Soft Inquiry
A soft inquiry is a credit check that does not result from a credit application — such as checking your own credit, prescreened offers, or an existing creditor's account review. It does not affect credit scores.
Why it matters in credit repair
Distinguishing soft from hard inquiries prevents wasted disputes. Soft inquiries are visible only to you and never lower a score, so they are not a credit-repair target.
How it appears on a credit report
Soft inquiries appear in a separate section on the consumer's own report copy but are not shown to lenders evaluating an application.
Example
A consumer worried about score drops sees several soft inquiries from account reviews and prescreened offers, none of which affect the score.
Common misunderstanding
Consumers often try to remove soft inquiries to raise a score. Soft inquiries do not affect scores and are not seen by lenders.
Related terms
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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.
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