Reduce the risk of having your identity stolen

One good way to reduce the risk of having your identity stolen (while saving some trees in the process) is to stop the stacks and stacks and stacks of junk mail being sent to you. The FCRA provides for one way to help stop junk mail.

You can opt out of pre-approved screening lists that potential creditors use to decide whether you might be eligible for whatever they are trying to sell, be it cars, insurance or new credit cards. Most of the companies mailing you junk mail get your name, address and, in some cases, how well you match up to their criteria, directly from Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Opting out of pre-approved screening lists keeps your name off these lists and, as a result, drastically reduces the amount of junk mail. You can opt out by calling the credit bureaus at the following numbers:

Experian - (800) 353-0809
Equifax - (888) 567-8688
TransUnion - (800) 680-7293.

Call 'em, opt out and tell the credit bureaus that I say "hi".