Personal Finance Advice

If you have decent credit then you probably deal with a deluge of credit card offers in the mail.  Unless you’re searching for a new credit card, these offers can be downright annoying.  Not only do they take up room in your mailbox but they can also open you up to some potential identity theft issues if someone steals your mail and starts accepting the approved offers.  As if you needed another reason to detest unsolicited credit card offers in the mail, they waste paper too.

So what should you do when you’ve had enough of all these offers? There are a couple things you can do to slow down the credit card offers you get in the mail, or even stop them if you’re lucky.

1.  Call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT.  You’ll reach an automated system that asks you a few questions to verify your identity.  Be prepared to enter your Social Security number, but don’t worry that this is a risky act.  As long as you’re calling the correct phone number there is no reason why you shouldn’t input your Social Security number.

Don’t give your Social Security number out to other organizations unless you absolutely need to.

Calling the opt-out number stops the three major credit reporting agencies from giving your information to credit card companies who want to send you offers.  Without your name on the marketing lists sold by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion you will receive far less credit card offers in the mail.

2.  Opt out of offers from companies you already do business with.  Your current credit card companies, bank, credit union, and any other financial institution you deal with probably discreetly tucks a Privacy Statement into your statements periodically, and if you’re like most people you probably glance at the paper and then toss it into your recycling bin.  You should take a look at this form because chances are it tells you that unless you tell them not to, they’re going to sell your personal information to other companies.

Find the opt-out phone number or website for the companies you already deal with and tell them to stop selling your information.  This should reduce the credit card offers you receive in the mail.

These things don’t take a lot of time to do, and in the end they can save you a lot of time sifting through junk mail.  It will also put your personal financial standing into a better position because your mailbox won’t be packed with credit card offers that make it easier for someone to steal your identity.