Does checking your own credit report lower your score?

Detailed Explanation

No. Checking your own report is a soft enquiry and does not affect the score, which is why reviewing it regularly is a habit worth keeping. What does have an effect is a hard enquiry — the check a lender runs when you apply for credit. Several of those in a short window can weigh on the score, because a burst of applications is itself a signal. Rate shopping for a single product is usually treated more leniently than several unrelated applications, though the exact handling varies by scoring model and jurisdiction.