The Impact of Inquiries

Dear Audrey,

Can requesting your own credit reports bring your credit score down?

Shay K.

Dear Shay,

When you check your own credit report online it does not cause a damaging "hard inquiry" to be recorded. Only when a potential lender or creditor pulls your credit report for the purpose of extending credit does this type of record appear.

Each hard inquiry can cause up to a 5 point drop in your credit score. Multiple inquiries within a short amount of time, like when you are shopping for a mortgage, are grouped together to lessen the impact. The actual amount of damage depends on the number of inquiries, time period and other factors on your credit reports. Each hard inquiry will remain on your credit report for 2 years.

Best Wishes,
Audrey O'Dell