Soft pull vs hard enquiry

When you check your own score, that is a "soft pull". It has zero effect on your score — you can look as often as you like.

When a lender checks your report because you applied for something, that is a "hard enquiry". A few are fine, but many in a short time can dip your score, because it looks like you are hungry for credit.

So: check yourself freely, but apply thoughtfully.