Hard pull vs soft pull
A soft pull checks your credit without affecting your score; a hard pull creates an inquiry that can lower it.
What it means
A soft pull (or soft inquiry) is when a lender, insurer, or you yourself checks your credit report for informational purposes. It leaves no mark that other lenders can see and does not affect your credit score. A hard pull (or hard inquiry) happens when you formally apply for credit and authorize a lender to review your full report. Hard pulls appear on your credit file for up to two years and can shave a few points off your score, especially if you rack up several in a short window.
Why it matters
When you shop for auto financing or refinancing, every formal application can trigger a hard pull. Accumulating five or six hard inquiries in a month signals risk to future lenders and can drop your score by ten or more points. The good news: credit-scoring models typically treat multiple auto-loan inquiries within a 14- to 45-day window as a single event, so you can rate-shop without compounding the damage. Soft pulls let you preview rates with zero risk.
What to do
Always ask whether a rate quote requires a hard or soft pull before you submit your information. When you are ready to compare real offers, concentrate your applications within two weeks to minimize score impact. Our refinance verdict tool helps you decide when the timing is right.
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