How Long Do Credit Checks Stay On Your Credit Report?

How long do credit checks stay on your credit report? That’s a great question, and one that we get asked a lot. Here’s what you need to know.

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How long do hard inquiries stay on your credit report?

Most hard inquiries will stay on your credit report for two years. However, if you have multiple hard inquiries in a short period of time, they may only stay on your report for one year.

Hard inquiries are generally generated when you apply for new credit, such as a credit card or loan. They can also be generated when you request a copy of your credit report.

How long do soft inquiries stay on your credit report?

One of the many things that can influence your credit score is your credit mix, or the types of accounts that you have open. For instance, a mortgage is going to be looked on more favorably than, say, a credit card balance because it represents responsible borrowing over a long period of time.

How can you remove inquiries from your credit report?

If you find an inquiry on your credit report that you don’t recognize, it could be the result of identity theft. In this case, you should file a police report and a fraud alert with the credit bureaus. You can also dispute the inquiry with the credit bureau.

If the inquiry is legitimate, there are a few ways to remove it from your report. If it’s an authorized user inquiry, you can ask the creditor to remove it. If it’s a hard inquiry, you can file a dispute with the credit bureau.

Inquiries remain on your credit report for two years, but they only affect your score for the first year. After that, they fall off your report entirely.

How do inquiries affect your credit score?

Inquiries are recorded on your credit report when you apply for a new credit card, loan or service. An inquiry stays on your report for up to two years and too many inquiries can have a negative effect on your credit score.

When a lender checks your credit report before approving a loan, this is called a “hard” inquiry. Hard inquiries can ding your score, but only if you have several in a short period of time.

If you check your own credit report or score, this is called a “soft” inquiry. Soft inquiries don’t affect your score.

How can you avoid having inquiries impact your credit score?

If you’re credit card shopping, you may have noticed that some issuers advertise “no hard inquiries.” That’s something to pay attention to if you’re trying to avoid a ding on your credit score.

A hard inquiry is generated when you apply for new credit and the lender does a pull of your credit report. These are also referred to as “hard pulls.” Too many of these in a short period of time can signal to lenders that you’re desperate for cash or racking up debt you can’t repay, and that could hurt your chances of being approved or getting the best terms on a loan.

In general, inquiries stay on your credit report for two years. But they only impact your score for the first year. So, if you’re worried about an upcoming loan application, you may want to wait 12 months after any recent hard pulls before applying. That way, they won’t factor into your credit decision.