May 22nd, 2010 
Ryan Parker 
Ryan Guina is an entrepreneur and writer. He has worked for Fortune 500 companies and served six years in the USAF. He writes about money management and small business topics at Cash Money Life and military money topics at Military Finance Network. You can follow his twitter feed.
I lead a busy life. I have a full-time job, run a couple websites, and I have a newborn daughter. I’m sure most of the people reading this have similarly busy lives. As I am sure it is in your home, time is a precious commodity in my household and it isn’t something I like to waste. More importantly, I don’t like it when companies waste my time. But what really gets me is when companies waste my time with something that is potentially harmful.
I’m talking about pre-approved credit card offers and other pre-approved offers for lines of credit, insurance, etc.
How are These Offers Harmful?
Because in the wrong hands, they can be used to steal your identity. Thieves can easily submit a credit card application with your name and use the change of address section on the application to forward the new credit card to a mailbox they setup just for that purpose. Trust me, you don’t want to become a victim of identity theft. Just read these identity theft stories for a few examples of why prevention is the best policy.
While it has become more difficult for identity thieves to do this in recent years, it is still a distinct possibility. That is why I recommend that everyone opt out of pre-screened credit card offers. If you want or need a new line of credit, then contact the credit card companies yourself, or do a quick online search for the best credit card offers. (Here’s a little secret: Credit card companies don’t always send out the best offers; you can usually find something better by searching on your own).
While you’re at it, I recommend eliminating other annoyances and potential avenues for fraud, such as opting out of junk mail and signing up for the Do Not Call List. Combined, these steps will eliminate headaches, reduce your risk of identity theft, and simplify your financial and personal life.
Note: Opting out of pre-screened offers for credit and insurance will only stop offers from companies you do not currently do business with. Those companies with which you already do business can still send you unsolicited offers in the mail.
Fun fact: Did you know the average person receives 560 pieces of junk mail each year, or about 1.5 pieces of junk mail per day?
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- Surge in Credit Card Direct Mail Solicitations
- Mailed offers for credit cards, other products up in first quarter
- Small Business Credit Card – Understanding Its Pros and Cons
- Ways to Negotiate Successfully Your Credit Card Debt Relief
