Stop Trigger Leads

Not a fan of telemarketing cold calls? Maybe press pause before applying for your loan prequalification.

Woman sitting on couch looking at cell phone

That’s right. Before you submit all your credit details, you may want to opt out of the flood of credit solicitations that immediately follow.

Why does this happen? An industry-wide practice known as Prescreen Trigger Leads allows all 4 national credit companies to sell loan “leads” to other creditors. Creditors can legally send you offers for credit you haven’t requested. We can’t keep this from happening, but you have the option to opt out and prevent credit reporting companies from providing your credit file information to other creditors.

3 Steps You Can Take to Stop Trigger Leads:

  • Register for Opt-Out Prescreen at www.optoutprescreen.com. This stops credit bureaus from selling your name as a trigger lead for at least 5 years. After registering, it takes about 5 days to take effect.
  • Register your information on the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or call (888) 382-1222 from each phone number you want to register. It takes about 31 days for this to take effect.
  • Register with the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service to opt out of commercial mailings for 5 years at www.dmachoice.com. There is a $1 processing fee, and this take a few months until it takes effect.

Questions? Let’s talk.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.