How to Remove Hard Inquiries from Your Credit Report in 15 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

How to Remove Hard Inquiries from Your Credit Report in 15 Minutes? ›

The easiest way is to file a dispute directly with the creditor. If the creditor cooperates, the inquiry may be removed after sending a single dispute letter.

The easiest way is to file a dispute directly with the creditor. If the creditor cooperates, the inquiry may be removed after sending a single dispute letter.

If you find an unauthorized or inaccurate hard inquiry, you can file a dispute letter and request that the bureau remove it from your report. The consumer credit bureaus must investigate dispute requests unless they determine your dispute is frivolous. Still, not all disputes are accepted after investigation.

Credit repair companies can't remove legitimate hard inquiries from your credit report, and neither can anyone else. And there's really no need to pay a credit repair company to get an inaccurate inquiry removed, since you can do that yourself for free.

Hard inquiries fall off of your credit reports after two years. But your credit scores may only be affected for a year, according to credit-scoring company FICO®. “Although FICO Scores only consider inquiries from the last 12 months, inquiries remain on your credit report for two years,” the company says.

Since hard inquiries affect your credit score and what is found may even affect approval, you might be wondering: How many inquiries is too many? The answer differs from lender to lender, but most consider six total inquiries on a report at one time to be too many to gain approval for an additional credit card or loan.

You can request the removal of hard inquiries from your credit report by pointing out unauthorized checks or going through a formal dispute process with major credit agencies. Whether you're looking to buy a house, lease a car, or get a loan, lenders need to check your credit.

How do hard inquiries impact your credit score? A hard credit inquiry could lower your credit score by as much as 10 points, though in many cases, the damage probably won't be that significant. As FICO explains, “For most people, one additional credit inquiry will take less than five points off their FICO Scores.”

Your credit score does not go up when a hard inquiry drops off your credit report. Your score will not go down when a hard inquiry drops off, either. Instead, a hard inquiry (or hard credit pull) stops having an impact on your credit score after one year, which is one year before it drops off your credit report.

Can I get inquiries removed early? ›

Every point may count when you're applying for a new credit card or loan. Unfortunately, you generally can't remove accurate records from your credit reports, including hard inquiries from previous credit applications — even if the application was denied. But don't stress too much.

Newer versions of FICO scores typically give you a 45-day window for such inquiries. VantageScores have a shorter window for hard inquiries — 14 days. You won't get to choose the score or score version a lender uses, so it pays to do your comparison shopping quickly.

Can I get hard searches removed? No, you can't remove a hard search if it was the result of a credit application you made. But most hard searches will drop off your report after a year. However, if you see a hard search on your report that you don't recognise, it could be a sign of fraud or identity theft.

Can hard credit checks be removed? No, hard credit searches can't be removed. However, most hard credit checks will disappear from your report after a year. On the other hand, if you notice credit searches on your file that you are unfamiliar with, it might be an indication of identity theft or fraud.

If you can't trace the reason for a hard inquiry or you believe it was done without your consent, you can dispute it online. If the credit bureau can't confirm it as a legitimate inquiry, it's required to remove it.