Important Step Before Pulling Credit for Mortgage Loan

Do This Today!

Every time I talk to a prospective client, I do my best to set them up for a smooth transaction from day one. One of the ways I do that is to advise them to go to www.optoutprescreen.com before I pull their credit. The reason I do this is that I don’t want them to be inundated with phone calls, texts, and emails from every mortgage company on the planet when I pull their credit. I recently had a client who sent me the following text: “I forgot to opt out as you instructed and am getting ambushed with phone calls and texts. Can you help?”

Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do at that point. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit repositories (Transunion, Equifax, and Experian) are allowed to sell consumer names on credit lists used by credit card companies, insurance companies, mortgage companies, and debt collectors. When you authorize someone to pull your credit if you haven’t already “opted out”, your mortgage inquiry, along with your contact information, will be instantly sold to other mortgage companies as “trigger leads”, and the tsunami of phone calls, emails, and text messages will be headed your way.

Let’s face it, people don’t always know in advance when they will be in the market for a mortgage. Thankfully, you can be proactive and do the following NOW so you won’t have to worry about this when you apply for a mortgage. (Or any other credit, for that matter.)

IMPORTANT STEPS:

  1. Go to www.optoutprescreen.com.
  2. File electronically to opt out from receiving "firm offers" for 5 years.
  3. It's a good idea to follow your electronic opt out with a permanent opt-out. To do this, you'll need to complete and print the Permanent Opt-Out Election Form which is on the website and mail it in. (if you do this, you'll never have to think about it again.)
  4. You'll always be able to opt back in if you want to receive offers again.

** It’s important to note that it takes 5 days after the consumer has requested to opt out before the bureaus are notified of the request.


* Specific loan program availability and requirements may vary. Please get in touch with your mortgage advisor for more information.