{"id":14371,"date":"2023-03-30T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/?p=14371"},"modified":"2025-10-22T12:23:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T17:23:03","slug":"does-checking-credit-score-lower-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.netcredit.com\/blog\/does-checking-credit-score-lower-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Checking Your Credit Score Lower It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A good credit score can give you access to more credit opportunities, lower interest rates from lenders, better terms on your car insurance and so much more. It\u2019s a good number to know when it comes to personal finance, yet almost a quarter of all American consumers<\/a> have never checked their credit score \u2014 and four in 10 Americans<\/a> don\u2019t know how their score is calculated.<\/p>\n

Checking your score can help you know where you stand, understanding what goes into calculating your score lets you see where you could improve.<\/p>\n

Does checking my credit score lower it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No, checking your own credit score will not lower it. This is because when you look at your own credit score, you\u2019re performing a \u201csoft inquiry<\/a>,\u201d also known as a \u201csoft pull.\u201d Soft inquiries are typically used as an overview of your basic credit history and information. Compared to \u201chard\u201d pulls, they won\u2019t impact your FICO score. Hard pulls are used by many traditional lenders when you apply for credit, and they may lower your score.<\/p>\n

Checking your credit report also won\u2019t impact your score. You can request your credit report for free<\/a> from any of the major credit bureaus every 12 months. Your credit report will provide the details of credit history so you can see what is affecting your score. It\u2019s important to review your credit report for any errors and to stay on top of your financial health.<\/p>\n

What if someone else checks my credit?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether or not someone else checking your credit affects your score depends on what type of credit check they perform. A soft pull won\u2019t affect your credit, but a hard inquiry will.<\/p>\n

Hard credit inquiries.<\/strong> A hard inquiry (or \u201chard pull\u2019) will affect your credit score. This is because a hard credit pull is generally used when you\u2019re applying for new credit. When you apply for a credit card, car loan, mortgage, student loan or a personal loan<\/a>, the lender or credit card issuer may perform a hard pull to see your credit file and determine approval. Hard pulls are more likely to be damaging if your account shows too many of them over a short period of time.<\/p>\n

Not all lenders need to do a hard credit pull to approve you for credit. Some may perform a soft pull or they may look at other financial data.<\/p>\n

Soft credit inquiries.<\/strong> A soft credit check can occur even when you\u2019re not applying for credit, which is why it won\u2019t impact your score. Landlords, insurance companies and other institutions can perform soft credit pulls to get a basic overview of your creditworthiness. Lenders may also use it to preapprove borrowers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to monitor your credit score, it impacts more than you may think and it\u2019s not just financial institutions that may be checking.<\/p>\n

How do I check my credit score?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When looking at your credit score, you\u2019re likely seeing your FICO score or VantageScore. This number is based on information in your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus.<\/p>\n

Checking your credit score is pretty simple and there are a number of different ways to check it for free.<\/p>\n

Banks.<\/strong> Banks often offer their customers free credit scores and credit monitoring services. Check with yours to see if it\u2019s included with your bank account. You can check online or reach out to a customer representative for help.<\/p>\n

Financial wellness companies.<\/strong> Companies like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame offer free credit checks. They focus on helping customers monitor and improve their credit scores. You may need to sign up, but they often offer other services that can help you with everything from finding the best credit card offers to monitoring for identity theft and fraud.<\/p>\n

Budgeting apps.<\/strong> In addition to helping you keep track of your budget and manage your personal finances, many budgeting and personal finance apps will also help you monitor your credit score for free.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the difference between my credit score and credit report?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Your credit score is different from your credit report. Your score is just a number between 300 and 850 that represents your creditworthiness. Your credit report, on the other hand, will list the details that were used to calculate that score.<\/p>\n

There are three major credit bureaus.<\/p>\n