Does checking my credit score decrease it?
ANSWER: NO.
Rest assured everyone, checking your own credit score has absolutely no impact on your score whatsoever. We no longer have to live in fear. Hooray!
To understand why it’s safe to check your credit score, you first need to know the difference between what are called ‘hard enquiries’ and ‘soft enquiries’.
When you apply for credit, the lender will often check your credit file to assess whether or not you are credit worthy. When this happens, a hard enquiry is recorded on your file. Hard enquiries can affect your score because they indicate that you are actively seeking credit.
On the other hand, a soft enquiry is recorded on your file when someone checks your report for reasons other than you making an application for credit. For example, when you check your own credit report. Soft enquiries aren’t taken into account when calculating your credit score so you are never penalised for checking your score.
After visiting Credit Savvy, I know you all have one burning question. Will using Credit Savvy decrease my score? Again, the short answer is no.
Credit Savvy is an “Access Seeker”, which is just a fancy term for someone who acts on your behalf. We’re the middle man between you and the credit reporting body (in this case, Experian). So when you use Credit Savvy to check and monitor your credit score, a soft enquiry is recorded on your credit file. Your credit score will not decrease as a result because soft enquiries have no impact on your score.