If you’ve spotted Credit Plus on your credit report, you might be wondering what it means and how it got there. Let’s break it down and explain your options for removing it if needed.
Who Is Credit Plus?
Credit Plus is a company that provides credit information to mortgage lenders. If you recently applied for a home loan, your lender probably used Credit Plus to pull your credit report. That triggers what’s known as a hard inquiry.
Credit Plus doesn’t make lending decisions themselves. They simply help lenders access your credit report as part of the mortgage application process.
Why Is Credit Plus on Your Credit Report?
When Credit Plus pulls your credit report for a lender, it shows up as a hard inquiry. This is totally normal during the mortgage process, but it can lower your credit score slightly.
Even if your mortgage application was denied or you decided not to move forward, the hard inquiry stays on your credit report for up to two years. That’s how the system works.
Lenders rely on your credit report to decide whether to approve your loan. So if you’ve been applying for mortgages or shopping for rates, it’s common to see Credit Plus listed.
A couple of hard inquiries usually won’t hurt your score much. But if you rack up several inquiries in a short timeframe, your credit score can take a bigger hit.
What You Should Know About Hard Inquiries From Credit Plus
When a mortgage lender uses Credit Plus to pull your credit report, it creates a hard inquiry. This is different from a soft inquiry, like checking your own credit report or getting prequalified offers.
Hard inquiries affect your credit score, though usually by a small amount. But if you rack up several hard inquiries in a short timeframe, it can impact your score more noticeably.
Lenders may view a cluster of inquiries as a sign you’re struggling to get approved, which can make them more cautious about lending to you.
How Long Does a Credit Plus Inquiry Stay on Your Credit Report?
A hard inquiry from Credit Plus stays on your credit report for up to two years. The impact on your credit score is typically the strongest in the first 12 months, then fades over time.
Lenders can still see the inquiry during those two years, but it becomes less important as it gets older.
Bottom line? One or two inquiries won’t hurt much, but multiple inquiries in a short period can hurt your score and raise red flags with lenders.
How to Handle Unauthorized Credit Plus Inquiries
If you spot a Credit Plus inquiry on your credit report and don’t recognize it, act quickly. Here’s what to do:
- Contact Credit Plus: Ask them to confirm the details of the inquiry and why it happened.
- Dispute the inquiry with the credit bureaus: If the inquiry is unauthorized or incorrect, file a dispute to have it removed.
Unauthorized hard inquiries can happen due to errors, miscommunication, or identity theft. If proven inaccurate, the credit bureaus are required to remove them.
Credit Plus Contact Information
Here’s how to reach Credit Plus to verify an inquiry:
Address:
Credit Plus
31550 Winterplace Parkway
Salisbury, MD 21804
Phone: (800) 258-3488
Can You Remove a Credit Plus Inquiry From Your Credit Report?
If the inquiry is valid—meaning you applied for a mortgage—it will stay on your credit report for up to two years. You cannot remove legitimate hard inquiries early.
But if the inquiry is inaccurate, unauthorized, or tied to identity theft, you have the right to dispute it. You can handle disputes yourself, or you can get professional help.
How Credit Saint Can Help With Inquiries and Other Negative Marks
If you’re dealing with unauthorized inquiries or other negative information hurting your credit score, Credit Saint may be able to help.
They assist with disputing and potentially removing:
- Late payments
- Collections
- Charge-offs
- Foreclosures
- Repossessions
- Bankruptcies
Credit Saint offers free consultations to review your credit situation. They even offer a 90-day money-back guarantee for extra peace of mind.
Ready to take the next step toward better credit? Visit their website to learn more and schedule your free consultation.
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