Quick Answer
Hard inquiries occur when a lender pulls credit to make a lending decision - typically producing a small short-term score impact that fades over time.
Key Takeaways
- Single inquiries usually have small impact.
- Multiple inquiries for the same product type within a window are often deduplicated.
- Inquiries fall off the report after two years.
Rate-Shopping Windows
Scoring models commonly group multiple inquiries for mortgages, auto loans, or student loans within a short window - often 14 or 45 days - as a single inquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do hard inquiries hurt my score?
Most educational sources note that the score impact of an individual inquiry fades within several months to a year.