Does checking your own credit score lower it? No. Looking at your own credit information is a soft inquiry, which does not affect your score. The distinction that matters is why someone is checking: a review you request works differently from a credit check prompted by an application.
- You check your own information: This is a soft inquiry. It does not lower your score.
- You apply for new credit: The lender’s check is generally a hard inquiry, which can affect your score.
- You compare offers for one kind of loan: Several hard inquiries made within a scoring model’s shopping window may count as one.
- You review a report: Check which inquiries appear and whether you recognize the applications behind any hard inquiries.
Why your own check does not count against you
A credit report is a record of information about your credit accounts and payment history. A credit score is a number calculated from information in a report. Checking either for your own review does not mean you have asked for new credit. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says requesting your own report has no effect on your score. A consumer explanation from Experian likewise describes checking your own score as a soft inquiry that does not lower it.
That means you do not need to avoid looking at your report out of fear that the act of looking will cost you points. Reviewing it can help you see whether the information available to lenders is accurate and current. It can also help you spot an unfamiliar inquiry before you assume it came from an application you remember making.
What makes a hard inquiry different?
An inquiry is a record that someone accessed your credit report. A soft inquiry can result from your own review, an existing creditor’s account review or screening for a prescreened offer. Soft inquiries do not affect credit scores. A hard inquiry generally happens when you apply for credit and a lender checks your report to make a decision. Lenders viewing your report can see hard inquiries, according to the CFPB’s explanation of inquiries.
Why can an application matter when your own review does not? Scoring models consider how recently and how often you seek new credit. A hard inquiry is evidence of an application; a soft inquiry is not. The effect of a hard inquiry varies, so the presence of one cannot tell you exactly how a particular score will change. Payment history and other report information also play a part in a score.
What if you compare several loan offers?
Rate shopping can produce more than one hard inquiry. Scoring models generally group inquiries for the same type of loan made within a shopping window of roughly 14 to 45 days. That window can help keep comparisons for a mortgage, auto loan or student loan from being treated like several unrelated applications. The exact treatment depends on the scoring model, so do not assume every inquiry will be combined.
The CFPB notes that, in the most common scoring models, mortgage, auto and student loan inquiries made during the 30 days before scoring have no effect. That is a separate timing rule from grouping inquiries within a shopping window. Applications for different kinds of credit, or a search that continues beyond the applicable window, may be counted separately. Checking your own report while you compare offers remains a soft inquiry.
Where can you get a free report?
The CFPB identifies AnnualCreditReport.com as the free report source. Each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, allows you to review its report online for free once a week. You can also request a mailed copy once every 12 months from each company. Check the official site for current terms if you need additional copies.
A free report and a free score are not the same offer. The government-referenced report channel should not be assumed to include a score. If another site offers a free score or report, read its terms before signing up, particularly if the offer leads to a paid monitoring subscription. The Federal Trade Commission’s free-report guide is another place to check how the official report process works.
What should you look for in the inquiry section?
Start with a simple question: do you recognize each hard inquiry and the application that led to it? A soft inquiry from your own review or a prescreened offer has a different meaning. If you compared loans, consider whether the inquiries were for the same type of loan and how far apart the applications were. Those details matter more than the number of entries alone.
If an inquiry appears unfamiliar, avoid guessing from its label that your score was harmed or that someone opened an account. Check the details on the report and consult the reporting company’s official dispute information or the CFPB for the steps that fit your situation. You can review your report again without creating a hard inquiry.
Please seek a professional. This article is general information, not financial, tax or insurance advice. Please seek a licensed financial, tax or insurance professional about your own situation.
