How to Remove Hard Inquiries from Your Credit Report

Hard inquiries occur when a lender or creditor checks your credit as part of a loan or credit application process. While a single inquiry has a minimal impact, multiple hard inquiries in a short period can lower your credit score and signal risk to lenders. Here’s how you can address them.

Understanding Hard Inquiries

Hard inquiries occur when you apply for credit, such as a loan, credit card, or mortgage. Unlike soft inquiries (e.g., checking your own credit), hard inquiries can impact your credit score. Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for two years but only affect your score for the first year.

Steps to Remove Hard Inquiries

Step 1: Review Your Credit Report

Obtain your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. Check for hard inquiries that you don’t recognize or didn’t authorize. Common errors include:

• Unauthorized inquiries.

• Inquiries resulting from fraud or identity theft.

Step 2: Dispute Unauthorized Inquiries

If you spot unauthorized inquiries, take the following steps:

1. Contact the Creditor: Reach out to the company that made the inquiry to confirm its legitimacy.

2. File a Dispute: If the inquiry is unauthorized, dispute it with the credit bureau. Provide evidence to support your claim, such as proof of identity theft or fraud.

3. Monitor the Investigation: Credit bureaus have 30 days to investigate and respond to your dispute.

Step 3: Protect Yourself from Future Inquiries

To prevent unauthorized hard inquiries in the future:

• Place a Fraud Alert or Credit Freeze: Notify the credit bureaus to prevent unauthorized access to your credit report.

• Be Selective When Applying for Credit: Limit the number of credit applications to avoid unnecessary inquiries.

Improving Your Credit After Removing Hard Inquiries

Once hard inquiries are addressed, focus on rebuilding your credit score by maintaining on-time payments, keeping credit utilization low, and monitoring your credit report regularly.