Hard Inquiry / Hard Pull
A full credit check that affects your FICO score by ~5 points and stays on your report for 2 years.
A hard inquiry (or "hard pull") is a full credit check pulled when you formally apply for credit — auto loan, mortgage, credit card. Each hard pull drops your FICO 3-8 points temporarily and stays on your report for 24 months. For auto loans, FICO's "rate shopping window" treats all hard pulls within 14-45 days for the same loan type as a single inquiry — so applying to 4-5 lenders within two weeks counts as one pull on your score. Dealers run hard pulls when finalizing financing; one dealer pull is normal, but if a dealer shops your app to 8 lenders in different windows your score takes multiple hits.
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