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It is important to know that not all credit score checks lower an individual’s credit score. There are two types of credit score checks, namely, a soft check (also known as a soft inquiry) and a hard check (also known as a hard inquiry).
What is a soft inquiry?
A soft inquiry is when you check your own credit score to know where you stand in the credit world. This does not affect your credit score at all. You can feel free to check your own credit score as regularly as you want as it has no impact on your credit score. You can check your credit score for free on CreditMantri here and this will not harm your credit score.
Also, in some cases, some credit companies do a soft inquiry to check if you are eligible for a particular credit product. If you are eligible, you might receive an email or SMS with the offer for the credit score. These soft inquiries do not affect your credit score.
What is a hard inquiry?
A hard inquiry occurs when you apply for a credit product such as a loan or a credit card. It is when the credit issuer pulls your credit report from a credit bureau to check it. This type of an inquiry does affect your credit score. This is why it is not advisable to apply for multiple credit products in a short period of time. It is better to apply for just one product after checking your own credit score and making sure that you are eligible for the credit product you are applying for.
A hard inquiry can take off approximately 5 points from one’s credit score based on one’s credit profile.