What is an Inquiry?

Every time you apply for credit, the company you apply with pulls your credit. This called an inquiry. More than a few over a 1-2 year period can decrease your score. (Consumer requests do not affect your score, i.e. you order your own credit report)

If you are shopping for a loan or mortgage, this is factored in. Multiple inquiries of the same type (mortgage, auto loan, etc.) at around the same time are consolidated for credit scoring purposes and usually count as one.