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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on September 15, 2010:
Credit report does not show that an application was declined
Dear Experian,
I have a good credit score. I decided not to continue on a refinance application due to bad customer service. They sent me a declination letter, stating the refinance was rejected due to my credit. Will this rejection show up on or impact my credit?
- NYS
Dear NYS,
Having an application declined has no negative impact on your credit report or your credit scores. In fact, your credit report doesn’t indicate whether an application was approved or declined.
It’s safe to assume that an application was approved when a new account is reported. However, you can’t assume that an application is declined if no new account appears. You might simply have chosen not to accept the loan. So, scoring models do not evaluate inquiries in that way.
The only indication that you applied for a new loan will be a new inquiry, or perhaps several if your application were submitted to multiple lenders seeking the best rate. Inquiries for mortgage loans, including those for refinancing an existing mortgage, are counted as a single inquiry if they occur within a short period of time, typically 14 days.
So, you shouldn’t need to worry about any negative impact on your credit as a result of the application being declined.
However, I would explore why they said you were declined due to your credit. That doesn’t seem to agree with having a good score. Perhaps you should inquire as to what in your credit history caused them to make that decision so that you don’t get a surprise when you next apply for credit services.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team