What is Soft Inquiry?

A soft inquiry, or 'soft pull,' is a credit file check that is conducted for purposes unrelated to an active consumer application for new lending. Common scenarios that trigger soft inquiries include self-monitoring (such as checking your own credit score through online tools), employer background screenings, identity verification checks, insurance underwriting, and pre-screened credit card or loan offers generated by financial institutions. Unlike hard inquiries, soft inquiries do not require a borrower’s active application and can occur without their immediate, explicit authorization.

From a credit reporting and scoring perspective, soft inquiries carry no negative consequences. They are excluded from all credit scoring algorithms, meaning they have zero impact on FICO or VantageScore calculations, regardless of how frequently they occur. Furthermore, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), soft inquiries are not visible to prospective creditors reviewing a credit file; they appear only on consumer-disclosure copies of credit reports. This privacy protection allows consumers to check their credit reports repeatedly to monitor for inaccuracies, dispute errors, and protect against identity theft without penalizing their credit profile.