Credit Opt Out | Mark Maimon

When you apply for a loan, a credit report is drawn, and this action triggers an inquiry. The credit bureaus are made aware that you are searching for a loan and may notify other lenders who subscribe to these alerts.

This so-called marketing tool is known as a trigger lead, and unfortunately, the practice is well within the limits of the federal law as long as the offer of credit meets certain legal requirements.

For the best protection against unsolicited offers, including those made by phone, email, or traditional mail, there’s a simple way to prevent credit bureaus from selling your information. We recommend opting out of trigger leads and registering on the Do Not Call Registry.

Using the Opt-Out Prescreen website, www.optoutprescreen.com, you can submit your request to be removed from the bureaus’ distribution lists.

Once your request is submitted and processed, you will be opted-out for the next five years. After the term has passed, you will need to submit a new request to extend your selection. Please note that this opt-out process will not eliminate trigger lead calls and emails, but it will reduce them dramatically.

Opt-out requests are typically processed within five days, but it may take up to 60 days for the offers to cease. If you have a joint mortgage, both parties will need to opt-out.

The government has set up a registry of all consumers who have opted out of solicitation phone calls. This list relates to telemarketers for mortgages as well as solicitations for other products and services unrelated to your mortgage application. You can add yourself to the registry by visiting https://www.donotcall.gov/.

The registration does not expire once completed. We strongly recommend that you register all of your phone numbers including home, office and cell phone numbers to help reduce the number of solicitation calls you receive.

Credit Agency Opt-Out Procedure

Opting-Out of trigger leads

national do not call registry

Additional Resources