Consumers are encouraged to shop for the best loan rates and conditions. Accordingly, the VantageScore^® model does not penalize multiple inquiries made within a short period. When several inquiries are made within a shortened timeframe, it is assumed that the consumer is shopping around for a rate and not opening multiple lines of credit.

The VantageScore^® model uses a 14-day rolling window in which all credit inquiries within that window are considered one inquiry regardless of the type of account. So regardless of whether the credit inquiry is made in response to a mortgage, auto, or bank credit card application, it will be counted only once during that 14-day window.