Skip to main content

Inquiry activity

These interactive graphs show (a) the monthly number of consumers with inquiries to open a new credit card or to increase the limit on an existing credit card and (b) the monthly rate at which consumers who applied for credit to open new credit cards or to increase credit card limits did not open a new credit card account or experience a credit limit increase.

This page includes interactive graphs and CSV files for:

Figure 5A:

Inquiry index

This interactive graph shows the number of consumers with credit card inquiries each month indexed to January 2010 levels. Because not all lenders need to pull credit reports from all three nationwide consumer reporting agencies, the graphs are presented as indices. Monthly inquiry indices are displayed along with a seasonally adjusted series, which adjust for expected seasonal variation in credit application activity.

Indexed number of consumers with inquiries

Indexed number of people with credit card inquiries.

Source: CFPB Consumer Credit Information Panel
Date published: October 2024
Download: CSV file
Note: The most recent data available in this visualization are for July 2024.

Figure 5B:

Credit tightness index

This interactive graph shows the number of consumers who applied for a credit card each month and did not obtain additional credit. An increase in the credit tightness index indicates that fewer inquiries are transitioning into loans relative to January 2010.  To better reflect changes in credit market tightness, we adjust the data to hold the scores of those applying for credit constant. This helps to isolate changes in lender policies as opposed to changes in the applicant pool. Monthly credit tightness indices are displayed along with a seasonally adjusted series, which adjust for expected seasonal variation in credit application activity.

Indexed number of consumers with credit tightness

Indexed number of people who applied for credit cards but did not open a new account.

Source: CFPB Consumer Credit Information Panel
Date published: October 2024
Download: CSV file
Note: The most recent data available in this visualization are for May 2024.