The Confusion over Credit Inquiries

When you seek out new credit, you automatically give the potential creditor permission to request a copy of your credit profile. As the creditor does so, a credit inquiry is notated on your credit file. There is some confusion over credit inquiries, their effects on the overall credit rating, and also which inquiries are considered detrimental. To clear up some of the confusion on credit inquiries and their effects, it is noteworthy that there are two types of inquiries which do not have any adverse effects: the kinds of inquiries that are initiated by you – such as when you request a copy of your credit profile – and also the inquiries by creditors with whom you already do business. Banks and businesses routinely check into their consumers’ credit profiles; sometimes this is done prior to offering additional credit, while at other times it serves to reevaluate the interest rate a consumer is currently charged.

When you go out and apply for new credit, these inquiries are added to the credit profile. The more often you apply for credit, the more quickly these notations pile up. The more such notations you have on your credit record, the lower your credit rating will go. If you apply for a wide array of credit products, you may notice that your credit rating could actually be slipping by quite a few points. The exception to this rule is the consumer who is shopping around for a loan, such as a mortgage or car loan. Credit reporting agencies expect consumers to invite quotes from different lenders, and as such they bundle the inquiries and do not let them affect the credit rating for about 30 days. Thereafter, however, the number of inquiries that is notated on the credit profile does indeed have the potential of taking down the credit rating.

Would be creditors want to know when you apply for a lot of credit.  In some cases this serves as a red flag, since it implies that you might end up with more credit than you – according to your credit profile – can handle. What is more, if you show a lot of credit inquiries but no new credit, the assumption here is that you have been denied credit by the lender. This, too, is a very serious red flag for consumers relying on credit for their ability to do business, make major purchases, and simply enhance their buying power. This has led to a number of myths surrounding the credit inquiry with respect to its relationship to the overall credit rating.

As a consumer, your best bet is to only apply for credit if you are resolved to pursue the application. For example, applying for store credit just to save 10% on a sale might sound like an attractive offer, but unless you either stand to save a lot of money or intend to use the store credit card in the future, the inquiry sent by the bank issuing the store credit may do more harm than good. This should also give pause to the consumer thinking of renting an apartment and checking around the various available homes. Only fill out applications with those venues you are serious about living at.