The federal government's National Do Not Call Registry is a free and easy way to reduce telemarketing calls to your home. Your number will stay in the registry for five years unless you take it off the registry. After five years, you will be able to renew your registration. If you get restricted telemarketing calls after your number has been in the national registry for three months, you can file a complaint at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

Placing your number on this national registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all of them. Calls from political organizations, charities and telephone surveyors are still permitted. So are some calls concerning insurance. Organizations with which you already have a relationship can call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase, payment or delivery. Companies to which you have made an inquiry or submitted an application can call you for up to three months. You can stop these calls by asking the company to put your number on its own do not call list.

You can also tell each telemarketer who calls to put you on that company's do not call list. Note the name of the person you spoke with, the organization, and the date of the call. The Federal Communications Commission requires telemarketers (except tax-exempt nonprofit organizations) to maintain a record of your request not to receive future telephone calls. The record must be maintained for 10 years. If you get another call from the same person or organization, report the date and source to the FCC.

Consider screening any calls that are still slipping through by using an answering machine. You can listen to the caller and decide whether you want to pick up. Your local telephone company may also offer services (such as Caller I.D.) that allow you to see the name and number of the person calling you.

Some states have their own do not call lists for residents. Contact your state consumer protection office to find out if your state has such a list and how you can be added.