Does checking my own credit score hurt it?

No — checking your own credit is a soft inquiry and never lowers your score, no matter how often you do it. The confusion comes from hard inquiries, which happen when a lender pulls your credit because you applied for a card or loan; those can shave a few points. Pulling your own report at AnnualCreditReport.com, viewing the free score on your bank or card app, or using a monitoring service are all soft pulls with zero impact. So check as often as you like — monitoring your own credit is a smart habit that helps you catch errors and fraud early. The same goes for prescreened offers and most insurance or rental background checks: soft pulls, no harm. The only thing to space out is actually applying for new credit. Reviewing your reports a few times a year costs you nothing.