When applying for personal financing or checking loan offers, one of the most common concerns is whether the process will affect your credit score. Traditional lenders often perform hard credit pulls as part of the loan application, which can reduce your score and appear on your credit report for other lenders to see. But when you’re just exploring your options or comparing rates, that kind of impact can be unnecessary and discouraging.

That’s why Scout Lending now uses soft credit pulls during the pre-qualification process. This update gives consumers the ability to review tailored loan options and take the first step toward financing, without any effect on their credit score.

What Is a Soft Credit Pull?

A soft credit pull, also known as a soft inquiry, is a type of credit check that allows lenders to view a limited portion of your credit report without impacting your score. It provides general information about your creditworthiness, such as your credit history, payment behavior, and existing accounts, but does not include the detailed data used in full loan underwriting.

Soft credit pulls are typically used for:

• Pre-qualifying loan applicants
• Providing rate estimates
• Performing background checks
• Generating pre-approval offers

Unlike a hard credit pull, which can lower your credit score by a few points and is visible to other lenders, a soft pull is not recorded in a way that affects your score or public visibility. This makes it an ideal tool for exploring financing without risk.

Soft Credit Pull vs. Hard Credit Pull: Key Differences

Here’s how soft and hard credit inquiries compare:

Soft Credit Pull

• Does not affect your credit score
• Not visible to other lenders on your credit report
• May not require full borrower consent
• Used for pre-qualifications, background checks, and rate shopping
• Ideal for early-stage loan exploration
• Used by Scout Lending to help you view funding options safely

Hard Credit Pull

• May lower your credit score slightly (typically 3–5 points)
• Visible to other lenders and credit agencies
• Requires borrower consent
• Used for formal loan applications and approvals
• Appropriate when you’re ready to proceed with a specific funding option
• May be used by Scout Lending only after you accept and move forward with a loan

Why This Matters to You as a Consumer

Whether you’re planning for a major purchase, managing debt, or just exploring financing options, the last thing you want is to unintentionally impact your credit score just by checking your eligibility.

By using soft credit pulls, Scout Lending empowers you to:

• Explore available loan options with no credit risk
• Get a clearer picture of what you may qualify for
• Compare terms in a low-pressure, credit-safe environment

You stay in control, with the freedom to make informed decisions without compromising your credit.

How It Works at Scout Lending

Our pre-qualification process is designed to be quick, secure, and credit-safe:

1. Submit a Short Application – Provide basic personal and financial information online.
2. We Perform a Soft Credit Pull – Your credit profile is reviewed with zero impact on your score.
3. You Receive Loan Options – We present offers tailored to your financial situation.
4. Proceed When You’re Ready – A hard credit pull is only done for final approval, and only with your full consent.

Scout Lending’s Commitment to Transparent, Consumer-First Lending

At Scout Lending, we’re deeply committed to making the lending experience not only accessible but also flexible and stress-free. To support this commitment, we’ve thoughtfully incorporated soft credit pulls into our process. As a result, we’re able to remove unnecessary barriers that often discourage borrowers at the outset. Moreover, this approach helps foster transparency and trust two core values we believe are essential in any financial journey. Ultimately, our goal is to empower you to take meaningful and confident steps toward long-term financial success.

You deserve the opportunity to explore financing without risk and pressure, and that’s exactly what we deliver.

Take Control of Your Financing Today

The path to smart, affordable financing starts with a single step, and now, it’s risk-free. With soft credit pulls built into our process, you can check your options, compare loan offers, and move forward with total confidence, all without touching your credit score.

Start your application now with Scout Lending. No obligation. No pressure. Just smarter lending, designed for you.