Have you ever wondered how you end up on the roster for pre-screened credit card offers, aka: junk mail? The answer might catch you by surprise. While you may have assumed that the services you subscribe to sell or share your information (which they do), the process actually commences elsewhere. It all starts with the trio of credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. These agencies are authorized to compile lists containing your name, which are then utilized by creditors or insurers to extend solid credit or insurance offers.
The credit bureaus meticulously sift through their extensive databases, creating prescreened lists tailored to a company's specific criteria, such as geographic location and credit score range. Subsequently, the company can dispatch preapproved, concrete credit offers to individuals who successfully quality for the prescreening process.
The utilization of prescreened lists serves a dual purpose.
- First, it aids companies in steering clear of sending offers to individuals who may not require, desire, or qualify for a new account.
- Secondly, it ensures that you are not inundated with irrelevant offers. Receiving a solid credit offer also implies that if you decide to apply, you are more likely to be approved, unless your credit or financial circumstances have significantly deteriorated since you were initially selected.
If you're not interested, or fed up with receiving preapproved credit and insurance offers, you have the option to opt out of them either temporarily for five years or permanently. Choosing either option means that credit bureaus will exclude you from the list of prescreened consumers they provide to creditors and insurance companies.
Opting out can lead to a reduction in calls, emails, and letters. YES! However, it's important to note that you might also miss out on targeted offers that are not readily available otherwise. Here's what you need to understand about preapproved credit offers:
What Are Preapproved Credit Offers? Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), consumer credit reporting agencies like Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax are allowed to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make solid offers of credit or insurance. These credit bureaus can sift through their databases and create prescreened lists based on specific company criteria, such as geographic location and credit score range. The company can then send out preapproved firm offers of credit to individuals who meet the prescreening requirements.
The use of prescreened lists helps companies avoid sending offers to consumers who may not require, desire, or qualify for a new account. Similarly, these lists ensure that you don't receive irrelevant offers. Receiving a firm offer of credit also means that if you decide to apply, you're likely to get approved unless your credit or financial situation has significantly deteriorated since you were initially selected.
How to Opt Out of Firm Credit Offers The FCRA grants consumers the right to opt out of these offers. You can opt out of prescreened lists by either calling 888-5-OPTOUT (888-567-8688) or submitting a request online at OptOutPrescreen.com. To submit your request, you'll need to provide some personal information, such as your name, Social Security number, and date of birth.
You can opt out of prescreened offers for five years using either the phone or online option. If you want to request a permanent opt-out, you'll need to fill out and mail in a form, which you can find online or request over the phone at OptOutPrescreen.com.
The OptOutPrescreen hotline and website are managed by Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and Innovis, which are the four major consumer credit bureaus. You only need to submit the request once to be removed from all four bureaus' prescreening lists.
How to Opt Out of Other Direct Marketing Offers It's important to note that opting out of prescreened credit offers won't necessarily remove you from other mailing lists but it sure will reduce the junk mail and some calls. Companies can obtain or rent lists of potential customers from other companies, including marketing firms that specialize in list-building (data-minors), and target their existing or past customers with new offers.
You can opt out of some of these offers by:
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Visiting DMAchoice.org to create an account with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and selecting the types of mail you wish to receive from DMA members. There's a $2 processing fee that covers you for 10 years. A small price to get your name and information out of the system from prying eyes, scammers, theives and unwanted solicitations while they make a fortune off selling your information.
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Visiting the DMA website and updating your email preferences to reduce email marketing.
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Requesting removal from non-DMA mailing and marketing lists, such as those managed by Epsilon, RetailMeNot, and Valpak.
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Adding your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry for free.
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Sending a request by mail to the DMA Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
While taking these steps may not entirely eliminate all marketing mail, email, and phone calls, it can help reduce their frequency while reducing your information from making the rounds across the digital world. In some cases, you may need to contact individual companies or organizations and request removal from their marketing lists.
How to Opt In After Opting Out If you've previously opted out of prescreened offers but wish to receive them again (who would do that!), you can opt back in by calling 888-5-OPTOUT (888-567-8688) or visiting OptOutPrescreen.com and selecting the opt-in option.
More and more consumers are choosing to opt out of receiving prescreened credit and insurance offers as they may be targeted for other purposes that don't protect their privacy or information from getting stolen, or data breeches that are sold on the 'dark web'.
If you are not expecting any life changes, or financial changes opting out might just be the perfect solution to reduce that 'junk mail' while removing your personal information from making the rounds across the nation. Protecting and safeguarding your personal information is the same as protecting your financial information. Don't give it away to everyone. Be proactive.
This article is meant to be informational to help you make the right decision for yourself. Share this article with others and leave any helpful comments or experience you may have so others can know.
