--- title: The Difference Between a Soft and a Hard Credit Inquiry description: It's important to know the difference between a hard inquiry and a soft inquiry and how each can affect your credit report. image: https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/credit-inquiry.jpg --- [![MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png?width=464&name=MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png "MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2")](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Insurance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - 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[Pets (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/pets) - [dormant account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/dormant-account) - [inactive account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/inactive-account) # The Difference Between a Soft and a Hard Credit Inquiry ** [Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/author/hanscom-federal-credit-union) ** Jan 02, 2019 ![copy of credit report](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/credit-inquiry.jpg) If you've been working to boost your credit score or researching auto loans, you've probably come across the phrases "hard inquiry" and "soft inquiry" in relation to your credit report. What makes one inquiry "hard" and the other "soft," and why is knowing the difference important for your financial health? A **hard inquiry** is when a potential lender pulls your credit report from one of the credit bureaus to determine your credit worthiness for things like a car loan, a credit card, a mortgage, or an apartment rental. This kind of inquiry requires your approval first, so you shouldn't be surprised to see it on your credit report if you've authorized a credit check. (And if you *are* surprised, keep reading...we'll tell you what to do when you spot an unauthorized credit inquiry.) The other thing about a hard inquiry is that it temporarily knocks a few points off your credit score. That's usually no big deal, unless you're working hard to keep your score up to purchase a home or you've been shopping around for a lot of credit recently. Multiple hard inquiries can pull your score down significantly and scare off lenders, who might be wondering if you're in financial trouble and trying to stockpile open credit lines, so avoid applying for a lot of credit in a short time period. That said, if you've been shopping around for a new car and you have multiple dealers making hard inquiries with credit bureaus, they're typically treated as a single inquiry if they occur within a short time period. The same thing goes when you're shopping for the best mortgage rate. While these hard inquiries stay on your credit report for 24 months, the dip in your score may only last a few months, especially if you handle your credit obligations responsibly. In fact, your score may even go *up* with several months of timely payments on your loan. This brings us to the **soft inquiry**. A soft inquiry on your credit can occur with or without your prior authorization but it has no effect on your credit score, unlike a hard inquiry. When you look at your credit report, [you'll be able to see all the soft inquiries that have been made, along with the dates](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/the-4-sections-of-your-credit-report) they occurred. If you use apps or services that offer free credit scores, the data they're using comes from soft inquiries. If you receive pre-selected offers for credit cards in the mail, potential lenders have made soft inquiries on your credit to determine if you're a good fit for their offers. However, once you decide to take advantage of a pre-selected offer, be sure to read the fine print: Even though you've been pre-selected, you will be giving the lender approval to make a hard inquiry on your credit report before they make a firm offer of credit.  **In a nutshell: a soft inquiry is typically used for informational purposes, unlike a hard inquiry, which occurs when there's an actual credit decision on the line. ** Now let's say you look at your credit report and notice there's a hard inquiry you don't recognize. There could be several reasons it's there. Sometimes department store or gas credit cards are authorized through a financial institution other than the retailer, or multiple lenders will do credit checks for a car loan initiated through a dealership. If the inquiry still doesn't make sense, you can contact the lender that initiated the check and ask for more details, or contact the credit bureau reporting the inquiry and file a dispute. The credit bureau will remove the inquiry if their investigation shows it's not legitimate. At this point, [you should consider adding a fraud alert to your credit report](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/how-to-detect-identity-theft-on-your-credit-report) if the inquiry cannot be explained. It could indicate that someone was trying to open up a credit line in your name and that extra scrutiny is required for future checks on your account. (By the way, when you open up a fraud alert with one credit bureau, it'll inform other credit bureaus of the alert.) - [Equifax Online Dispute](https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-dispute/) - [Experian Online Dispute](https://www.experian.com/disputes/main.html) - [TransUnion Online Dispute](https://dispute.transunion.com/dp/dispute/landingPage.jsp) [![Get a free Credit Score Review](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118438/b13728df-1cb3-4aea-a79e-dfdfc42dfb2a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118438/b13728df-1cb3-4aea-a79e-dfdfc42dfb2a)   *Others are reading:* - [How I Stopped Spending and Started Saving](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/how-to-go-from-spendthrift-to-super-saver) - [Obsessed With Your Credit Score? Here's Why You Shouldn't Be.](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/credit-score-obsession) - [5 Steps to a New Financial You in 2019](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/5-steps-to-a-new-financial-you-in-2017) - [How to Get Lower Car Lease Payments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/want-a-lower-car-payment-try-better-than-a-lease) - [The 2 Factors That Make Up 65% of Your Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/credit-score-factors)     ** [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards), [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score), [Credit Report](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-report) [** A Three-step Plan to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/keep-your-new-years-resolutions-2017) [** 4 Ways to Manage Medical Debt ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/medical-debt) ### About Author ![Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/HFCU-Profile-1000x1000.jpg) Hanscom Federal Credit Union Hanscom Federal Credit Union, a purpose-driven $1.9 billion organization based in Littleton, MA, empowers its members to achieve financial wellness. Hanscom FCU serves over 95,000 members across the country and overseas through 16 branches, over 100,000 surcharge-free ATMs, 5,000 contact centers, and a web-based branch. 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Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://X.com/HanscomFCU The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.instagram.com/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### http://www.youtube.com/c/HanscomFederalCreditUnion The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ### Popular Posts [What You Need to Know About Putting Your Home in a Trust](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-putting-your-home-in-a-trust) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20-%202022-02-10T072804.753.jpg) [What You Need to Know About Your Federal Tax Bracket](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-tax-bracket) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20-%202021-03-22T123305.900.jpg) [6 Boat Types to Get on the Water](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/6-boat-types-to-get-on-the-water) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/Jet_Ski.jpg) [23 Organizations Dedicated to the Needs of Seniors](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/23-organizations-dedicated-to-the-needs-of-seniors) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Senior%20citizens.jpg) [9 Smart Moves for Lottery Winners](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/lottery) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/lottery_winner.jpg) ### Recent Posts - [![National Credit Union Administration](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NCUA-logo-small.png?width=95&name=NCUA-logo-small.png) ](https://www.ncua.gov/) [![Equal Housing Lender](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/EHL-logo-small.png?width=65&name=EHL-logo-small.png)](https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing) - @ 2023 [Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://www.hfcu.org/) - Federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.hfcu.org/content/docs/Privacy_Notice.pdf) **Disclosure:** Hanscom Federal Credit Union does not provide and is not responsible for any products, services, or overall website content available at any third-party sites linked within this blog. 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Please consult the privacy disclosures on those linked sites for further information. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" }, "dateModified" : "September 22, 2021, 9:13:56 PM", "datePublished" : "2019-01-02 19:30:00", "description" : "It's important to know the difference between a hard inquiry and a soft inquiry and how each can affect your credit report.", "headline" : "The Difference Between a Soft and a Hard Credit Inquiry", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/118438/credit-inquiry.jpg" }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://go.hfcu.org/blog/credit-know-how-soft-vs.-hard-inquiries", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/118438/Logo%202.jpg" }, "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" } } ```