Michael Chang

The best thing since the do-not-call list is the pre-approved credit card opt out. Tired of receiving all these pre-approved credit card mailings via snail mail (“Urgent: Open within 15 days,” “Special Offer,” “Please do not discard,” etc.)?

Now, you can opt out of pre-approved credit card mailings (and insurance mailings) for five years by signing up online here:

https://www.optoutprescreen.com

Yes, you do need to enter in very sensitive data like social-security number, birthday, address, and telephone number, but this is a legitimate site. Opting out will prevent the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and personal-data sales companies (Innovis) from giving credit approval information to insurance and credit card companies. The companies will take your name off the list for preapproved offers for five years– a do not mail list. If you want back in, you can always opt back in electronically on the same site.

Opting out of these preapproved offers should increase your identity security. We don’t need hundreds of pieces of mail with our name, address, and blank forms for credit cards floating around everywhere. Our shredders will be much happier with an opt out.

Also, go ahead and perform a Google (or your favorite search) to verify my link. In general, you should never follow a link from any blog or webpage for transmission of sensitive data. Some unscrupulus thieves may set up wannabe sites that look identical (with very similar URL or masked URL) to collect your data. Do a search on “credit card opt out” and get the URL straight from the horses mouth!