 TITLE: What Is a Hard Inquiry and How Does It Affect Credit? CONTENT: The Bottom Line\n---------------\nHard inquiries are an inevitable part of your credit file, but they should occur sparingly—and strategically, when you're comparing rates on financial products.\nTo keep an eye on hard inquiries' impact on your credit, monitor your credit score regularly. Many banks and lenders offer free score monitoring to customers; resources like Experian's free credit score tool provide access to your FICO® Score too.\nIn addition, check your credit report regularly to make sure all of the hard inquiries included are ones you've made. If you see any inquiries you don't recognize, you can dispute these errors with each of the credit bureaus. As an attentive consumer, you can make sure hard inquiries affect your score as little as possible, letting you access the financial products that can help you achieve your goals. END