How many of you hate all that junk mail you get in your mailbox or maybe those extra phone calls you get while you are eating dinner with your family?

Are they really a bother? Have they really gotten worse from say 10 years ago?

It seems like we get pestered just as much today as we did years ago. So why now do we all of a sudden care about it?

Did you know that you can actually STOP the solicitation overload? Opting out has become a common event like registering to vote! It seems like it all started with the Do Not Call list (which I really am not convinced really works).

Did you know that the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows consumers to opt out of research lists for five years... so what is stopping us? Similar to the Do Not Call List it doesn't last forever, you have to go back and register after a certain amount of time.

It's kind of a double edge sword. We want to be bothered less but at what cost?

Our country focuses so much on personal security and identity theft. You can't watch a news broadcast anywhere without hearing about identity theft. Who wants to go onto a website that is supposed to be secure and post their name, birth date, social security number and address? I don't even like to give that kind of information to someone over the phone or in person let alone put it out in cyberspace.

What's worse? To have to shred some extra mail or get a phone call while trying to eat dinner, or have someone steal your identity? Is it really a bother? I really don't know. It's a gamble in my mind... and let me tell you, I am no gambler!

To opt out you can go to www.optoutprescreen.com (or call 888-5OPTOUT) to be removed from credit reporting lists for five years (but again, you will have to sign up again in five years). You can also go to www.dmaconsumers.org (or call 212-790-1500) which will remove you from direct mail solicitation.