How many inquiries is too many in a six months period?

[Anonymous]

I have many credit cards. However, I get turned down by too many inquiries. I only one major credit card(Discover). All the others are Merrick, Credit One,etc. I want to get a Citi or Capital One card but I am scared to apply for them due to many inquiries. What should I do?

[Adkins]

Stop applying and garden for at least a year, or until your last HP ages one year. You've listed serveral subprime cards, and after a year of gardening, assuming you don't have any major baddies holding you back, you can start looking at getting better cards. Credit is a marathon, not a sprint! 😃

[Remedios]

What are the reasons for your denials?

Those usually tell you what you need to do, or conversely what you should stop doing. 

[donkort]

I would say something like 3 or more inquiries within 6 months would be "too many."

Unless you're shopping for a mortgage or a car. 

[Anonymous]

Capital One has a pretty good prequalification site so you'll know when there's no point in applying. So does Amex.

I think your scores on all three bureaus should be at least mid-600s before applying (in case they aren't yet)

There are way more factors in approval than just the number of hard inquiries. 

[Anonymous]

If the reason you're being denied is for having too many inquiries, I would garden for awhile until some of your inquiries fall off. Having a lot of inquiries in a short period of time demonstrates financial instability and high risk to creditors.

[AverageJoesCredit]

6

[AverageJoesCredit]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

If the reason you're being denied is for having too many inquiries, I would garden for awhile until some of your inquiries fall off. Having a lot of inquiries in a short period of time demonstrates financial instability and high risk to creditors.

---

I would just caution that alot of inqs in short period doesnt necessarily imply financial instability,  more impatience.

[Anonymous]

Garden for a year or 2 will drop them down.

[gen_zod]

I was approved for a Cap1 platinum with 61 EX (660) inquires and 32 TU (656) inquiries. With about half of them acquired in a 6 month period.