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Inquiry

Inquiry (also enquiry) is any process that has the aim of augmenting knowledge, resolving doubt, or solving a problem. A theory of inquiry is an account of the various types of inquiry and a treatment of the ways that each type of inquiry achieves its aim.In credit terms, an inquiry is created when a lender looks at your credit report to see whether to loan you money. An inquiry can be "soft," as when a credit card issuer prospecting for new customers looks at your report to see whether to mail you an offer. Or an inquiry can be "hard" -- that is, initiated because you yourself have applied for a loan. Hard inquiries have a slight, negative impact on your credit scores. Soft inquiries have no effect on credit scores.