Drivers with poor credit usually pay for more car insurance. That's because, in the majority of states, car insurance companies can use your credit history when determining your monthly premiums.

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Thomas J. Brock is a CFA and CPA with more than 20 years of experience in various areas ...

Soft credit checks won’t impact your credit score, but the same can’t be said of hard credit inquiries. Katie covered all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events.

Credit inquiries can either be in the form of hard inquiries or soft inquiries, and they can happen for a variety of reasons.