What Triggers a Soft Inquiry?
Common soft inquiries include: checking your own credit score or report, credit card pre-approval offers you receive in the mail, lender pre-qualification tools on websites (before you formally apply), employer background checks, landlord tenant screening, insurance company checks, and periodic account reviews by your existing lenders. None of these will lower your credit score.
Can You See Soft Inquiries on Your Credit Report?
Yes, soft inquiries appear on your credit report in a section visible only to you, not to lenders. When a lender pulls your report to make a credit decision, they only see hard inquiries. Soft inquiries typically remain visible on your personal report for twelve to twenty-four months but have no bearing on any credit decision.
How Do Soft Inquiries Help Consumers?
Soft inquiries allow you to explore your credit options without penalty. You can check pre-qualification tools at multiple lenders to compare offers — such as credit card rates or personal loan terms — before formally applying. This lets you shop around intelligently and only submit a formal application (triggering a hard pull) when you are reasonably confident you will be approved.
Frequently asked questions
Does checking my credit score count as a soft inquiry?
Yes. Checking your own credit score through your bank, credit card issuer, or a monitoring service is always a soft inquiry and will never affect your score. You are encouraged to monitor your own credit regularly without any concern about damaging it.
Can I stop companies from doing soft inquiries for pre-approval offers?
Yes. You can opt out of pre-screened credit and insurance offers by visiting OptOutPrescreen.com or calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT. This prevents companies from using your credit information for unsolicited marketing, though it does not block other types of soft inquiries.