Return to Sender

Anyone who's ever conquered an addiction knows that the easiest way to resist temptation is to eliminate it. Refraining from smoking or snacking is easier where there aren't any cigarettes or ice cream in the house.

The same is true of credit card and other consumer offers, which can seem like a great deal but often end up costing us dearly. Does this sound familiar? Upon receiving an offer of 0% interest for six months, we promise ourselves we'll buy that new suit and pay it off before the high interest rate kicks in. As we all know, it rarely works out that way — in fact, the credit card companies are counting on it NOT to work out that way. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to reduce temptation and dramatically reduce the number of offers you receive:

• Opt out of credit and insurance offers: Visit www.optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688). Credit card and insurance companies regularly obtain lists of prospects who meet certain criteria from the major credit bureaus, and that's why you receive their Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡valuableÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ offers in the mail. By opting out using the online form, you won't receive most of those offers for five years. You can also opt out permanently by sending a request by mail, but because we are all busy and might not get around to mailing a letter, use the easy internet or phone options (ignore the warnings that you will no longer experience the Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡benefitsÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ of credit and insurance offers). Hopefully in five years, the only offers you will receive will be from people who want to help you manage all your new wealth!
• Prevent telemarketing calls: If you haven't done so already, register to stop receiving telemarketing calls by visiting www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222. This registration also lasts five years. You may still get an occasional call from someone doing a legitimate survey, or a charity or company with whom you already do business, but you shouldn't receive most unwanted calls within about three months.
• Stop receiving other offers by mail or e-mail: The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) will ask its members to stop sending you offers by mail if you visit www.dmaconsumers.org. The DMA does charge $1 for this service, but that may be worth it if it prevents you from spending far more in response to an offer you receive. You can also opt out of email offers at no charge by visiting www.dmaconsumers.org/consumers. These registrations won't eliminate all mail and e-mail offers, but they will reduce the volume.

Remember this rule of thumb: Generally, you should think twice before doing business with a company that approaches you, rather than the other way around. The supermarket doesn't call you to see if you need groceries. Most of the time, if you really need something, you will take the initiative and seek out that product or service. And just think: By opting out of consumer offers, not only will you be less likely to fall victim to a scam or open accounts you don't truly need, but you will also have a de-cluttered mailbox and a happier home life when you don't hear from telemarketers during dinner.