The Credit Bureaus sell your name!

Have you ever stopped to think why you get so many credit card offers in the mail? How do creditors determine who they extend credit to? The Credit Reporting Agencies are able to pull many reports and make them available to creditors for a fee. Many creditors will extend credit to the following types of consumers:

Consumers with:

• Several Lines of Credit
• High credit card utilization
• Making minimum payments
• Discharged bankruptcy on file

This type of consumer is sure to apply thus making the creditor lots of extra money in fees. Do yourself a favor and stop the temptation. Not to mention, by allowing creditors to send you junk mail, you run the risk of having someone steal your mail. You can avoid the creditor trap and protect your identity from being hijacked by simply opting out.

One phone call will allow you to opt out of all three bureaus:

Making this call will remove your name from the credit bureaus mailing lists. The credit bureaus are for profit and sell your name and information to the credit card companies who in turn send you all those pre-approved applications. One call is all it takes to permanently remove your name from all marketing lists that the credit agencies supply to direct marketers. You can also opt for a two-year period, renewing your request at any time in the future.

The easiest way to prevent a potential fraud is by calling 1.888.567.8688

There is also a form online www.optoutprescreen.com available for you to opt out of all credit offers sent to you in the mail.

You can also write a letter to get rid of other types of junk mail. Provide your complete name, name variations and mailing address to:

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735

1-800-407-1088 Opt-Out from all mailing and telemarketing lists

Other sources: http://www.dmaconsumers.org/optoutform_emps.shtml

To remove your name from many telephone solicitation lists, send your complete name, address and phone number with area code to:

Telephone Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735

The Direct Mailing Association opt-out list last for five years. It may take up to three months before you notice a significant reduction in the amount of direct mail and phone calls you receive.