Reduce Mail

If you're tired of getting those annoying "preapproved" credit card offers, there's a way to stop them.

Just get your name taken off the mailing lists of credit reporting agencies. Give a call to (888) 5-OPT-OUT (that's (888) 567-8688), or you can visit OptOutPrescreen.com. The website might ask for your SSN to confirm it's really you they're removing, but you don't have to give it if you don't want to.

Want to control the kind of mail you get from marketers?

Sign up on DMA's consumer website called DMAchoice.org. It lets you pick what catalogs, magazine offers, and other stuff you want to receive. It won't stop all promotional mail, but it'll handle most of it. Just so you know, there's a $4 processing fee, and your registration will last for 10 years.