Rate shopping: how to compare lenders without stacking damage
Mortgage, auto, and student loan inquiries collapse into one when they land inside the scoring window.
Multiple mortgage, auto, or student loan inquiries inside a short window — 14 to 45 days depending on the scoring model in use — are treated as a single inquiry, so comparing lenders does not stack damage on your file. The window exists precisely because shopping for one loan should not look like applying for five.
Credit card applications get no such grace: each one counts on its own. If you are rate shopping, keep the applications tight together on the calendar and avoid mixing in card applications during the same stretch.
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