I noted in another blog that companies have a lot of data on you, at least in the US, and that some are willing to share with you what they think they know.
Plugging in my name, address, date of birth, and the last four digits of my Social Security number:
Male
Ethnicity Based on Surname: American (well, I suppose)
Education: Completed Graduate School (true)
Marital Status: Married (true)
Presence of Children: No Children Present (false)
Political Party: Voter – Democratic (true)
Occupation: Professional/Technical (true)
HOME DATA
Home Owner / Renter: Home Owner (true)
Dwelling Type: Single Family Dwelling Unit (true)
Length of Residence by Year: 13 Years (true)
Year Home Built: 1900 – 1940 (true)
Estimated Home Market Value: $100,000 – $149,999 (true)
Home Purchase Date: 05/2000 (I was there at the closing, true)
Primary Home Loan Type: Conventional (true)
Household Vehicle
Primary Vehicle Make: Toyota (got the year and model right, too)
Intent to Purchase a Vehicle: True (I suppose so)
Household Economic Data
Estimated Household Income Ranges (a little low)
Presence of Credit Card: Bank Card Holder (true) , Gas/Department/Retail Card Holder (false), Credit Card Holder (true)
Credit Card Use – Discover (true)
Value-Priced General Merchandise
Apparently, I buy as Mail Order Responder (true)
Books
Magazines
Children’s Toys
Home Furnishings Accessories
Other Merchandise/Services
Total Dollars Spent: 200 (I imagine it’s more)
Total Number of Purchases: 2 (definitely more)
Average Dollars Spent Per Offline Purchase: 77 (I have no idea – seems high)
Total Offline Dollars Spent: 77 (seems very low)
Average Dollars Spent Per Online Purchase: 100 (definitely seems high)
Total Online Dollars Spent: 200 (definitely low)
Household Interests Data
Parenting: Interested
Children’s Items: Interested
Financially Support Community Causes: Donate to Charitable Causes, Animal Welfare, Environment or Wildlife, Health, Political – Liberal, Religious (all true)
Community / Charities: Interested
Environmental Concerns: Interested
Wireless Product Buyer: Interested
Computers: Interested
PC Internet / Online Service User: Interested
Wireless – Cellular Phone Owner: Interested
Consumer Electronics: Interested
PC DSL/High-Speed User: PC Broadband User
PC Software Buyer (not so much)
Text Messaging: Interested (no)
Home Stereo: Interested
Avid Music Listener: Interested (now THAT’S right)
Movie Collector: Interested
Movies at Home: Interested
Sweepstakes / Contests: Interested (I was at one point, but haven’t done those in years)
Cooking: Interested (not particularly)
Low-Fat Cooking: Interested (ditto)
Natural Foods: Interested
Cholesterol-Related Products: Interested
Health/Medical: Interested
Dieting / Weight-loss: Interested
Celebrities: Interested (not so much anymore, but that probably was true at some point)
Current Affairs / Politics: Interested (absolutely)
Music Players: Interested
Home Furnishings / Decorating: I don’t much care, but I probably bought some stuff
Religious / Inspirational: Interested
Self Improvement: Interested
Personal Investment: Interested (not really)
Real Estate Investment: Interested (no, I’m not)
Education Online: Interested
Reading: Interested
Reading Religious / Inspirational: Interested
Reading Magazines: Interested
Reading Financial Newsletters: Interested (but my eyes glaze over)
Spectator Football: Interested
Spectator Baseball: Interested
Spectator Basketball: Interested (not in years)
Then I checked my wife’s record. She is clerical/white collar(?) – she’s a teacher – with similar interests. Ah, it’s the unit’s interests.
But the real kicker is that while the profile got HER age correctly, they had me born in 1978! Since I entered my age in the first place, I found that hysterically funny. Finally younger than my wife…