Opt Out From (Some) Junk Mail and more
Salon.com had an article about how to stop junk mail that I saw the other day. Most of the ways they focused on to stop it were paid services and according to the article, they have done a pretty good job of stopping junk mail at a pretty reasonable cost (between $14-$41). Being somewhat strapped for cash at the moment I was looking for something free. Then at the bottom, I found this - OptOutPrescreen.com. It is a way to opt-out of the preapproval offers from credit card companies that make up a good portion of my junk mail. The site opts you out for the big four credit buereus (Experian, TransUnion, Innovis, and Equifax).
Just doing a little more browsing, I found out that state DMVs can sell your information, but are required to offer an opt out. My state (Ohio) requires an opt in, so they should not be giving my info away but you may want to check with your Dept of Motor Vehicles. The Direct Marketing Association also offers an opt opt-out program for $1.
As always, you should make sure your phone number is on the Federal Do Not Call list. It currently expires every couple of years, so if you did it when it first came out, you may have to reregister your number. I actually just saw on the news that congress is going to make the list permanent soon.
