{"id":1860,"date":"2018-05-15T16:45:16","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T16:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.credibble.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1860"},"modified":"2022-08-22T13:47:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T13:47:08","slug":"what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/credit-score-account\/what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Hard Search and Why Should You Care?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Borrowing money is hardly known for being a fun process. It doesn&#8217;t help when lenders and credit reference agencies use confusing financial terms. If you\u2019ve been reading up about credit, you may have found yourself asking \u2018what is a hard search?\u2019 and wondering why you should care in the first place. To make things more clear, here&#8217;s everything you need to know about credit checks and why they matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">What&#039;s Included?<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/credit-score-account\/what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care\/#What_is_a_credit_check\" >What is a credit check?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/credit-score-account\/what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care\/#What_is_a_hard_credit_search\" >What is a hard credit search?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/credit-score-account\/what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care\/#What_is_a_soft_credit_search\" >What is a soft credit search?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/credit-score-account\/what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care\/#Does_every_search_affect_your_credit_score\" >Does every search affect your credit score?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/credit-score-account\/what-is-a-hard-search-and-why-care\/#Credit-Score_offers_two_fabulous_solutions\" >Credit-Score offers two fabulous solutions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_credit_check\"><\/span><strong>What is a credit check?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the basics. Your individual credit file contains lots of important information about your financial history. This includes personal details like your address and employment, as well as things like your payment history and the types of credit you currently use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what is a hard search? Lenders or credit reference agencies can use the information from your credit file to see where you stand in relation to financial products. For instance, it can help to screen potential applicants before they even apply for a product, to check if they are likely to qualify for a loan, credit card or mortgage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lenders can also use a credit check to do an in-depth assessment once you actually make an application. When someone accesses your credit file to see your financial position, this is what&#8217;s called a credit check (also known as a credit search).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is where things get a little trickier. There are actually two types of credit searches, and they each have a different impact on your credit file. Understanding the difference between the two is important if you don\u2019t want to damage your credit file and affect how lenders see you in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_hard_credit_search\"><\/span><strong>What is a hard credit search?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A hard credit search happens when you submit an application for credit. Most lenders will do a thorough check of your credit file when deciding whether or not to accept your application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When they do a hard credit search, lenders will be looking for any &#8216;red flags&#8217; on your credit file. This may include a missed or late payment, a county court judgment, or bankruptcy. This kind of check stays on your credit file permanently, for any other lenders to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So why does this matter? Well, a hard credit search stays on your record. Lots of hard searches will negatively affect your <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/creditworthiness-lender-score\/\">creditworthiness<\/a><\/u>, and how future lenders view you. Lenders may think you are desperate for cash if they see a bunch of recent applications on your file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main takeaway here is that you shouldn\u2019t apply for credit when you know you probably won\u2019t be approved. It can damage your creditworthiness and put your future chances of getting credit at risk. That is why it is so important to understand the state of your credit file <em>before<\/em> you make your application. You can save yourself trouble in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To see what shape your credit file is in, you can sign up for a Credit-Score account and get your Credit-Score Score. This score comes with a 24-Factor Credit Check so you know show you exactly where you stand. Plus, with personalised pointers in your Score Booster, you can increase your chances of being accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_soft_credit_search\"><\/span><strong>What is a soft credit search?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A soft credit search is more like a snapshot of your credit file, rather than an in-depth examination. They can be used as a way to check if you\u2019ll be eligible for a particular credit offer before you even apply. Unlike a hard credit search, this type of credit check is <em>not<\/em> visible to other lenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever received a credit card application through the post, or a SIM upgrade for your mobile contract? You usually receive these kinds of things after a soft credit search on your file. While it\u2019s not a guaranteed qualification, it means this initial search did not pick up on any red flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are places online where you can enter your details and see a list of potential loans and credit cards for which you could get accepted. This is another key use for soft credit searches. This does get recorded on your credit file. However, it is not visible to any other lenders and will not impact your creditworthiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you may have already gathered, soft credit searches can be done without your consent, but hard credit searches cannot. Only when you fill in a formal application and submit it to lenders can they do a hard credit check. This then stays on your file for future lenders to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_every_search_affect_your_credit_score\"><\/span><strong>Does every search affect your credit score?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been paying attention, you may have worked this one out \u2013 a hard credit search will affect your credit score, but a soft credit search won\u2019t. It\u2019s better to only apply for credit when you already know you\u2019ve got a good chance of a lender accepting it, if you want to avoid hurting your score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you might not know is that your credit score isn\u2019t what lenders actually check when they make decisions about your application. Still, too many hard credit searches on your credit file damages your overall creditworthiness, which lenders do care about a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our Silent Search feature takes things one step further than a soft credit check. When you create a Credit-Score account we can use your data to personalise your browsing experience and help you find offers suited to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because we already have your credit file, this leaves zero trace on your credit, so there is zero risk to you.\u00a0This way, you can reduce the chance of lenders rejecting your application. There is less chance that of having hard checks on record that could scare off lenders in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Credit-Score_offers_two_fabulous_solutions\"><\/span>Credit-Score offers two fabulous solutions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re preparing to take a mortgage, never apply until you\u2019ve tried our unique and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/home.credit-score.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FREE Credit-Score Home app.<\/a>&nbsp;Our smart technology will tell you what you need to fix so you avoid rejection. The app predicts when you will be able to buy, for how much and tracks your month-by-month progress to mortgage success. We\u2019ve even added your own mortgage broker, so you get the best deals available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More focused on your credit rating? Well, get started for free with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/register\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Credit-Score\u2019s 24- Factor Credit Check<\/a>&nbsp;to truly help you improve your creditworthiness and how lenders view you. (Remember: lenders don\u2019t use your credit score! We\u2019ll show you what lenders look for and how to get your credit report in the best shape possible).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Last updated by Robert Edwards, June 2022<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Borrowing money is hardly known for being a fun process. It doesn&#8217;t help when lenders and credit reference&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[324,317],"tags":[190,405,366,364,407],"class_list":{"0":"post-1860","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-credit-basics","8":"category-credit-score-account","9":"tag-csc","10":"tag-credit-searches","11":"tag-lender-report","12":"tag-lender-score","13":"tag-soft-search"},"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/looking-glass-918878_1280.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Claire Ben Chorin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/author\/claire\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Is A Hard Search and Why Should You Care? | Credit-Score<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whenever you apply for credit, lenders will subject your credit file to a hard search. 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