 TITLE: How Many Hard Credit Inquiries Is Too Many? CONTENT: How to Reduce the Impact of Hard Inquiries on Your Credit\n---------------------------------------------------------\nHard inquiries on their own generally aren't enough to significantly reduce your score in a lasting way. This is especially true for those who have a positive credit history. In most cases, hard inquiries result in a temporary credit score drop that rebounds within a few months.\nImproving your credit score is one of the best ways to cushion the blow of hard inquiries. To do this, focus your attention on the following areas:\n*   Always make on-time payments across all your accounts.\n*   Pay down your debt and keep your credit utilization ratio below 30%; the lower, the better.\n*   Pay off any past-due accounts, including collections or charge-offs.\n*   Periodically check your credit report and credit score and pay close attention to the risk factors included with your score.\n*   Apply for credit only when you need it. END