Hard Inquiry
A hard inquiry is a record of a lender checking your credit because you applied for credit. It can lower a score slightly and generally remains on a report for two years, affecting scoring for about one year.
Why it matters in credit repair
Unauthorized or duplicate hard inquiries — those without a permissible purpose under the FCRA — may be disputable. Legitimate inquiries from your own applications are accurate and cannot be removed simply because they hurt a score.
How it appears on a credit report
Hard inquiries appear in an inquiries section listing the creditor's name and the date of the credit pull.
Example
A consumer finds a hard inquiry from a lender they never applied to, suggesting an unauthorized pull that lacks a permissible purpose.
Common misunderstanding
Consumers often think all inquiries can be removed. Only inquiries that are inaccurate or lack a permissible purpose are properly disputable.
Related terms
See where your file stands
Pinnacle's free credit diagnosis returns a written verdict within 48 hours.
Pinnacle Credit Repair does not guarantee the removal of accurate, timely, and verifiable information. Results vary based on the facts of each credit file, creditor responses, bureau investigations, documentation, and applicable law.
Explore the Pinnacle resource library
All forensic answers · Methodology reports · Documented results
Comparisons: Pinnacle vs Lexington Law · Pinnacle vs Credit Saint · Pinnacle vs Rapid Rescore