Tired of all the credit offers in your mailbox? How to reduce the junk mail and find the credit when you do want it.

As a homeowner with a history of paying your mortgage, credit card companies may consider you a good credit risk and are anxious to earn your business. This is why they fill your mailbox with pre-approvals, brochures, and promises of reward miles, cash back, and low introductory rates. If you already have all the credit cards you need, or choose not to use them at all, there is an easy way to remove yourself from the credit card companies' mailing lists. This is good for the environment - and for your sanity! The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers the right to remove themselves from the reports that the credit card companies receive from the credit reporting agencies. Simply go to www.optoutprescreen.com, click on the "Opt-In or Opt-Out" button at the bottom of the page and enter your information. It is straightforward, free, and only takes a couple of minutes.

What if you decide you need additional credit?

Now that you have eliminated the junk mail, what should you do if you would like to obtain credit and don't have any of the pre-approval offers showing up? If you are interested in a credit card, a good resource is http://www.cardweb.com. You can learn about current offers and find the ideal card for you with the right combination of interest rate, annual fee, and rewards. You may also want to consider a home equity line of credit rather than a credit card. Borrowing against the equity in your home makes the risk to the lender lower, meaning you may pay an even lower interest rate.