 TITLE: What Happens When Hard Inquiries Are Removed From Your Credit Report? CONTENT: How Long Do Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Credit?\n-----------------------------------------------\nHard inquiries stay on your credit reports for two years, but they only affect your FICO® Scores☉ (the credit scores most widely used by lenders) for one year.\nThe impact of a single hard inquiry is relatively small, usually dinging your FICO® Score five points or less. You can gain those points back over just a few months' time, however, with positive credit habits such as paying down debt and making all your payments on time.\nIf you accrue several hard inquiries by applying for different types of credit (say, a credit card, personal loan and car loan) within a short period of time, however, your scores may experience a bigger drop. Multiple applications can also hurt your chances of getting a new loan, since they indicate to lenders that you're potentially taking on lots of new debt all at once. The exception is if you're rate-shopping for a mortgage or car loan and multiple lenders request your report within a short period of time: Although you will see each individual inquiry listed on your report, most credit scoring models will only count them as one. END