Question 1

How credit inquiries affect your credit score?

Accepted Answer

New credit accounts for about 10% of your FICO® credit score.1 Hard credit inquiries may bring your credit score down by a few points. The impact of a single hard credit check depends on your overall credit history. A hard credit inquiry may have a bigger effect if you have a limited credit history. But generally, a single credit check may not bring your score down very much. Responsible use of your new credit card may help offset the impact.

Question 2

How long do credit inquiries stay on your credit report?

Accepted Answer

Credit inquiries may remain on your credit report for up to two years. However, their impact on your credit score goes down over time. In fact, according to the Texas State Law Library, hard inquiries typically stop affecting your FICO® Score altogether after 12 months.

Question 3

Can you remove credit inquiries?

Accepted Answer

You can't remove legitimate credit inquiries from your credit report. But you may dispute an unauthorized hard credit check with the credit reporting agency in order to have it removed from your credit report. An unauthorized hard check might mean a creditor has pulled your credit report by mistake, or that someone may have applied for credit in your name. Regularly checking your credit report helps you quickly spot and address any errors, fraud, or identity theft.

What are Credit Inquiries?

Key Takeaways

Did you know?

What's Length of Credit History?

How to Identify the Most Accurate Credit Score

What is a Good Credit Score?

Do Other Countries Have Credit Scores?