When you apply for a mortgage, whether to purchase or refinance, the three major credit bureaus have record of the inquiry into your credit and unfortunately will sell that information in the form of a lead to lenders and banks. This has been dubbed a “trigger lead” since the legitimate credit pull triggered the lead to these solicitors. It can be infuriating!
So what can you do? … Opt out!
- To eliminate unwanted mail solicitations go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888-567-8688
- To eliminate unwanted phone solicitations go to donotcall.gov or call 888-382-1222.
Do note that it is not your loan officer that is selling these leads, nor do the solicitors have access to your credit report; they only know that you have had your credit pulled for purpose of a mortgage and are trying to take advantage of that. Usually, they are not reputable, and as with anything, I would always advise against giving someone that calls you your personal information.