They're telling you they will sell information about your private finances to telemarketers and other outsiders unless you file a formal objection. Five hundred million privacy notices will be mailed by July 1 to notify you that the federal Financial Modernization Act of 1999, designed to promote one-stop financial shopping, also allows you to opt out of having personal data sold or shared with outsiders. That's 15 pieces of mail or more a household. Congress gave banks, brokerage houses and others permission to share information about you with their affiliates and subsidiaries. So when you send back objections to sharing information, it will apply only to sharing with outside businesses.
Consumer groups say the privacy notices going out now are tough to spot.
Layout designs and type sizes made some illegible.