Hard Inquiries Explained: How They Affect Your Score and How to Remove Unauthorized Ones

What a Hard Inquiry Actually Is

Ashley Boswell starts every inquiry consultation at Mortgage Help ASAP with the same distinction: there are two kinds of credit checks, and only one can touch your score. A soft inquiry — like checking your own credit, a pre-qualification screening, or a background check — does not affect your score at all. A hard inquiry happens when you actively apply for credit and a lender pulls your full file to underwrite the application. That hard pull is the one that can lower your score.

Damon Boswell explains that a single hard inquiry typically costs fewer than five points on a FICO Score, and for most people the impact is small and temporary. But the Boswell team stresses that the effect is larger when you have a thin credit file or a short credit history — the same five-point ding represents a bigger percentage of your overall profile when you have few accounts.

How Long Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Report

Damon & Ashley Boswell want clients to understand the exact timeline. A hard inquiry remains visible on your credit report for up to two years from the date it was pulled. However, it only affects your FICO Score for the first twelve months. After that first year, the inquiry stops factoring into your score even though it is still visible to anyone who pulls your report.

Damon Boswell adds that after the two-year mark, the inquiry falls off your report naturally. You cannot speed that up for a legitimate inquiry — if you really applied for the credit, the pull is accurate and must age off on its own. But if the inquiry is unauthorized, the Boswell team has a very different answer.

The Rate-Shopping Window You Should Know About

One of the most reassuring things Ashley Boswell tells mortgage-bound clients is that you are not penalized for shopping around. FICO scoring models group multiple hard inquiries for the same type of loan — a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan — into a single inquiry if they occur within a specific window. For newer FICO models, that rate-shopping window is 45 days; for older models, it is 14 days.

Damon Boswell emphasizes that this only applies to the same loan type within the same window. Six credit card applications in a month will not be grouped — each one counts as its own hard inquiry. But pulling your credit with three different mortgage lenders over two weeks to find the best rate will count as a single inquiry under modern FICO models, so you can compare offers without tanking your score.

How to Spot an Unauthorized Hard Inquiry

Ashley Boswell instructs every Mortgage Help ASAP client to pull all three bureau reports and scan the inquiry section carefully. A hard inquiry you do not recognize is a red flag. It could be a simple mismatch — the creditor name on the report may differ from the store or brand name you applied through — but it could also be a sign that someone used your identity to apply for credit in your name.

Damon Boswell recommends contacting the company listed on the inquiry before disputing. Some lenders use a partner bank or a different legal entity to run credit checks, so an unfamiliar name may still be legitimate. If you confirm you never applied and the company cannot verify your authorization, that is an unauthorized inquiry and a dispute is the next step.

How to Dispute an Unauthorized Inquiry

Damon & Ashley Boswell lay out the dispute process clearly. You file a dispute with each of the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — that is showing the unauthorized inquiry. The bureau then contacts the company that made the inquiry and asks them to verify that you authorized it. If they cannot produce that authorization within roughly 30 days, the bureau must remove the inquiry from your report.

Damon Boswell adds a critical safety step: if you suspect the unauthorized inquiry is tied to identity theft, place a fraud alert or a security freeze on your credit file immediately. A freeze prevents any new hard inquiries from going through without your permission, which stops further damage while the dispute is investigated. The Boswell team also recommends filing a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov if fraud is confirmed.

What a Single Hard Inquiry Really Costs You

Ashley Boswell puts the impact in perspective. For a consumer with a mature credit profile, one hard inquiry may lower a FICO Score by fewer than five points, and the score often recovers within a few months as new positive history builds. Inquiries make up only about 10% of your FICO Score, so they are one of the smaller factors compared to payment history at 35% and amounts owed at 30%.

Damon Boswell cautions that the real risk is not one inquiry — it is a pattern. Multiple hard inquiries in a short window signal to lenders that you are seeking a lot of new credit quickly, which can read as financial stress. The Boswell team helps clients stagger applications strategically so each one does the least possible damage.

Let the Boswells Protect and Restore Your Score

Hard inquiries are a normal part of building credit, but unauthorized ones are not. If you want Damon & Ashley Boswell to review your three-bureau reports, identify every unauthorized inquiry, file the disputes, and help you place protective freezes where needed, Mortgage Help ASAP is ready to step in. Reach out today and we will make sure your report reflects only the credit activity you actually authorized.