OptOutPrescreen.com

OptOutPrescreen.com is the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website to accept and process requests from consumers to Opt-In or Opt-Out of firm offers of credit or insurance. Once enrolled you will no longer receive firm offers of credit or insurance in your mailbox.

DMAchoice.org

DMAchoice is an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help you manage your mail. This site is part of a larger program designed to respond to consumers’ concerns over the amount of junk mail they receive, and it is the evolution of the DMA’s Mail Preference Service created in 1971.

DoNotCall.gov

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free.

ProTip: If you continue to receive telemarketer calls say, “Can you mail me your privacy and opt-out policies, please?”

I discovered recently that not everyone knows about the benefits of a credit freeze. Putting a freeze on your score wont stop it from changing, but will prevent random companies from pulling your credit score until you unfreeze it. Doing this puts a stop to 99% of junk mail including credit card, loan and cable offers. It also prevents anyone who stole your identity from opening up an account in your name because you’re required to provide a password when lifting the freeze.

When you need to have your credit score pulled by a service provider for a loan or other things you can ask them who they use for credit reporting and then call and have it lifted temporarily for that provider only.

There is a small fee (depending on your state. like $10 or $20 to enable the freeze) but I highly recommend this to everyone including those who are debt free with a 0 credit score.

You will need to add a freeze on all 3 of the major credit reporting agencies. Here are the links to each of them. You will need to sign up for an account and provide identification for obvious reason.

Experian Visit: https://www.experian.com/ncaconline/freeze

TransUnion Visit: https://www.transunion.com/ppc-credit-report.page Then: Click TU Credit Lock

Equifax Visit: https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze

via MrPlazmaDude