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Each time you take out a loan or credit card, the lender makes a hard enquiry to check your credit report. These hard enquiries appear on your credit report and drop your credit score by a few points temporarily. Although one enquiry will not hurt much, frequent enquiries within a short span can indicate credit hunger to lenders and make it tougher to get approvals in the future.

Can you delete them?

For the most part, hard inquiries can't be taken off of your credit report unless they're not accurate or weren't authorised. Genuine applications for loans that created a hard inquiry will normally stay on your credit report for a period of two years. That said, if you've come across an enquiry that wasn't authorised or wasn't permitted, you're allowed to challenge it with the credit bureau.

How to complain about a faulty enquiry

In case you feel there is a mistake or fraud enquiry, collect any supporting evidence and file a dispute with the credit bureau—like CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, or CRIF High Mark in India. All bureaus have an online mechanism to file complaints. After filing a complaint, the bureau will probe and notify the concerned lender. If the request turns out to be invalid or unauthorised, it will be deleted from your report. It takes a period of about 30 days usually.

Soft enquiries vs hard enquiries

Not all inquiries damage your score. For instance, when you look at your own credit score or when a lender performs a pre-approved offer check, these are soft inquiries and do not impact your credit score or show up on your report visible to lenders. It is necessary to differentiate between soft and hard inquiries to prevent unnecessary worry.

How to restrict hard inquiries in the future

Though you cannot always eliminate genuine enquiries, you can avoid subsequent harm by being prudent in your loan and credit card applications. Do not make several applications from many lenders simultaneously, but rather compare and research terms in advance. You can also avail yourself of eligibility checkers offered by several banks and NBFCs, which conduct soft checks and enable you to gauge whether you will be approved or not without initiating a hard enquiry.

You cannot have a legitimate hard enquiry erased from your credit report, but you can have erroneous or unauthorised ones disputed. Good credit behaviour—such as spacing out loan applications and utilising soft enquiry products—can keep you with a good credit record. If you're about to apply for a significant loan, such as a home loan or vehicle loan, it's advisable not to have too many enquiries in the lead-up to your application so your credit score remains unscathed.

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