inquiries · 4 min
Hard vs soft inquiries
Hard pulls cost a few points; soft pulls cost nothing.
Hard vs soft at a glance
| Type | Examples | Score impact | Stays on report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard | Credit card / loan / mortgage / auto application | -3 to -5 points each | 2 years (scored 12 months) |
| Soft | Checking your own score, pre-approvals, employer/landlord checks | Zero | Visible only to you |
The 14-day rate-shopping window
FICO deduplicates auto, mortgage, and student-loan inquiries within a 14-day window (45 days on newer FICO models) and counts them as one inquiry. Apply for 6 auto loans in 10 days = 1 hit, not 6.
This rule does not apply to credit cards. Each card app = a separate hard pull.
When inquiries actually hurt
A single hard pull is forgettable. Six hard pulls in 90 days screams "credit-hungry" and can drop you 25+ points plus trigger manual underwriting rejections.
Rule of thumb
- Spread credit card apps 6 months apart
- Cluster mortgage/auto shopping into a 2-week window
- Never apply for new credit in the 6 months before a mortgage
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