
When was the last time you felt a hard pull? Perhaps it was the time you had a tooth yanked out or back when you were a kid playing tug of war in the schoolyard. You likely experienced one more recently — the last time you applied for a credit card or loan.
A hard pull is a type of credit inquiry that occurs when a lender checks your credit report after you apply for a loan or credit card.
Yes, that’s the type of hard pull I’m talking about today, and it has more to do with your credit rather than abrasive ropes or a sadistic dentist. It’s a type of inquiry upon your credit reports that can affect your credit score. I’ll break down what a hard pull is, how it works, and how it stacks up to its gentler cousin, the soft pull.
How a Hard Credit Pull Works
It is important to know what actually happens with a hard credit pull — also known as a hard inquiry or a standard credit check — since it may cause your credit score to drop a bit. What’s worse, too many of them in a short time can sour a creditor’s eagerness to approve your application.
What Triggers a Hard Inquiry
Only you can trigger a hard pull. You do so when you apply for a credit card or loan. Your application may get creditors all excited about signing up a new customer, but they first must check whether you are the kind of person they can trust.

So, they dive deep into your financial history to see if you are worthy of the risk. It’s like peeking into your past, checking whether you pay your bills on time or are wallowing deep in debt.
Let’s say you apply for a credit card. The card issuer will perform a hard pull to check if you were responsible with credit in the past. It wants to get an idea of whether it can trust you enough to pay back your credit card charges. This snooping around will help it decide whether to approve you and how much credit to offer you.
Now, the kicker: A lender is not allowed to perform a hard pull without you saying so.
How Long Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report
Think of your credit report as a big general ledger in the sky (well, in cyberspace, anyway) for tracking all your various credit-related doings.
Your reports (you have three of them, one from each major credit bureau) show lenders how well you have been managing your credit over the years. Every time a hard inquiry comes in for your report, it will leave a record there for two solid years for all to see.
But don’t panic: While the hard pull may languish on your report for a couple of years, it affects your credit score for only the first year. After that, it stops pulling down your score, though it’s still sitting there for anyone to see what you’ve been up to.

Compared to other things that could pop up on your credit report, a hard pull’s like a guest who doesn’t necessarily overstay their welcome but lingers longer than you might want. Items like skipped payments or bankruptcies will remain for seven years or longer, so a hard pull — while a nuisance — isn’t the worst thing that could land on your report.
Hard Inquiries vs. Soft Inquiries
A soft inquiry is a preliminary peek into your credit. It does nothing to your score. Examples include when you obtain a copy of your own report or when creditors review your credit for preapproved offers. Others who may conduct soft inquiries include prospective employers and landlords. Soft pulls do not hurt your score, and only you can see the record of them.
Here’s a comparison of the major factors separating hard and soft inquiries:
DIFFERENCE | HARD INQUIRY | SOFT INQUIRY |
---|---|---|
When it’s used | Loan/credit applications | Pre-approval offers, personal credit checks |
Effect on credit score | It can impact your score for up to one year | Doesn’t affect your score at all |
Duration on report | Stays for two years | Only you can see them |
Authorization required | Yes | No |
Visible to lenders | Yes | No |
How often it’s done | Occasional | Frequently |
Who initiates it | Lenders | You, creditors for preapproved offers, employers, landlords |
So, while a hard inquiry gives your score a sharp nudge, a soft inquiry is more of a mild tap that won’t leave any marks. And by the way, hard pulls (or hard inquiries) do need your say-so, while soft pulls can happen without you knowing about them (unless you pull your own report and look for them).
How a Hard Pull Impacts Your Credit Score
Well, if you want to keep your credit score in good shape, you better know how a hard pull can take a bite out of it. That way, you’ll be ready when it hits and will have some idea of what to do to minimize the damage.
Typical Score Drops
A hard pull hits your credit report like a mosquito — you may not notice it immediately, but ultimately, it could sting you for about five to 10 points. It’s important to note that hard inquiries don’t affect your credit scores by a fixed number of points and may not lower your score at all.
Some consumers may not be affected at all, while others will, depending on the state of their credit beforehand. For example, if you went on a credit spree and tried to open a bushel of new accounts, those hard pulls will hit you harder.
On the other hand, if your credit was cruising along smoothly, you may not notice the impact at all. It’s all about how busy your credit has been and other factors pertaining to your credit reports.
Effects of Multiple Hard Pulls
If those hard pulls come in one after another, your credit score may start heading downhill, like a tractor that’s run out of gas on a steep slope.
Creditors see all those pulls and think you’re a bit too eager for more credit, and that raises a red flag. More pulls, more problems, they say, because it makes you look like you’ve got the financial miseries.
However, there’s a bit of good news if you’re rate-shopping for a loan, such as a mortgage or a car loan. That’s when FICO and VantageScore, the kingpins of credit scoring, have got your back.
FICO and VantageScore credit scoring models allow for a a rate-shopping period in which multiple inquiries for a single type of financing, such as a mortgage or new car loan, would only count as one inquiry.
They allow you to amass a number of hard pulls in a short period — usually 14 to 45 days — and count them as one. This enables you to shop around for the best deal without sending your score into a nosedive.
With that said, if you’re out there trying to get the best rate on a loan, just remember to time it right.
Strategies to Minimize Impact
If you want to avoid the worst impact of hard pulls, you should understand when to apply for credit. Be cool — don’t go around applying for loans left and right. Otherwise, your score is going to splat like a pie in a politician’s face.
- No-credit-check cards and loans: One way to avoid a hard pull altogether is to look at no-credit-check credit cards or loans. These options let you borrow money without creditors digging into your past, so you won’t have to worry about any dips in your score. Granted, these offerings don’t typically have the best rates and terms, and are only recommended when absolutely needed.
- Reduce your credit utilization ratio (CUR): Another trick is to reverse the damage from a hard pull by not using your new credit card right away. Abstinence will lower your credit utilization ratio, which is the amount of credit you are currently using divided by your available credit. By adding credit without using it, your lower ratio should improve your score enough to undo the harm from a hard pull. So don’t run off on a shopping spree, loading the new card to the brim — that will backfire big time.
- Diversify your credit mix: Adding a new credit card may also diversify your credit mix, giving your score a small boost. The scoring systems figure if you’re able to manage different types of credit, you are less of a gamble.
So, if you play it smart, you can parlay the new credit resulting from a hard pull to improve your score rather than drag it down.
When Lenders Perform Hard Pulls
You should know when lenders will perform a hard pull so you understand the consequences of hunting for new credit. Lenders use these pulls to get the whole picture of your credit, which in turn helps them to decide whether you are a sure bet or a risky roll of the dice.
Mortgage and Auto Loans
When you’re setting your sights on a mortgage or auto loan, it’s bound to involve a hard pull. The lender will go over your credit report to see how you’ve been handling your debts, something that’s difficult to do without the report in hand.
A hard pull will show them the good, the bad, and the ugly, helping them figure out whether you’re likely to pay a loan back or leave them forgotten and abandoned.

Because these loans are large, lenders want to minimize their risks. They investigate your past and current payments as well as your outstanding loans to make sure you’re not overextended.
If you’ve been responsible with your money, the hard pull won’t hurt very much, but if you have suffered through a patch of rough times, you may get the short end of the stick.
Hard pulls are a necessary evil (well, more of a nuisance, really) that lets lenders sleep at night, bless their hearts. We don’t want them having nightmares about handing over big bucks to somebody who will likely not pay them back.
Be ready for that hard pull when you apply for a mortgage or auto loan, and ensure your credit report is looking as good as a prize heifer at the county fair.
Credit Card Applications
Applying for a new credit card usually kicks off a hard pull. Only a few cards don’t check credit. What most credit card issuers want to know is what kind of spender you are before they hand you a piece of plastic with a credit limit on it.

They’ll check out your credit history to see whether you are good at paying your bills rather than maxing out your cards and then running for the hills.
It may not be easy to get approved for a regular credit card if your credit looks a little blistered. But don’t give up! Try for a secured card instead. Secured cards require you to make a deposit, and they don’t react as much if your credit is not perfect.
Secured cards offer you a way to get your credit back into good shape if you pay your bills on time.
You may be able to get a secured card without a hard pull, giving you an easy chance to prove that you can responsibly handle credit. As you build up your credit score, you’re most likely to graduate with a regular credit card, which is a win in anyone’s book.
Personal Loans
If you apply for a personal loan, it’s a given there will be a hard pull. Lenders want to know if you’re a risk before they hand over a barrel of cash, so they take a long, hard look at your credit report. They’ll want to see whether you pay all of your bills on time or have too many debts dangling over your head.

Personal loans are a bit flexible in comparison to mortgages or car loans, but a hard pull still plays a pivotal role for lenders. They need to know how you’ve managed other debts and whether you have enough income to repay a new one. It’s no surprise that a good credit report increases your chances of being approved and getting a lower interest rate.
What if your credit is scant or just plain lousy? With online loan-matching services, you can find a lender that may be willing to work with you despite your bad credit. These services pair you with lenders who are accustomed to working with consumers who have a bumpy credit history.
Naturally, you’ll pay for the privilege through higher interest rates and fees. But you may be pleasantly surprised by getting the nod from one of these specialized lenders.
A Hard Pull is Necessary to Show Lenders Your Level of Risk
When it comes to getting a loan or a credit card, lenders don’t just take your word that you’re going to pay your bills on time.
Nope, they’re going to dig into your credit like a raccoon in a garbage can, trying to figure out if you’re going to come through when it counts — on the payment due date. A hard pull gives them the whole picture: your highs, your lows, and everything in between.
So, next time you apply for credit, just remember that a hard pull might hurt a little, but it’s how lenders figure out whether you’re creditworthy or, more likely, a deadbeat, scoundrel, or just a good candidate for secured credit.