How to Stop Junk Mail Permanently

Many Americans receive enormous amounts of junk mail in their mailbox every day. It can be a trial to sort through advertisements and offers for credit cards and insurance to find one or two pieces of legitimate mail. Junk mail also poses an increased risk of identity theft. Fortunately, there are ways to put a stop to all that unwanted junk mail, for good and forever.

OptOutPrescreen.com

OptOutPrescreen.com is a website published by the major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion. You can quickly and easily opt out of the lists which consumer credit reporting companies provide to credit card and insurance companies for marketing purposes. If you fill in the online opt-out form, your name and address will be removed from firm offers lists for five years. In order to be removed from their lists permanently, you must print the form which appears after you complete your online opt-out form. Have every adult member of your household complete and sign an opt-out form, then mail it to the address provided.

Opt Out Directly with Credit Card Companies

If you're receiving repeated offers for credit cards from a specific company, you can opt out of their mailing lists. Check the online privacy notice of the credit card company that's sending you junk mail. They may have an online form you can use to opt out from receiving their direct mail. If the credit card company doesn't have an online opt-out form, try calling their telephone number or sending them mail to request to be removed from their direct mail lists.

Contact the Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association has a mail preference service that lets you opt out of receiving unsolicited junk mail from its members for five years. If you use their online tools, this service is free. Simply log on to the DMAChoice.org website and create a free account. After you activate your account, you can start managing your mail. The credit card offers link will direct you to OptOutPrescreen.org. So if you've already completed your opt out on that site, you can skip this category. Click "Catalogs," "Magazine Offers" and "Other Mail Offers." Review the lists of companies registered with the Direct Mail Association. If you're receiving unsolicited junk mail from a specific company in their lists, you can click the link to get contact information to be removed from the company's mailing lists. Scroll down to the bottom of each page and select "Remove my name." Click "Yes, take me off" and "Submit" to confirm your selection. Make a note of your chosen email and password, and the date you made your direct mail selections on the DMAChoice.org website. You must renew your choices in five years to keep your name off the Direct Marketing Association's direct mail lists.

You can find out more by reading How to Avoid Credit Card Late Fees and Don't Depend on Laws to Protect You from Spam.