24. "Privacy notices" are being mailed to consumers annually in their bank statements, credit card statements, investment reports, mortgage statements, insurance mailings and so on. The Financial Services Modernization Act (also known as Gramm-Leach-Bliley or GLB)(15 U.S.C. sections 6801-6810) requires banks and other companies that provide financial services and products to tell their customers three things:

1. Privacy Policy: Your financial institution must tell you the kinds of information it collects about you and how it uses that information.
2. Right to Opt-Out: Your financial institution must explain your ability to prevent the sale of your personal information to third parties.
3. Safeguards: Financial institutions are required to develop policies to prevent fraudulent access to confidential financial information. These policies must be disclosed to you.

The burden is on YOU to opt-out... that is how to say "no" if the company wants to sell you personal information to or share it with other businesses (third party non-affiliates). If you say nothing, or you throw the privacy notice in the filing cabinet or in the trash, it means "you are giving that business wide authority to sue your personal information (such as your address, birth date, Social Security number, credit rating, spending habits, and so on)." So, the next time you get a privacy notice in the mail, make an affirmative decision on how you would like to share your personal information!

25. Magazines, credit card companies, clubs and organizations, charities, manufacturers and retailers make lists of their subscribers, customers, members and donors available to other businesses for a fee. Your information is reproduced and sold in countless ways. You should always exercise caution when you are making personal identifying information available when using the Internet, mailing a rebate/survey/warranty card, entering a drawing or sweepstakes, donating money, and even subscribing to magazines.

26. When in public places, always be aware of your surroundings. Thieves commonly use a distraction in cramped public places, such as elevators, escalators and revolving doors to "bump and lift" your money, identification, and credit cards. Be especially cautious with bags and purses that can be an easy target for a thief to "grab and run."

This publication originates from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 5384 Linda Vista Road, Suite 306, San Diego, CA 92110; phone: 619-298-3396; e-mail: www.privacyrights.org. March 1998 With their consent, it has been adapted for Iowa consumers, edited and distributed by the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of Attorney General Tom Miller, Iowa Department of Justice. March 2005