You apply for a mortgage. The next day you receive a call from another mortgage lender and you wonder how they knew you were applying for a mortgage.
When you apply for a loan, the mortgage lender will pull your credit report. This will trigger an inquiry on your personal credit file. One or more of the national credit bureaus then turnaround and sell your name to other mortgage companies who are prospecting for new customers. Unfortunately, the use of these “trigger leads” has been unsuccessfully challenged in court.
“Trigger leads” are allowed under guidelines in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which preempts all but very specific laws passed in a couple states prior to 1971, and there is very little that the individual states can do to regulate them.
There is a solution!
A consumer can “opt-out”, which prevents the bureaus from providing your credit file information for firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you.
And you may request to “opt-out” from receiving firm offers for 5 years or from receiving firm offers permanently.
Where or how do I “opt-out”?
You have two options:
Call 1-888-567-8688
Or
Go to www.optoutprescreen.com