How do I reduce junk mail?

Posted: September 15, 2016, 5:06PM

To eliminate some of your junk mail, contact the Direct Marketing Association at www.dmachoice.org. It won't eliminate all of your junk mail, but it will reduce it. The service is free if you register online or $1 if you register by mail.

To reduce the number of catalogues, go to catalogchoice.org which is a free service that helps you eliminate the catalogs you don't want and keep the ones you do want.

Credit card offers seem to have diminished a bit but sometimes these offers fill up your mail box. You can eliminate these with an opt-out service at www.optooutprescreen.com or call 888 567-8688. Your Social Security number and date of birth are required for this so if you're not prepared to give that information, this probably isn't the service for you! You can also read the privacy notices that come with your financial institution statements, and follow the instructions on opting out of offers.

You may already be aware of the Do Not Call list which has helped many people reduce telemarketing calls. You can sign up at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 888-382-1222. The registry will not stop calls by charities, politicians, survey takers or companies that have a prior business relationship with you.

Be careful about sharing your information. When you order online, check the site's privacy policy. Avoid sites that won't let you opt out of advertising or ones that want to share your information. Watch signing up for freebies, sweepstkes or contests as many of these "offers" are ways to collect information for marketing purposes. You can also write "NO MAILING LISTS" on product warranties or rebates that you send in.

When you are cleaning out your mail box and throwing away these offers, make sure to shred or destroy the personal information that is included. (Letters and other correspondence with your name, address, customer number, etc.) Be sure to check the inside of catalogs (on the order form page) as your personal information may be listed there.