Compared to a soft inquiry (or “soft pull”) — which doesn't pull your credit report — a hard inquiry can actually ding your credit score a few points, regardless if you end up being approved or denied for the credit card or loan.
Hard credit inquiries, sometimes called “hard pulls,” take place when you request a new line of credit or begin the process of taking on a major financial commitment. If you apply for a credit card, for example, the card issuer will pull your credit file and you'll see a hard inquiry on your credit reports.
If a hard inquiry is the result of a credit application you made, it cannot be removed from your credit report. It is simply a matter of record, and it will fall off your report naturally after two years—and will have no effect on your credit scores after one year.
A new inquiry is immediately reported to the credit reporting agencies. However, it can take as long as 30 days for the inquiry to be formally listed on your credit report. A couple of previous inquiries shouldn't make you panic.
To check credit inquiries, scroll down to the “Hard Inquiries” section. All inquiries from the last two years will be on the report. Keep in mind that banks don't always access your report from all three bureaus. It's very likely that one report will show more inquiries than another.
If you find an unauthorized or inaccurate hard inquiry, you can file a dispute letter and request that the bureau remove it from your report. The consumer credit bureaus must investigate dispute requests unless they determine your dispute is frivolous.
In general, six or more hard inquiries are often seen as too many. Based on the data, this number corresponds to being eight times more likely than average to declare bankruptcy. This heightened credit risk can damage a person's credit options and lower one's credit score.
Q: Do lenders pull credit day of closing? A: Not usually, but most will pull credit again before giving the final approval. So, make sure you don't rack up credit cards or open new accounts.
To get an inquiry removed within 24 hours, you need to physically call the companies that placed the inquiries on the telephone and demand their removal. This is all done over the phone, swiftly and without ever creating a letter or buying a stamp.
How Often Can You Check Your Credit Score? You can check your credit score as often as you want without hurting your credit, and it's a good idea to do so regularly. At the very minimum, it's a good idea to check before applying for credit, whether it's a home loan, auto loan, credit card or something else.
Your score will go up by around 5 points when a hard inquiry falls off after 2 years.
The credit scores and reports you see on Credit Karma should accurately reflect your credit information as reported by those bureaus. This means a couple of things: The scores we provide are actual credit scores pulled from two of the major consumer credit bureaus, not just estimates of your credit rating.
Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts — which can be a mix of cards and loans — is a reasonable number to build toward over time. Having very few accounts can make it hard for scoring models to render a score for you.
It isn't common, but a credit card issuer could deny your application even after sending you a pre-approved offer of credit. The exact reason for such a denial can vary from one applicant to the next. Below are a few reasons why a card issuer might turn down your application after sending you a pre-approved offer.
While the exact impact may vary from case to case, generally speaking, you can expect your score to drop by about five points each time you apply for a new credit card.
If you spot a hard credit inquiry on your credit report and it's legitimate (i.e., you knew you were applying for credit), there's nothing you can do to remove it besides wait. It won't impact your score after 12 months and will fall off your credit report after two years.
Hard inquiries serve as a timeline of when you have applied for new credit and may stay on your credit report for two years, although they typically only affect your credit scores for one year.
One way is to go directly to the creditor by sending them a certified letter in the mail. In your letter, be sure to point out which inquiry (or inquiries) were not authorized, and then request that those inquiries be removed. You could also contact the 3 big credit bureaus where the unauthorized inquiry has shown up.
Your Credit Score Drops
If one or more late payments or collections show up on a credit report after you've already been approved, your credit score could drop below the minimum required for your loan, and your loan could be denied.
Paying cash for big purchases during the mortgage process is a logical option. However, you have to be cautious too, as it can also put your approval at risk. You can pay cash as long as you have enough cash to cover for your down payment, closing costs, and cash reserve when the closing time comes.
For most loan types, the credit score needed to buy a house is at least 620. However, a higher score significantly improves your chances of approval, as borrowers with scores under 650 tend to make up just a small fraction of closed purchase loans.
One or two hard inquiries accrued during the normal course of applying for loans or credit cards can have an almost negligible effect on your credit. Lots of recent hard inquiries on your credit report, however, could elevate the level of risk you pose as a borrower and have a more noticeable impact on credit scores.
Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.