List of Institutions that pull HARD credit inquiries when opening a NON-CREDIT account

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Banks and other institutions are pulling HARD credit inquiries on their customers with ever-increasing frequency. Whether its because of 9/11 and the “Know your Customer” regs, or just making sure you arent a fraudster or deadbeat, doesnt really matter, the fact is that its being done regularly.

Most people usually expect hard credit inquiries to occur when they apply for credit, a cell phone, a job, an apartment, or insurance. And these places usually disclose that a credit report is being pulled. Thus, we usually take steps to minimize the # of inquiries.

However, many people are surprised (and displeased) to find out their credit reports have been dinged with HARD inquiries when opening DEPOSIT accounts, such as checking and money market accounts.

A

  • American Express Co. pulled Experian for a One Financial account without margin (combination brokerage/savings).
  • Ameriprise Insurance (division of American Express) – for car insurance quote (Equifax)
  • AT&T; pulled Transunion for current customer moving from CA to OH initiating “new” landline
  • ATTWS – Equifax

B

  • Bank of America pulled Trans Union for a checking account.
  • Bank of America pulled Trans Union for a CD account opened online.(3/20/2007)
  • Bank of America pulled Experian for a checking account. (8/29/06)
  • Bank Of America – Pulled a hard enquiry after applying *only* for savings account.
  • Bank Of America – Pulled a hard enquiry on Experian for MM savings account 4/2007
  • Bank of Atlanta
  • Bank of New York pulled Experian for a checking account and a savings account.
  • BB&T; pulled Equifax for a checking account.
  • Brookline Bank pulled Experian for a checking account.
  • Brown & Co. pulls a hard one for EACH account that you open with TransUnion.

C

  • Catholic Federal pulled TU for new membership and opening of new checking.
  • Charles Schwab Bank pulled Equifax for opening new checking and investor account (without margin option)
  • Charter One Bank pulled Equifax for a checking account under the name St. Paul Bank Corp.
  • Chase Manhattan Bank pulled Trans Union for a checking account.
  • Cingular Wireless pulled Equifax.
  • Citibank pulled Equifax (for opening 6-month CD)
  • Citibank pulled Trans Unions for a checking and savings account opened at the same time.
  • Citibank pulls hard inquiry for opening e-Savings account
  • Citizens – checking – Equifax 
  • Clackamas Community Federal Credit Union – hard inquiry for savings and CD accounts
  • Comcast cable TV and HSI 
  • ComED
  • Costco AMEX car insurance ran a Hard Inquiry on me 
  • Countrywide (stopped pulling sometime in 2007)

D 

  • DCU (Digital Federal Credit Union) pulls a hard inquiry from Equifax when applying for membership.
  • Directv
  • DishNetwork
  • Dollar RENT A CAR (see Thrifty below)

E 

  • Ebank – checking – Equifax
  • Everbank – pulled Experian for a Money Market Account, as well as for a checking one.

F

  • Fidelity – LionBank (Not Fidelity Investments)
  • Financial Center Credit Union
  • Fifth Third – Opening Checking Account
  • Flagstar Bank – Checking – Pulls TU

 G

GMAC Bank – pulled TU for their MM savings account

H

HARRIS BANK — CD

I

  • Indiana Members Credit Union
  • ING Direct – When you open Electric Orange checking account, they will hard pull Equifax to determine the overdraft credit line limit for you. No hard pull for opening Orange Savings account.

J 

Johnson & Johnson by Yale & Associates on Experian- employment

L 

  • Local gas & electric utility (We Energies – Wisconsin) 
  • Local Honda dealer- check + 5K credit card
  • Local Nissan dealer (Coral Springs Nissan Auto Mall) pulled a HARD one when I browsed their inventory
  • Local Toyota dealership- cash transaction

M

  • Marquette National Bank — checking, savings, CD and safe deposit box
  • Meadows Credit Union pulled Trans Union for a checking account.
  • Mechanics Bank (sf) did hard pull from Equifax for a checking account. 
  • Muriel Siebert & Co. pulled Experian for a brokerage account without margin.

 N

  • National1St Credit Union – When opening an account/CD etc – Experian had pull
  • NASA Federal Credit Union – when applying for membership – Equifax hard pull

P

  • People’s Gas
  • Pentagon Federal Credit Union
  • Presidential Bank pulled Equifax for a checking account under the name Presidential Savings.
  • Principal Bank pulled Equifax for a checking account, also pulls for money market account according to CSR.
  • Provident Central Credit Union, Bay Area, CA – When opening an account – Experean hard pull

Q

Qwest

S

  • Salem Five – pulled Equifax for a checking account.
  • Schwab – hard pull on Equifax for a checking account. 
  • SCOTTRADE – hard pull on Equifax
  • Sprint – Long Distance for having them as the LD provider on a home phone.
  • State Farm Auto Insurance – for getting an auto insurance quote.
  • Suntrust – pulls an Equifax for opening of a checking account 

 T 

  • T-Mobile for cell phone service on Transunion or Equifax
  • TD Waterhouse/Ameritrade pulled Equifax on an exisiting customer to open IRA
  • Thrifty RENT A CAR did hard pull prior to rental 

U

  • UFBDirect.com – 3.30% on High Yield Money Market Savings 
  • US Bank ( online / phone only. soft pull when opening in branch)

V

Verizon – landline, DSL, or VoIP (on Equifax or TransUnion). Also for new cellphone account.

W

  • Wachovia-Trans union (or Equifax in some cases) for opening a checking account
  • Wanigas CU – Pulls to become Member, Pulls for Checking – Experian
  • Wells Fargo (When ever you make any changes like adding additional account holder, change address on your account etc, their Credit department is making a hard enquiry on Experean, I fought with them to get it Re-Classified as a soft pull, be very careful with Wells Fargo). Add this also, i change my account from regular to all advantage account (have free bill pay, checks etc) and a hard pull.