Checklist: Protect Your Privacy

Things to do this weekend with your money:

Recent revelations that banks and other financial institutions have been selling customers’ personal account data has put a spotlight on consumer privacy issues. You can take the following steps to help reduce the number of eyes who see your private financial information.

Today: Research your bank’s policy

Call your banks and brokerages or visit their Web sites to find out whether they sell information about you to other companies or share it with their affiliates. If you don’t want your information sold or shared, ask how you can opt out, and follow up with a letter to the addresses your institutions provide.

Saturday: Check your credit card companies

Credit card companies also frequently sell or share information. Check your account agreements for your card issuers’ policies and an address where you can write to be taken off their list. If you’re tired of receiving unsolicited credit card offers in the mail, call (888) 567-8688 to remove your name from the pre-screened lists of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and Trans Union). That should reduce but not eliminate the offers.

Sunday: Take your name off national mailing lists

Remove yourself from many national mailing lists by writing to the Direct Marketing Assn.’s Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. Include your name, address and phone number along with your request to be taken off mass mailing lists.