Why Is This Important?
- Hard inquiries stay on your credit report for 2 years, unless you get them removed.
- This is the second-easiest way to increase your credit score fast (adding rent to your credit report is the fastest).
- Each hard inquiry can lower your credit score 4–5 points — 10 inquiries can equal 40–50 points.
- No one warned you about this credit score pitfall.
- [The live page also embeds a short how-to video here, walking through these same steps — not yet migrated to this site's own storage.]
How Did This Happen?
- Going car shopping is the biggest culprit — car dealers are notorious for shopping you around like a loan broker to car lenders, without telling you, because you'd be upset.
- These lenders then also pull hard inquiries on your credit.
- One visit to a dealer can exceed 10 hard inquiries — visit 3 dealers in a weekend and that could mean 30 inquiries.
Avoid This Simple Mistake
- Do not attempt to remove an inquiry for a company that you already have an open account with — some credit card companies have been known to close accounts without notice when this happens.
Sample Dispute Letter
- Simply copy and paste the letter below into Google Docs, edit with your info, print, and send via US Mail:
*****SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL*****
[Date]
[Credit Bureau]
[City, State, Zip]
RE: UNAUTHORIZED CREDIT INQUIRY
To Whom it May Concern:
I reviewed a copy of my credit report and I noticed the following unauthorized credit inquiries into my credit profile:
[Company Name] [Inquiry Date]
[Company Name] [Inquiry Date]
[Company Name] [Inquiry Date]
I did not authorize the inquiry(s) above and this constitutes a violation of my rights under Fair Credit Reporting Act Section 604 as well as a violation of my rights to privacy. Please contact [Company Name] and investigate this occurrence.
I am requesting an updated copy of my credit report, which should be sent to the address listed below. In addition, as part of your investigation, please send the names, business address, and phone numbers of those who made the unauthorized credit inquiry so that I can contact them directly.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Zip]
[Date]
[Credit Bureau]
[City, State, Zip]
RE: UNAUTHORIZED CREDIT INQUIRY
To Whom it May Concern:
I reviewed a copy of my credit report and I noticed the following unauthorized credit inquiries into my credit profile:
[Company Name] [Inquiry Date]
[Company Name] [Inquiry Date]
[Company Name] [Inquiry Date]
I did not authorize the inquiry(s) above and this constitutes a violation of my rights under Fair Credit Reporting Act Section 604 as well as a violation of my rights to privacy. Please contact [Company Name] and investigate this occurrence.
I am requesting an updated copy of my credit report, which should be sent to the address listed below. In addition, as part of your investigation, please send the names, business address, and phone numbers of those who made the unauthorized credit inquiry so that I can contact them directly.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Zip]