Reducing the Sharing of Your Personal InformationOur modern, computerized economy generates an enormous amount of information. Most users of that information are honest businesses – getting and giving legitimate information. Despite the benefits of the information age, you may want to limit the amount of personal information that is shared about you and you can. More organizations are offering consumers choices about how they use your personal information. For example, many feature an “opt-out” choice that limits the information shared with others or used for promotional purposes. When you “opt-out,” you may cut down on the number of unsolicited telemarketing calls, promotional mail, and spam emails that you receive. Learn more about the options you have for protecting the sharing of your personal information by contacting the following organizations.
Credit Bureaus – Pre-Screened Credit Offers
If you receive pre-screened credit card offers in the mail (namely, those based upon your credit data), but don’t tear them up after you decide you don’t want to accept the offer, identity thieves could retrieve those offers and the information they contain without your knowledge, by stealing your mail or digging through your trash.
To opt-out of receiving prescreened credit card offers, call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or go to www.optoutprescreen.com. The three major credit bureaus use the same toll-free number and website to let consumers choose to not receive pre-screened credit offers. You can opt-out for fives years or permanently. The service is free.
You will be asked the following information: First, middle, and last names (including Jr., Sr., III, etc.); current address; previous address if you have moved in the last six months; your SSN; and date of birth.
This will not stop all direct mail offers, it will take you off the list of names companies buy from credit bureaus based on your credit.
Mail Opt-Out
The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail Preference Service lets you “opt-out” of receiving direct mail marketing from many national companies for five years when you register with this service’s “do not mail” file that made available to direct-mail marketers. All DMA members are required to check their mailing lists with the “do not mail” list and remove those names from their mailing lists. The service is also available to non-members of the DMA. However, your registration will not stop mailings from businesses that are not registered with the DMA’s Mail Preference Service. Thus, registering will not end all direct mail. The list is up-dated monthly and distributed quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Therefore registering will not end mailings instantly.
To register with the DMA’s opt-out service, go online to MPS Registration Form. Your registration is good for five years and you have a free on-line mail in option and a $5 on-line charge option.
Email Opt-Out
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) also has an Email Preference Service to help you reduce unsolicited commercial emails. To “opt-out” of receiving unsolicited commercial email, use DMA’s free online form at EMPS Registration Form. Your online request will be effective for one year and will reduce, but not end all unsolicited commercial email.
Telemarketing Opt-Out
The Federal Government has created the National Do Not Ca1l Registry, the free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you get at home. To register, or to get information, visit http://www.donotcall.gov, or call 1 –888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register. You will receive fewer telemarketing calls within three months of registering your number as the list is only up-dated quarterly. It will stay in the registry for five years, or until your phone is disconnected, or you take it off the registry. After five years, you will be able to renew your registration.
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) also has a Telephone Preference Service to help you reduce unsolicited telemarketing calls. To “opt-out” of receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls, use DMA’s on-line form at TPS Registration Form. Your registration will be effective for five years and will reduce, but not end all unsolicited commercial email. You have a free on-line mail in option and a $5 on-line charge option.
Many telemarketers have moved options to Canada and India to circumvent the federal “Do Not Call Registry”.
Mortgage Trust Group, Inc.
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