From Elizabeth Weintraub,
Your Guide to Home Buying / Selling.
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Don't be caught off guard by unwittingly becoming a trigger lead.

Say you decide to buy a home and get a mortgage. So, you call a mortgage broker recommended to you by your Realtor, a family member or a friend. Maybe this is a reputable mortgage lender with whom you've done business in the past. You complete a loan application and receive a letter of preapproval.

Then, out of the clear blue, a different mortgage lender calls you. The lender might say they are affiliated with a credit bureau or give some other red-flag reason for calling. Your suspicions are aroused. You wonder, how did they know you were getting a mortgage and why are they calling you?

When you apply for a loan, your mortgage professional pulls a copy of your credit report. This triggers an inquiry. The credit bureau then turns around and sells your name to other mortgage companies. It's not against the law for credit bureaus to sell your information to third-party vendors. This is called a trigger lead.

Stopping Trigger Leads

You're about to enter into one of the biggest transactions of your life, and the last thing you need is a loan rep calling you and offering up phony interest rates. Deal with a trusted professional, not some telemarketer. Don't ever buy anything over the phone.

Here are three ways to stop trigger lead harassment:

• Put your name and phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. You can register your cell phone number as well. Do this at least a month before you apply for a loan because it takes 31 days to become effective. Make a note to re-register every five years because the order expires at the end of five years.

• To prevent mortgage lenders from sending you direct mail, you will need to register with the Direct Mail Association. Whether you register online or through mail, it will cost you $1.00, which can be charged to your credit card. Register early because the DMA distributes its lists quarterly, so it could take a while to become effective. This registration is good for five years.

• Sign up for OptOutPrescreen. This will stop the four credit bureaus from selling your name as a trigger lead. They are: Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows the sale of your name, but opting out puts a stop to trigger leads for five years.

  Lenders tell me that by opting out, you can add 10 to 15 points to your credit score! For permanent restraint, you will need to mail in your registration, which is also available on the OptOut Web site.