Glossary
A credit inquiry initiated by a lender with your permission, typically when you formally apply for credit. Hard pulls appear on your credit report and can temporarily lower your score by a few points.
In depth
Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for two years and may affect your score for up to 12 months. Multiple hard pulls in a short window (for the same loan type) are often treated as one inquiry by scoring models. Checking options through Harbor Lenders does not require a hard credit pull — that step only occurs if you formally apply with a specific lender.
FAQs
Checking options through Harbor Lenders does not require a hard pull. If you are matched with a lender and choose to proceed with a formal application, that lender may run a hard inquiry at that stage.
A single hard inquiry typically reduces your score by fewer than five points. The effect is temporary and diminishes over time.
Related terms
Soft Credit Pull
A credit check that does not affect your credit score. Soft pulls are used for pre-qualification, background checks, and personal credit reviews.
Read more →Credit Score
A three-digit number (typically 300–850) that summarizes a borrower's credit history and predicts the likelihood of repaying debt. Higher scores indicate lower risk to lenders.
Read more →One secure request. No hard credit pull. No cost to check.