Everyone hates junk mail, but aside from being annoying, it can also be dangerous (dun, dun, dun...). That was very Dateline NBC, but seriously, pre-screened credit offers and unsolicited mail can leave you open to identity theft and can also tempt you to open too many lines of credit — both bad things. Two helpful tools for alleviating these problems are the DMA Choice Program and the OptOut Program (both are free). The DMA Choice service removes your name from direct marketing lists, and the OptOut service prevents pre-screened credit offers from companies who use the four major credit-reporting agencies. These two services are especially helpful if you are moving (or move often) or you live in an apartment complex. Also, if you want to take it to the next level, check out LifeLock. They offer another layer of identity protection.