Does filling out pre-approvals help in anyway of getting offers?

[Anonymous]

I'm still a few weeks away from discharge, but I'm planning my rebuild strategy now.

I have no intention of applying for or obtaining credit until after the discharge, but I am wondering if filling out pre-approvals that do not leave an inquiry might help put me on the radar so that there might be a few offers waiting for me down the road. 

Does anyone know if this has potential to help at all, or just wishful thinking?

[Anonymous]

I just checked out some prequal sites, and I think I just answered my own question. Here's the answer in case it helps anyone else!

"....you authorize XXXX Bank to share your name, address, email address, and IP address with third parties for the purpose of presenting you with other offers of credit and credit related products."

[Anonymous]

If you have previously opted out of prescreened offers you may also wish to make sure you are opted in at optoutprescreen.com. It can take a few months' lag to start getting prescreen offers. 

[Anonymous]

I doubt the pre-approval forms will help your odds at getting accepted, which is really what you're asking. But you'll definitely notice when your credit score hits the acceptable range because you'll start getting letters in the mail from credit card companies. Four months ago I couldn't get accepted for any unsecured card. Now that my scores are 80 points higher I'm getting sub-prime pre-approved offers several times a week. I'm ignoring those, and in another four months I'll be getting prime offers. That's when I'll start weighing my options. 

[DaveInAZ]

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@Anonymouswrote:

If you have previously opted out of prescreened offers you may also wish to make sure you are opted in at optoutprescreen.com. It can take a few months' lag to start getting prescreen offers. 

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If you're opted out of pre-screen offers the pre-qual sites won't work for you. I opted out last year because of weekly personal loan offers, and none of the pre-qual sites work for me. Capital One even tells me the it looks like I've opted out of pre-screen offers. Not a problem for me, not looking for any new credit.