BRKSB/CBNA may be an unfamiliar name, but it’s short for two popular businesses: Brooks Brothers and Citibank North America.

Without reading the fine print, some shoppers are surprised to learn their quick Credit card application resulted in a hard inquiry.

If you applied for one of Brooks Brothers’ credit cards, it’s likely to blame for the BRKSB/CBNA entry on your Report.

BRKSB/CBNA On My Credit Report

Brooks Brothers offers rewards credit cards to its shoppers, which are issued by Citibank.

The popular retailer provides two credit card options: The Brooks Card and the Brooks Brothers Platinum Mastercard.

Both cards come with several benefits, including:

• Introductory discount on Brooks Brothers purchases
• Birthday and anniversary rewards
• No annual fee
• Zero fraud liability

Applying for a Brooks Brothers card in the store or online may only take a few moments, but it can prompt a hard inquiry that stays on your report for years.

If you are overwhelmed by dealing with negative entries on your credit report,
we suggest you ask a professional credit repair company for help.

Ask Lex Law for Help

How Long Will a BRKSB/CBNA Hard Inquiry Stay on Your Credit Report?

If you have a hard inquiry, you can expect it to remain on your report for two years.

The inquiry might also lower your score by a couple of points, though it becomes less impactful after a few months.

Hard inquiries let lenders obtain your credit report(s). Also, the information in your reports can help them decide whether or not you’re an ideal borrower.

As such, this type of inquiry happens when you apply for credit cards, as well as loans and lines of credit.

It differs from a soft inquiry, which occurs when you check your score, pre-qualify for a loan, or compare quotes.

Your score might also undergo an inquiry when you apply for a new job or rental property. Soft inquiries have no effect on your credit.

Whenever you apply for a credit card, the creditor might only obtain one of your reports, or they could opt for all three.

In other words, your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports could be affected.

Fortunately, the impact of a hard inquiry is short-lived, and having a few hard pulls on your report is nothing to worry about.

Just try not to accumulate several inquiries as they can add up to lower your score more significantly. This could also deter prospective lenders from approving your applications.

To restrict the effects of hard inquiries in the future, you can:

1. Only apply for cards and loans you’re pre-qualified for or likely to get approved for.
2. Limit mortgage or other loan applications to a 14-day period, which helps you avoid getting hit with multiple inquiries as you compare options.

 How to Get BRKSB/CBNA Removed from Your Report

One hard inquiry won’t do extensive damage to your credit. However, you shouldn’t overlook a credit check you never agreed to.

If you didn’t apply for a Brooks Brothers card but still have an entry from BRKSB/CBNA on your report, you need to get it deleted.

A mysterious hard inquiry could be the result of a reporting error. Or, it could be a symptom of a more serious issue: identity fraud.

Here are the two ways you can get a hard inquiry deleted from your credit report.

Dispute the Hard Inquiry

The key to getting a hard inquiry removed from your report is filing a dispute, you should dispute a fraudulent entry with the credit issuer and the bureaus whose reports are displaying the inquiry.

You can contact Citibank directly to inquire about the credit check, they should provide you with details like when and where the application was submitted.

From there, you can file a dispute with the credit bureaus, which can be done over the phone, online, or by mail.

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the bureau has 30 days to investigate your dispute, and if you never applied for a card, this investigation should result in the removal of the inquiry.

Whether you’ve been targeted by an identity thief or there’s been a reporting error, your credit shouldn’t have to suffer.

To catch reporting issues quickly, we recommend using a credit monitoring platform. These apps can help you keep track of changes to your credit score and report. For example, they would notify you of suspected fraud and new entries.

Moreover, an app like Experian Boost can help you improve your score by reporting timely payments on bills.

Call in the Experts

Dealing with lenders and credit bureau representatives regarding fraudulent inquiries can be a hassle.

If you don’t have the time or energy to devote to disputing the entry, you may want to turn to a credit repair company.

These businesses are adept at tackling big and small credit issues, including:

• Bankruptcy
• Charge-offs
• Collections
• Foreclosure
• Judgments
• Poor payment history
• Liens
• Repossessions

If you’re facing any of the problems listed above, a credit repair company could be well worth the cost.

They’ll review your credit reports extensively, determining what factors are bringing down your score and disputing inaccuracies.

And there are tons of options out there, but we’ve narrowed it down to a list of the very best credit repair companies.