How Long Do Credit Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score?

When you check your credit or companies do it on your behalf, those pulls can show up on your report for months or even years. Understanding how much does a credit check affect your score can help you manage your financial health.

Knowing how long does a hard inquiry affect your credit score is just as important to avoid unwelcome surprises and plan your applications wisely.

Key takeaways

• Hard inquiries stay on your credit report for up to two years but only affect your score for a year
• Soft inquiries don’t affect your credit score and aren’t visible to lenders
• Shopping for certain loans within a short 14 to 45-day window minimizes the effect of multiple hard inquiries

How long do credit inquiries affect your credit score?

Credit inquiries, especially hard inquiries, can seem challenging. When a lender pulls your credit report to assess lending risk, a hard inquiry is made.

But how long do these inquiries affect your score? Generally, hard inquiries stay on your credit report for up to two years, but their effect on your score fades much faster.

Immediate effect of hard inquiries

A hard inquiry can reduce your credit score by up to five points, though this effect diminishes within a few months. The exact effect depends on your overall credit profile. For example, if you already have good to excellent credit, the drop is usually less significant.

Long-term effects

After about a year, the effect of that hard inquiry on your credit score is minimal. Most scoring models, including FICO, no longer consider it after 12 months. VantageScore, however, considers hard inquiries for two years. The inquiry itself also remains on your report for the full two years.

Multiple hard inquiries for the same type of loan

When shopping for the best mortgage or auto loan rates, multiple inquiries within a short time frame (usually 14 to 45 days) are typically treated as a single inquiry. This practice allows you to compare loans without being excessively penalized.

Other important questions

How to distinguish between hard and soft inquiries?

Understanding the difference between hard and soft inquiries is vital. A soft inquiry, like when you check your own credit report or when employers pull your report for background checks, doesn’t affect your credit score.

TuitionHero Tip

Soft inquiries aren’t visible to potential lenders and have no effect on your creditworthiness. For more details, check out our resources on student loans.

Promotional vs. account-review soft inquiries

Not all soft pulls are the same—understanding the two main types can help you interpret your credit report and know how long do hard inquiries affect credit score or clear them out.

1. Promotional inquiries

• Triggered when lenders, card issuers, or insurers pre-approve you for an offer (e.g., “pre-qualified” credit cards, loan offers, insurance discounts).
• Only limited information is exchanged—often just your name, address and summary score data.
• Lifespan: Typically fall off your report after one year, so you’ll see how long credit inquiries affect credit score clearly.
• Score impact: Always zero—these never affect your credit score.

2. Account-review inquiries

• Occur when an existing creditor or service provider checks your full credit file for marketing (e.g., credit-line increase), underwriting (e.g., utility deposit decision) or account-management purposes.
• Pull full credit details, similar to a hard inquiry, but still zero impact—though they can make you wonder how many points does credit inquiries lower your score if you don’t realize they’re soft.
• Lifespan: Remain on your report for two years, matching hard pulls and answering the question, "How long do hard inquiries last?"
• Score impact: Zero, but they “clutter” your inquiry history.

TuitionHero Tip

If you see a cluster of pre-approval pulls, know they usually vanish in 12 months—and never ding your score. Account-review pulls stick around twice as long, so if you’re concerned about the appearance of too many inquiries, ask each provider whether they’re doing a promotional or account-review check before you proceed.

How can I reduce the effect of hard inquiries?

Reducing the effect of hard inquiries involves strategic planning:

• Limit applications: Only apply for credit when necessary.
• Shop within a narrow window: If you’re rate shopping for auto loans or mortgages, do so within a condensed period to minimize multiple inquiries.
• Monitor your credit: Regularly check your credit report for any unauthorized hard inquiries.

Can I dispute a hard inquiry?

You can't remove a legitimate hard inquiry from your report. But if you come across one you don't recognize, it could be a sign of identity theft.

In such cases, you can dispute the inquiry. For more on handling disputes and removing inaccuracies, consider services offering FAFSA assistance.

Understanding the difference between hard and soft inquiries

Hard and soft inquiries differ significantly in their effect on your credit report. Hard inquiries occur when lenders check your credit for applications like mortgages, credit cards, or other types of loans.

They can lower your credit score by up to five points and stay on your report for up to two years. However, they usually lose their effect after the first 12 months.

In contrast, soft inquiries happen when you check your credit score yourself or when businesses review your credit for pre-approved offers. These don't affect your credit score.

Steps to reduce the effect of hard inquiries

There are several methods to minimize the effect of hard inquiries before applying for significant loans:

• Apply for credit only when necessary.
• If you’re shopping for a loan, do so within a short window to limit multiple inquiries' effect.
• Regularly monitor your credit report for accuracy.

TuitionHero Tip

Using these steps can protect your credit score from dropping unnecessarily. For more strategies, consider learning about the best credit card for your needs.

How hard inquiries affect loan shopping

When applying for major loans like a mortgage or auto loan, you might worry about multiple hard inquiries. However, credit scoring models like FICO and VantageScore group multiple inquiries as one if they occur within a 14 to 45-day window. This grouping permits you to shop around for the best rates without damaging your credit score.

Effect of multiple hard inquiries

Applying for several types of credit within a short period can cause more issues. If a lender sees numerous hard inquiries for different types of credit like credit cards, personal loans, or home equity loans, they might suspect financial trouble.

Having too many hard inquiries may signal financial instability to lenders. This perceived risk can result in higher interest rates or even loan denials.

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Disputing inaccurate inquiries

It's possible to encounter hard inquiries you don’t recognize, which may indicate identity theft. Disputing such inquiries involves contacting the credit bureau to have them removed. Legitimate inquiries remain for the two-year period, but inaccurate ones can be disputed.

Below is a table summarizing important data about credit inquiries' effects and timelines to provide a clear understanding:

Understanding these dynamics enhances your ability to navigate financial decisions and manage your credit score effectively.

Dos and don’ts of managing credit inquiries

When managing credit inquiries, it’s essential to navigate the process smartly to protect your credit score. Below are critical dos and don'ts to help you avoid pitfalls and make informed decisions.

Advantages and disadvantages of monitoring your credit score

Monitoring your credit score has different benefits and drawbacks. Understanding these can help you decide how best to manage and improve your credit effectively.

Advantages of monitoring your credit score

• Early fraud detection: Identifies unauthorized activity quickly.
• Better loan terms: Maintains a higher score for favorable interest rates.
• Educational: Understand the credit scoring process better.

Disadvantages of monitoring your credit score

• Potential obsession: Constant checking can lead to undue stress.
• False sense of security: Regular monitoring doesn’t prevent fraud.
• Cost: Some monitoring services charge fees.

CFPB’s medical-debt removal postponed

On February 6, 2025, the Eastern District of Texas granted a 90-day stay, delaying the CFPB’s rule banning medical debt from credit reports from March 17 to June 15, 2025. The rule—finalized January 7, 2025—had aimed to remove roughly $49 billion in medical debts affecting 15 million consumers.

Litigation by ACA International and Specialized Collection Systems under the APA prompted the stay. As of May 2025, the CFPB has moved to cancel the rule entirely, so the June 15 effective date remains uncertain .

Until then, any hard or soft inquiries tied to medical-debt disputes will continue to appear on consumer files. Once in effect, all medical-debt inquiries will be removed, potentially boosting affected consumers’ scores.

Why trust TuitionHero

At TuitionHero, we help students and parents navigate financial landscapes and manage student loans. Our platform connects you to lenders for private loans, refinancing, and scholarships. We simplify the FAFSA process and offer student-friendly credit cards. Use our services to improve your financial health and ensure a smooth educational journey.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What happens if I have too many hard inquiries on my credit report?

Too many hard inquiries within a short period could signal financial instability to lenders, potentially resulting in higher interest rates or denial of credit applications. It's crucial to manage your credit applications wisely to avoid raising red flags.

Can I remove a hard inquiry from my credit report before it drops off naturally?

While legitimate hard inquiries can’t be removed from your credit report, you can dispute any inaccuracies. If a hard inquiry appears that you don’t recognize, contact the credit bureau to investigate and potentially remove it.

How can combining multiple inquiries during loan shopping benefit me?

When shopping for loans, credit scoring models like FICO group multiple inquiries within a short timeframe (14 to 45 days) into a single inquiry. This practice allows you to compare loan offers without significantly hurting your credit score.

Can you remove soft inquiries from your credit report?

No. Soft inquiries are legitimate, informational checks (like when you pull your own report or get pre-qualified offers) and have no impact on your score. They’re managed by the credit bureaus and automatically drop off over time—you can’t manually delete them.

Do lenders care about soft inquiries?

Generally, no. Most lenders can’t see soft inquiries except their own.

They only view hard inquiries (which occur when you apply for credit). Soft pulls are invisible to outside creditors and don’t factor into loan or card approvals.

Final thoughts

Credit inquiries are a normal part of financial life, but they don’t have to be mysterious or harmful. Even though individual hard pulls can lower your score by up to 5–10 points—answering how much does a hard inquiry affect your credit score—they lose weight after a year, and vanish completely in two years.

By distinguishing between hard pulls and the two types of soft pulls—promotional and account review—you can shop for loans strategically, dispute any unauthorized inquiries, and focus on the factors that truly build a strong credit profile.

Source

• How long are hard inquiries on your report : r/CRedit
• How Long Do Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report? - Experian