The credit bureaus serve a valuable role in tracking payment data and wrapping that into a credit score that reflects payment history enabling you to purchase goods and services with a loan. An important note to this process is that while they provide your score to you or anyone you authorize them to share the information with, they also have the ability to legally sell your contact information.
Each time there is an inquiry on your credit, it is an indicator you’re in the market to buy and a green light to all those seeking to sell you something. In the age of digital, those purchasing your data also know what you’re shopping for and how to solicit your interest. Mortgage lending is unfortunately no exception and not excluded from these third party credit bureau business practices of selling information.
If you have not enrolled in one of the two following opt outs, I encourage you to do that early in your home shopping process to avoid unwanted solicitations.
If you’re ready to make it stop or prevent the calls and emails from ever starting, follow these simple steps.
- Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688 to opt out for five years OR permanently. The major credit bureaus operate the phone number and website. Requests to opt out are processed within five days but it may take several weeks before you stop getting prescreened offers as some companies may have received your information prior to your opt out request being processed.
- Go to donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register. If you register your number through DoNotCall.gov, you’ll get an email with a link you need to click on within 72 hours to complete your registration. It can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop.
