How does the rate-shopping window work for mortgages and auto loans?

When you shop for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan, multiple lender pulls within a short window count as a single hard inquiry for scoring purposes, so comparing rates won't tank your credit. The window is typically 14 to 45 days depending on the scoring model, and newer FICO models use the longer period. That means you can apply to several lenders to find the best rate and your score treats it as one shopping event, not five separate risks. The key is to keep your rate shopping bunched together rather than spread over months. This deduplication applies to those installment loans, not to credit-card applications, which each count separately. Get preapproved with a few lenders in the same week or two, then compare the actual offers. The savings from a lower rate far outweigh a couple of points lost to inquiries.