How to opt out of (almost) everything
By Dana Dratch • Bankrate.com

If you're being barraged by too much information, it might be time to opt out of at least some of the junk mail and telemarketing phone calls that plague you.

You can. By filling out a few forms, you can slow the flow of junk mail and pre-approved credit card offers, keep the phone from ringing during dinner and limit the sharing of your personal financial information.

You also have opportunities for one-time opt outs. For example, you can protect your legal rights by opting in or out of class action suits and make informed decisions on whether to sign clauses limiting you to binding mandatory arbitration.

For list-based services that curtail unwanted marketing by phone and mail, registration is easy and available online, by phone or via a note sent snail mail.

If someone calls offering to put you on a list for eliminating junk mail, telemarketing calls or sharing of your financial information, beware. With the possible exception of information about a class action suit, which usually comes in the mail, no one is going to contact you. You have to seek out the services and sign up.

Here are your opt-out opportunities:

Opt out poll

Sharing your financial information
Financial institutions, such as banks, mortgage companies, brokerage houses, credit card issuers and insurance companies, might want to share (or trade or sell) some of your financial information. If they do, they are required to give you an annual opportunity to veto the idea.

The opt-out notice usually shows up as a bill stuffer in the envelope with your monthly statement. Look for a title such as "privacy policy" at the top. Often the notices are printed in tiny type and "written in such a way that many people can't understand them," says Linda Foley, founder and co-executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center. Her organization would like to see plain-language versions in normal-sized type, with alternatives for people who don't speak or read English.

To opt out, get out the magnifying glass and read the instructions. There might be a form that you fill out and send back or instructions to send a note to a certain address. Don't send it with your statement. There will also be a time deadline, so the sooner you get it in, the better.

If the deadline has passed, send it in anyway, says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. It's likely the company will still honor it.

You will gain more control over your financial information, who sees it and who has access to it. Not to mention fewer "pre-approved' credit card offers and junk mail.

In some cases, opting out won't help. Financial institutions can still share your information with parent corporations and other related companies.

Pre-approved credit offers
Even if you opt out of having your financial institutions share your information, you could still receive pre-approved credit card offers. Many consumers loathe pre-approved offers because they usually are not truly pre-approved, often contain a lot of personal information and are a favorite target of identity thieves.