Opt Out Mortgage Solicitation
If you recently applied for a mortgage, you may experience an increase in mail, phone calls, and emails from third-party mortgage companies with competing offers. These solicitations occur because credit reporting agencies are permitted to include your information on prescreened offer lists — While this practice is legal, we understand it can be frustrating. To help reduce these unwanted solicitations, consider the following options:
1. Opt Out of Prescreened Offers
You have the right to opt out of receiving prescreened credit and insurance offers. To do so, you can call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or go to www.optoutprescreen.com. When opting out, you will have to provide personal information regarding your name, phone number, Social Security number, and date of birth.
Additional information regarding the opt out process:
- Processing Time: It typically takes up to five business days to process your request, but it may take up to 60 days for solicitations to cease.
- Reversing Your Opt-Out: You may opt back in at any time by revisiting the website or calling the phone number listed above.
- Opting out will not affect your credit score or your ability to apply for credit in the future.
- Security and Privacy: The website and phone line are operated by the major consumer credit reporting agencies and use secure systems to protect your data.
- If you filed a joint mortgage, you will need to opt out individually.
2. National ‘Do Not Call’ Registry
To limit unsolicited telemarketing calls, you may add your phone number(s) to the National Do Not Call Registry by:
- Calling: 1-888-382-1222
- Visiting: www.donotcall.gov
Once registered, you should experience a reduction in telemarketing calls within 31 days. Your registration will remain active for five years. However, calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship or from certain exempt organizations may still occur.
3. Work with a Dedicated Mortgage Banker
An effective way to avoid competing mortgage solicitations is to establish a relationship with a dedicated Mortgage Banker early in the process. By working directly with a trusted professional, you can reduce the likelihood of receiving unwanted offers.
Our Mortgage Bankers are available to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the mortgage process with personalized service and support.