 TITLE: How Long Do Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report? CONTENT: What Is the Difference Between a Hard and Soft Inquiry?\n-------------------------------------------------------\nWhen you review your credit reports after applying for a loan, credit card or other form of credit, you'll likely see the hard inquiry it caused, but you also may see other inquiries, called soft inquiries.\nSoft inquiries are often the result of you checking your own credit report, a preapproved offer of credit, or a periodic account review by a company you already do business with—but those aren't the only events that can cause them. They differ from hard inquiries because they don't generally reflect an application you've submitted for credit, and could even be the result of something like the IRS verifying your identity for your tax refund, for instance. Soft inquiries do not affect your credit scores. END