 TITLE: Credit Score Basics CONTENT: Will Checking Your Credit Reports Affect Your Credit Scores?\n------------------------------------------------------------\nIt's always a good idea to monitor your credit reports and credit scores regularly, especially since you can get so much of your credit information for free. And, checking your own credit reports will not have any negative impact on your credit scores, as long as you're accessing your credit reports from the right places.\nIf you check your credit reports with any of the three credit reporting companies (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax), your scores will not be impacted at all. The same goes if you check your credit reports through www.AnnualCreditReport.com.\nChecking your credit via either of these reputable methods will result in what's called a \"soft\" credit inquiry being placed on your credit reports. Soft credit inquiries do not affect your credit scores.\nBe careful, however, not to ask connections who work at car dealerships or mortgage brokers to access your credit reports as a favor. This will result in what's called a \"hard\" credit inquiry being placed on your credit reports. Hard inquiries are usually the result of a consumer applying for some form of credit. While hard inquiries do not always impact credit scores, they can. END