VERSION: 4.0

85: Too many inquiries

Description

If a lender runs a credit check when you apply for credit, an inquiry is reported to the credit bureaus. This can lower your score a small amount, typically by 10 to 20 points. The VantageScore credit score model takes rate shopping, e.g., for a mortgage or car loan, into consideration. All inquiries for mortgages, auto loans and major credit cards that appear in your credit file within a 14-day window are interpreted as a single inquiry. Another time inquiries never count against your score is when you check your own credit or obtain your own credit score.

Tips

Apply for credit only when you need it. If you are approved for credit, the small score drop from making an inquiry will disappear within a short time and the score will quickly benefit if you make on-time payments and manage your new account in a responsible fashion.