Can Checking Your Own Credit Score Lower It?

If you’re wondering whether checking your own credit score can lower it, the answer is no. Viewing your credit score or requesting your own credit report is generally treated as a soft inquiry, and soft inquiries do not reduce your credit score.

Checking your credit regularly is actually a useful part of credit education. It can help you understand what is affecting your score, spot possible errors, and prepare before applying for a loan, credit card, apartment, or mortgage.

Short Answer

Checking your own credit score does not lower your credit score. A personal credit check is a soft inquiry, which scoring models do not use to reduce your score.

A lender checking your credit after you apply for new credit is different. That type of check is usually a hard inquiry, which may cause a small, temporary score decrease.

Why Checking Your Own Credit Is Safe

Credit reports and credit scores are related, but they are not the same thing.

Your credit report contains information about your credit accounts, payment history, balances, account openings, and credit inquiries. Your credit score is calculated from information in one or more credit reports.

When you check your own credit, you are not applying for new credit. You are simply requesting information for your own use. Because there is no new-credit application attached to the request, the check is classified as a soft inquiry.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that requesting your own credit report does not affect your score. The same is true when you view a score through a credit card account, bank app, or credit monitoring service.

You can also request your credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized website for free credit reports.

Man comparing a credit monitoring app with organized financial paperwork

Soft Inquiry vs. Hard Inquiry

The confusion usually comes from mixing up soft inquiries and hard inquiries.

Soft inquiries

A soft inquiry may happen when:

You check your own credit report or score
A credit card company shows you a score through your online account
A credit monitoring service provides a score
A lender checks whether you qualify for a preapproval offer
An existing creditor reviews your account

Soft inquiries do not lower your credit score. They may appear on your credit report, but they generally aren’t visible to lenders reviewing your report for a credit application.

Hard inquiries

A hard inquiry usually happens when you apply for:

A credit card
An auto loan
A mortgage
A personal loan
Another type of credit that requires a lender to review your application

A hard inquiry can affect your score because it signals that you may be seeking new credit. According to FICO, one additional hard inquiry lowers the score of most people by fewer than five points, although the effect can vary based on the person’s credit history.

A hard inquiry is only one part of your credit profile. Payment history, balances, and the age of your accounts usually matter much more.

Why Your Score Might Change After You Check It

You may check your score and then notice that it changed a few days or weeks later. That does not mean the act of checking it caused the change.

Credit scores can change because:

A credit card issuer reported a new balance
A payment was reported as late
Your credit utilization increased or decreased
A new account was opened
A hard inquiry was added after a credit application
An old account aged or dropped from a report
A creditor updated information
A collection account was added, removed, or updated
You viewed a different score model

Creditors do not all report information on the same day. Your score may move as new information reaches the credit reporting companies.

There’s also a difference between the score you see and the score a lender uses. FICO, VantageScore, and other scoring models may calculate scores differently. A score shown in your bank app may not be identical to the score used for a mortgage or auto loan.

That does not mean one score is necessarily wrong. It means different scoring models may use different formulas, credit reports, and timing.

How Checking Your Credit Can Help You Improve It

Regular credit checks can help you make better decisions. They won’t improve your score by themselves, but they can show you what needs attention.

Start by reviewing your credit reports for:

Accounts you do not recognize
Incorrect account balances
Payments reported late when you paid on time
Accounts that should have been closed
Duplicate accounts
Incorrect personal information
Unauthorized hard inquiries
Outdated or inaccurate collection information

If you find information that is inaccurate or incomplete, you can dispute it with the credit reporting company and the company that furnished the information. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s credit report resources explain how to request reports, identify errors, and submit disputes.

Reviewing your report also helps you understand which actions may improve your credit over time. For example, you may discover that your credit card balances are regularly being reported at a high percentage of your limits. Paying balances down before the reporting date may affect the balance shown on your report, although the exact timing depends on the creditor.

Couple discussing a credit application and financial paperwork at their dining table

Does Checking Your Credit Before Applying for a Loan Help?

Yes. Checking your credit before applying can help you avoid unnecessary surprises.

Before submitting an application, review your reports and consider:

Whether the information is accurate
Whether your balances are higher than expected
Whether there are recent hard inquiries
Whether you recognize every account
Whether you need to correct an error first
Whether the loan fits your current budget

This is especially useful before a mortgage, auto loan, or other major application. You may not be able to fix every issue immediately, but knowing what lenders are likely to see can help you choose a more realistic next step.

If you are rate shopping for an auto loan, mortgage, or student loan, try to complete applications within a focused period. Credit scoring models generally account for the fact that consumers compare lenders. The exact treatment depends on the scoring model and the type of loan, so avoid spreading applications across unnecessary months.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoiding your credit report because you’re afraid of lowering your score

This is one of the most damaging myths. Avoiding your report does not protect your score. It may prevent you from noticing identity theft, reporting errors, or unexpected account activity.

Applying for several unrelated accounts

Checking your own score is safe. Submitting applications for multiple credit cards, personal loans, and other accounts is different. Each application may create a hard inquiry and may suggest that you are seeking a substantial amount of new credit.

Assuming every score is the same

You may see different scores from different services. Compare the underlying credit information rather than assuming every number should match exactly.

Paying a company to remove accurate negative information

No company can legally remove accurate, negative information simply because you pay for the service. Be cautious of anyone promising a specific score increase or claiming they can erase accurate credit history.

For education on how credit reports work, visit the Steelpath Learning Library, which includes resources on credit basics and understanding your credit report.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I check my credit score?

You can check your own score as often as you want without lowering it. A practical schedule is to review your score periodically and review your credit reports at least once a year. Check more frequently if you are preparing for a major loan, monitoring identity theft, or working through a credit issue.

Does checking my credit report hurt my score?

No. Requesting your own credit report is a soft inquiry and does not hurt your credit score.

Can checking Credit Karma lower my score?

Viewing scores through a credit monitoring service such as Credit Karma is generally treated as a soft inquiry. The act of viewing the score does not lower it. Applying for credit through an offer may create a hard inquiry, so read the terms before submitting an application.

How can I fix my credit score?

You cannot repair a score with one quick action. Start by checking your reports for errors, paying accounts on time, managing credit card balances, limiting unnecessary applications, and addressing debts realistically. Accurate negative information may take time to age off your reports.

How long does a hard inquiry affect your score?

The effect of a hard inquiry is usually temporary. FICO states that hard inquiries can remain on a credit report for up to two years, but they generally affect FICO Scores for about one year. The impact varies by scoring model and individual credit history.

Bottom Line

Checking your own credit score will not lower it. It is a soft inquiry, and reviewing your credit can help you understand your financial position before you apply for new credit.

The important distinction is between looking at your credit and applying for credit. Your own review is safe. A lender’s hard inquiry may have a small temporary effect, but payment history and balances generally have a much larger influence.

If your credit feels confusing, start with the report itself. Understanding the information behind the score is one of the first steps toward improving credit and making better financial decisions.

Written by Michael Lugenbell

Steelpath Financial provides financial education and coaching, including credit education, budgeting, debt strategy, and financial organization. Learn more at Steelpath Financial.