Credit Bureau Personal Information - How to Opt Out

Just wanted to let everyone know who still hasn't already heard, the three major credit bureaus in the US (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) have been allowed, as of July 1, 2001, to release our credit info, mailing addresses, phone numbers..... to anyone who requests it.

If you would like to 'opt out' of this release of info, you can call 1-888-567-868 (1-888-5-OPT-OUT). It only takes a couple of minutes to do, and you can take care of others in your household while making only one call, you'll just need to know their social security numbers. Be sure to listen closely, the first opt out is only for 2 years, but you may want to make sure you wait until they prompt you to press '3' on your keypad to opt out for good.

However, this number is not associated with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which has allowed banks and other financial institutions to sell your private financial information since July 1, 2001. Calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT will not stop your bank, credit union, brokerage company, etc. from selling your information. For that, you must respond individually to the "Privacy Policy" statements you received in the mail or you must call the financial institution or company yourself. Those "Privacy Policy" statements tend to get mixed in with the other "Junk Mail" you receive from your financial institutions.

This link takes you to a list of some credit card companies and financial institutions and their individual 'opt-out' numbers:
http://www.clarkhoward.com/topics/opt_out.html