Hard inquiries can stay on your credit report for two years. After two years or 24 months are over they fall off naturally from the list. The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) asks credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) to always inform the consumer before performing a hard inquiry on them by a lender or any money lending institution.
This inquiry is conducted to know the status of your credit transactions. Here’s what you need to know about hard inquiries, how they affect your credit score, and how to dispute one in your credit report.
Hard inquiries can never be pulled off from the credit report until it is the result of identity theft.
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How To Remove Inquiries From Credit Reports?
Hard inquiries are the inquiries conducted by the lender for checking the credit report. It only occurs when you apply for a new loan or credit. It is also called a hard pull or hard credit check.
A genuine hard inquiry cannot result in bringing any change in your credit score. This might sound appealing but practically it is not possible. A hard inquiry is pulled of the report naturally. And this process takes a minimum of two years.
The inquiries which are fraud conducted against such inquiries disputes can be created.
A hard inquiry drops off the credit score. That’s why several hard inquiries should not be conducted in a short span. This may result in decreasing your creditworthiness in the market.
How Long Do Credit Inquiries Stay On Your Credit Report?
Hard inquiries can stay up in your credit report for 24 months. Such inquires are conducted when you apply for a credit card or loan.
If the inquiry in your credit report is inappropriate, a consumer can dispute it as an error in the credit report.
Two points to keep in mind for saving yourself from inquires-
- Do the payments on time.
- Credit card limit should not be used more than 30%.
How To Get Inquiries Off Your Credit Report?
Credit inquiries are conducted only when a lender looks out for full credit history. For this, there are 3 main credit reporting agencies.
Hard inquiries can be removed off your credit report only if-
- The inquiry is conducted without asking you..
- The inquiry was conducted without your knowledge.
- The number of inquires that occurred is more than normal.
How Much Does Your Credit Score Increase When Inquiries Drop Off?
Credit inquires affect your credit score by less than five points. Hard inquiries directly affect your credit score. A soft inquiry does not create any kind of impact on your credit score or credit report.
For the duration of 24 months, credit inquiries stay in your credit report. But it affects your credit score for 12 months only.
For losing a few credit points one should focus on the following points-
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Payment history clear
Make all your previous payments clear in time. After a duration of 30 days, late payment is recorded in your credit report. This negative mark affects your credit score in a long run. Payments like credit card payments, utility bills, EMIs, loan payments should be done on time.
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Credit balance low
Keep your credit balance to 30% or less than your available credit. It is necessary to maintain your credit balance low for paying them off at regular intervals. So that it does not affect your credit score.
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Keep an eye on your credit report
Annually at least once, a credit report should be checked. In case of any error or omission in the report, this may be rectified. If the errors are found you may directly contact credit bureaus. Lenders can also help you at such times. Every 30 days or 45 days, a report is updated that time lender could help you.
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Credit dispute
A consumer can also file a credit dispute.
CONCLUSION
Inquiries are conducted to check your creditworthiness. Once a hard inquiry is conducted it will affect your score. This stays in your record for twenty-four months. Five or less than five points are decreased in every hard inquiry.
Such inquiries are pulled off naturally after the duration of 24 months. And it affects your credit report only till 12 months.
