Dear Sirs:

PLease be advised that I am for your proposal to adopt new Federal financial privacy rules. I believe that by restricting private financial and other personal data from the hands of outside telemarketing firms will assist in reducing the possibility of consumers identities being stolen, and would help prevent other types of scams and fraud as well.

In addition, I consider it an invasion of privacy for an unknown company to collect data on my financial status and buying habits without my knowing it. I also believe it is unethical for companies to use private information for commercial gain when that type of use was not authorized by the person "owning" the information, ie., the person that the information is about.

I would also like for you to know that I disagree with anyone who puts up an argument that says that a persons information is in the public domain since much of it is recorded in public records. I believe that personal information should be treated as copyright material since it is unique and created by the very nature that it identifies ( and belongs to) a single person.

Thank you for your time and I hope you can get this legislation passed as soon as possible.

[John Schattel]