Ok , you go to an online website to read your email. {usually called web mail}
The other kind - uses a program to download your email onto your computer where you can read it -is called pop mail.

I use the verizon/yahoo email occasionally when I'm not using the pop mail program, or if I'm away from home.

Looks like I can't get into the verizon/msn side of things to see what sort of settings there might be...
I did do a search on "spam filter" here's what came up on the verizon site-
http://netservices.verizon.net/porta...Verizon+Online

here's the Norton website page that you can explore topics of email safety and more.-
http://www.symantec.com/norton/secur...ecureemail.jsp