Is It Bad to Check Your Credit Score

If you have been regularly borrowing credit, the first discipline that you must inculcate as part of good credit behaviour is regularly checking your credit score. Are you having questions in your mind like ‘Is it bad to check your credit score’ or ‘will checking your credit score lower it’?

Well, you’re not alone in having these questions when it comes to credit. Do you believe in the myth that checking your credit will negatively affect your credit score? Worry not, as we will help you demystify some common doubts about checking credit score. Read on to know some important facts around credit score checks.

Is checking credit score bad?

Checking your credit score is an important part of the credit borrowing process. It has varied benefits, especially if you are a regular credit user. Here are some important points to consider about checking your credit score:

• Know your score - Are you aware of your current credit score? If not, you should remember that the first step in any credit-related process is to know and understand your credit score. Checking your credit score doesn’t harm your score. Regular monitoring of your credit score can help in achieving a higher score in the long run.
• How much does your credit score drop when you check it – As we mentioned, checking your credit will NOT hurt your score but it will help you in improving it. There are higher chances of a drop in your score if you do not monitor it regularly.
• Your credit score can drop when a lender checks it - While your credit score is not affected when you check it, it can take a hit when multiple lenders check for it within a short span. This brings us to the next point.

Understanding the Differences Between Hard and Soft Inquiries

There are two types of credit enquiries:

• Hard Enquiry: This occurs whenever you apply for new credit. The lenders go through your credit score and report to check your eligibility.
• Soft Enquiry: This occurs when you check your credit report or an institution and organisation pulls out your credit score for background verification.

While the soft enquiry does NOT have any impact on your credit score, your hard enquiry can have a negative impact on your credit report. You can keep on checking your own credit report any number of times, but when lenders check your credit report, it will show up on it, indicating you are hungry for credit. Checking your credit score on CreditMantri will not affect your credit score.

Why is a credit score check important?

If you use credit and have a credit score, you must understand how to check your credit score. Regular credit score checks will help you to understand what comprises your credit score, hard and soft inquiries, and much more.

Many people believe that checking the credit score will negatively impact their score. Thus, they tend to avoid regularly checking the same and thereby missing out on the identification of errors or inaccuracies on their credit report. This can lead to a lower credit score. Hence, it is important to regularly check your credit report and credit score to track errors and ensure that your score is as per your expectations.

How is a credit score calculated?

Your credit score is a numerical figure which reflects information about your credit behaviour, repayment capability, defaults, repayment history, etc. In simple words, it’s a number that displays your credibility to lenders.

Different credit scores have different scoring models and calculation techniques. However, most of them are based on the following key factors:

Payment history: Your repayment history has a significant impact on your credit score. Making timely payments every month is the key to have a stable payment history. If you are unable to make the full payment, ensure to make at least the minimum payment.

Credit utilization: Credit utilisation refers to the proportion of available credit which you end up using every month. For an ideal credit score, you should try to keep your credit utilisation below 30%.

Length of credit history: The length of your credit history also determines your credit score. If you have old credit card accounts, avoid closing these. Lenders can easily check your credit behaviour based on your credit history. If there is no credit history, it may be difficult to source fresh credit.

Types of current credit: Banks and lenders prefer customers who ensure responsible use of different credit types. If you are currently using only credit cards, try adding a loan to the credit portfolio. Always opt for a healthy mix of secured and unsecured loans to have a positive influence on your credit score.

Account inquiries: The number of credit inquiries you make will also impact your credit score. Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score. However, a hard inquiry, such as applying for a new credit card, will immediately impact your score. Therefore, try and limit hard inquiries to a minimum.

Important Points to Remember While Checking Credit Score

Here is what you should remember while checking your credit score:

• Compare Against the Same Version - There are different types and versions of credits scores. While monitoring your credit score, make sure that you check the credit score provided by the same credit agency and the same version each time. This will help in making a fair comparison of your score over some time. While most credit scoring models measure the same set of factors, each may weigh the factors differently or may use different scales of measurement.
• Check Credit Score for Free - You don’t necessarily have to purchase expensive credit checking services for checking the accuracy of your score. You can check your basic credit assessment for free at CreditMantri.
• Check Score Regularly – Make sure to check your score regularly, at least once a month. This will help in avoiding last-minute issues regarding errors in your score or rejection of loan application due to a low credit score.

Conclusion

It is not bad to check your credit score since closely monitoring your credit score will help improve it over time. Make sure to check your credit score before applying for fresh credit to avoid rejection of applications.

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