Hard Inquiry

Quick answer: A credit pull triggered by a credit application; typically drops your score by 3-5 points.

Hard inquiries stay on your report for 2 years but stop affecting your score after ~12 months. Multiple inquiries within a short window (typically 14-45 days for the same product type) often count as one for FICO scoring. Don't churn new applications if you're shopping for a mortgage in the next 12 months.