Could You Affect Your Credit Score by Refinancing?
Could You Affect Your Credit Score by Refinancing?
Refinance
Could You Affect Your Credit Score by Refinancing?
Author
NextDoor LendingNextDoor Lending
Read Time
5 Mins
Date Published
May 9, 2022

Refinancing your mortgage can be a great way to lower your interest rate and reduce your monthly mortgage payment, but it can also impact your credit scores.

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How Can Refinancing Lower Your Credit Score?

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A couple ways refinancing can lower your credit score are –\nCredit Checks. When you check your own credit or a monitoring service does it on your behalf, that’s considered a “soft inquiry”, and your score is unaffected. When you apply for new credit, however, that’s a “hard inquiry” and your score takes a small hit. If you apply for several different mortgage loans, it can add up and make a difference in your overall credit.\nClosing an account. FICO monitors the age of your oldest credit account and newest account, and averages out the age of the others. If your current mortgage is long-standing, closing it may lower your credit.

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How Can Refinancing Help Your Credit Score?

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In some cases, refinancing your mortgage may help your score by getting you out of debt. If you’re stuck with an unaffordable home loan and high monthly payments are preventing you from paying down other debts, a refinance could do the trick. \nFor most, refinancing should have few, if any, lasting effects on your credit score and the benefit can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on your life. If you are not sure whether you should refinance your home, contact one of our loan officers. We’ll happily answer all your questions so that you can make the right decision!

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May 9, 2022