A hard inquiry happens when a company checks your credit reports because you have applied for credit. You can dispute hard inquiries you didn’t authorize, but you cannot remove legitimate credit ...

A hard credit check can take a few points off your score temporarily, but a soft inquiry doesn't affect it. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who ...

Shopping for a mortgage, car loan or student loan? Make sure you know the 45-day rule Written By Written by Contributor, Buy Side Ben Luthi is a contributor to Buy Side and an expert on credit, loans, ...

Gabriela Walsh is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® and a personal finance editor at Red Ventures. Her previous work experience includes various editorial positions at FinanceBuzz. She ...

Credit inquiries can either be in the form of hard inquiries or soft inquiries, and they can happen for a variety of reasons.