How Many Credit Inquiries Are Too Many?

Open your mailbox – or inbox – on any given day and you might find at least one lending offer from a credit card company, bank, or car dealership promising savings, low APRs, or refinancing deals. Some may be well worth pursuing, but before filling out the paperwork, consider this: When you formally apply for a loan or credit, lenders will check your credit history with a “hard inquiry” – and every hard inquiry will usually cause a dip in your credit score.

 
How many hard credit inquiries are too many? There’s no concrete answer. Generally, though, the more hard inquiries conducted for multiple lines of credit within a brief time window, the greater the impact on the applicant’s credit score, and the more likely a lender will deem the borrower too risky. The good news is, if the hard inquiries were incurred because you’re rate shopping to find the best loan terms, there are ways to minimize the impact.

Whenever you or a legally authorized company, person, or organization obtains your credit information, it creates entries on your credit report known as inquiries. Those inquiries fall into two categories: soft inquiries and hard inquiries.

A hard inquiry occurs when you formally apply for credit, be it a new credit card, an auto loan, or a mortgage. In some cases, signing up for services like a cellphone account or utility will also trigger a hard inquiry. In these cases, you’re giving creditors the green light to contact one or more of the three national consumer credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax – to access your credit report for details about your debts and payment history before determining whether to approve your application. Your credit history will also play a role in finalizing loan terms and interest rates. A hard inquiry will cause your credit score to drop temporarily by a few points.

 
A soft inquiry occurs when you check your own credit report or when a business checks it without you requesting credit. For example, you might see a soft inquiry on your credit report after a credit card company sends you an unsolicited prequalification offer. Because a soft inquiry isn’t a determining factor in whether a creditor actually lends you money, it has no influence on your credit score. However, if and when you fill out the application for that prequalified card, a hard inquiry will ensue.

Though the effects are minimal, hard inquiries do impact your credit score. For most people, one hard inquiry will take less than five points off their FICO score;¹ within a few months, once the applicant demonstrates ability to handle the new debt, the score usually rebounds. However, FICO also notes that individuals with few accounts or a short credit history may experience a greater negative impact to their credit scores.

Although hard inquiries account for just 10% of your total FICO score, it’s worth noting that these inquiries stay on your credit report for two years. Fortunately, only hard inquiries from the last 12 months are factored into FICO scores. 

Technically, there’s no such thing as “too many” hard credit inquiries. But several hard inquiries for multiple lines of credit occurring in a short time period might work against you. Specifically, applying for a lot of new credit lines within a short time frame can be a red flag to lenders because it can suggest that you’d be a higher credit risk. According to FICO, studies show that people with six or more hard inquiries on their credit reports can be up to eight times as likely to declare bankruptcy, compared to those with no inquiries.²

 
So, if you are in need of credit or several major purchases are looming on the horizon, logic may dictate that you shouldn’t act on several of those aforementioned offers for new credit cards and loans in one fell swoop. If you’re looking to open up multiple lines of credit, it may be better to pace yourself, so you can demonstrate your ability to handle each form of debt before acquiring a new one. Otherwise, lenders may identify you as a high-risk borrower. Waiting can also give your score a chance to rebound after the last hard inquiry and ensure that your next application reflects the best picture of your creditworthiness.