You might have noticed “THD/CBNA” appear on your credit report. This is likely because you recently applied for a credit card through The Home Depot (THD), provided by Citibank North America (CBNA).
Whenever a borrower pursues a new line of credit — including a new Home Depot credit card — the creditor performs a hard inquiry.
Hard inquiries are routine checks into a borrower’s financial history, to determine their likelihood of repaying a loan. Borrowers who are seeing THD/CBNA likely had a hard inquiry performed by Citibank North America.
While not a debt collections agency, a hard inquiry from THD/CBNA can still bring down your credit score. If you’ve experienced the negative effects of a THD/CBNA hard inquiry on your credit score, consult the below information for simple, useful tips on improving your credit ranking.
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What to Do if You See THD/CBNA on Your Credit Report
If you recently attempted to open a new credit card through The Home Depot, seeing THD/CBNA on your credit report is normal, and nothing to worry about.
However, if you did not apply for a Home Depot credit card, but still see THD/CBNA on a credit report, consider contacting your financial institution and credit reporting company to identify the root of the issue and eliminate identity theft or fraud as a possibility.
Even if you did apply for a Home Depot credit card, a hard inquiry can still bring down your credit score. Taking concrete steps to improve your credit ranking often means addressing the major contributing factors to the credit score equation: total debt, new credit, payment history, credit type, and credit age.
Through disciplined spending habits, improved credit utilization, and other steps to perfect your credit score, you can help restore your overall credit score despite the recent THD/CBNA hard inquiry.
Raising your credit score can be a long, difficult process. If you find that the THD/CBNA hard inquiry has further injured an already low credit score, credit counseling may be an option for you.
Verify That It Is Legitimate
If you’re concerned about seeing a THD/CBNA hard inquiry on your credit report, you’ll first want to verify its legitimacy. Illegitimate hard inquiries could indicate fraud or identity theft.
Borrowers who did not apply for a new Home Depot credit card — and who still see the hard inquiry present on a credit report — should contact their credit reporting company and financial institution to address the issue.
Restore Your Credit Score
Once you have verified that the THD/CBNA hard inquiry is legitimate, you’ll want to take steps to restore your credit score over time. It’s normal to see a decrease in your credit score after a hard inquiry, particularly if you already have more than one or two hard inquiries during the year.
Restoring your credit score means addressing the previously mentioned factors that affect your rating. Regular, on-time payments made toward credit balances can help your rating improve, as the total debt lowers over time.
Also, you’ll want to keep any other hard inquiries to a minimum, to allow current lines of credit to mature and avoid further decreasing your credit score.
Borrowers with errors or inaccuracies on any credit report should enlist the help of a credit repair company, before those errors manifest in a lowered credit rating.
The best credit repair companies will even communicate directly with lenders and credit companies, working to remove errors, restore credit scores, and lower borrower stress levels.
Speak With a Credit Counselor
A crash course in basic financial management, credit counseling offers you personal access to a financial specialist, who will review your financial situation with you, in light of regular income and expenditures.
You’ll be able to take concrete steps toward long-term financial stability, armed with new budgeting skills, fiscal planning resources, and debt-management planning.
How to Remove THD/CBNA From Your Credit Report
If you’ve recently applied for a credit card through The Home Depot, it’s normal to see a THD/CBNA hard inquiry appear on your credit report. Legitimate hard inquiries will remain on your financial records for up to one year, before they are naturally erased.
If the THD/CBNA hard inquiry against your credit account is illegitimate, filing a dispute can help you remove it with minimal hassle.
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