Do credit inquiries impact your credit score? Today, I’ll fill you in on how, if at all, they might.
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Are you concerned with how many times your credit is being pulled and whether or not it’s going to affect your credit score? If so, there are a few things you need to know.
If you’ve applied for a credit card at a store recently, you’ve probably heard the term ‘inquiry.’ There are two types of inquiries: a hard and a soft inquiry.
A hard inquiry is when you give specific permission to a lender to pull your credit and they use that information to determine what kind of credit they’re going to give you and with what terms. This is usually done with a car loan, home loan, or a credit card.
On the other hand, a soft inquiry is when the lender you might already be working with reviews your credit, just to be sure you’re still credit-worthy.
If you’re looking at your credit online, that’s a soft inquiry and shouldn’t impact your credit score. When a lender pulls your credit, they’re seeing only the hard inquiries.
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There are two types of credit inquiries: a hard and a soft inquiry.
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Does that mean you shouldn’t apply for a loan with several lenders to get the best deal? No, you should apply for a loan and get the best deal with the lender of your choice. However, remember that the lenders are seeing only the hard inquiries.
The good thing is that in the credit industry, the credit scoring model takes this into account if you’re looking for a loan for a specific transaction. It’s usually done within a 45-day window. They usually only count that as a hard inquiry against your credit.
The bottom line is that credit cards are important to keep an eye on, but your overall credit healthiness depends on you paying your bills on time, not using too much credit, and just keeping an eye on it.
For more information about credit and real estate, feel free to reach out to me or visit my website, www.ShannonR.com. I hope to hear from you soon!