I've recently been getting some very persistent telemarketers from TD Canada Trust and Royal Bank. I wanted to cut down on the amount of telemarketing that I receive, as I primarily use a cell phone for personal and business calls, and it's expensive enough already without literally wasting time talking to a telemarketer.

I emailed TD Canada Trust at their contact address of customer.service@td.com, and this was their response (salutations and personal info removed):

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Thank you for writing us regarding the phone calls you receive from TD Canada Trust.

From time to time, offers may be made to you relating to products and services available from TD Bank Financial Group. The marketing information that is directed to you is based on the preferences that are listed in your profile.

I'd be pleased to adjust your contact preferences to ensure you receive no further contact via the phone regarding products or services that we feel may interest you. Please reply with you full name, address and telephone number so that I can locate your profile and adjust your preferences. I will also contact the relevant call centre area to have your number removed from their lists.

TD Bank Financial Group also has a comprehensive Privacy Code in place. I would encourage you to review it online at your convenience, by visiting the TD Bank website at:

http://www.td.com/privacy/index.jsp

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions.

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I replied to the email with my full name and contact information and I was removed from their list, and have not received an unsolicited call again from TD Canada Trust. I would have preferred removing myself from their list via their online banking website, EasyWeb, but when asked about it, they replied:

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Thank you for writing back with your information.

I've adjusted your preferences to ensure the marketing calls you're receiving stop. Unfortunately, you're unable to change those settings online at this time. However, we're always happy to assist you with them whenever your wish.

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I sent a similar email to the Royal Bank through their online form, which is accessible by clicking on "Contact Us" at the top of their website, "Personal Banking Services" and then clicking "send us an email.". The Royal Bank responded with:

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At RBC Royal Bank, the confidentiality and security of your personal and financial information is important to us. For your protection, we cannot act upon your inquiry through this unsecured channel. To have your file changed to reflect that you do not want to be solicited by telephone, I invite you to call us at the number listed below.

Alternatively, if you are enrolled in RBC Royal Bank Online Banking, you can send your message via our secured message centre by following the steps below:

1. Sign in to Online Banking
2. From the Account Balances page, click "Send Instructions & Questions" in the lower right corner
3. Choose an appropriate subject line from the drop-down list and then enter your message

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If you do not want to be solicited by telephone by other organizations or companies, you may wish to contact the "Canadian Marketing Association". You can register your name with them, to have your name removed from marketing lists. To learn more, please visit their site at:

www.the-cma.org/consumer/donotcontact.cfm

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Thanks for contacting us. We'll be happy to help you again if there's anything else you want to talk about.

If you'd prefer, you can also call us at 1-800-769-2555.

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I logged into my online banking, and was unable to find the "Send Instructions & Questions" link, but clicking on "Customer Support Center" and then "Secure Message Center" brought me to a secure form with my name pre-populated. I submitted my request using this form, and the unsolicited phone calls from the Royal Bank have now stopped.

In addition to this, I took the Royal Bank's advicec and visited the-cma.org and registered my name, phone number, fax number and address with the CMA's Do Not Contact Service. Hopefully this will also reduce the amount of new junk mail I receive in my mailbox.

If anyone has any additional advice on how to reduce unsolicited phone calls and junk mail, add it to the comments!