The information on a credit report cannot be changed. Also, anything a creditor is responsible for reporting and confirming, a creditor can change. An inquiry notation is made each time someone requests a copy of your credit file from that credit bureau. Any company that receives a copy of your credit profile will be listed under this inquiry section of your report. Lenders don't like to see a lot of inquiries on a credit report.
Excessive inquiries can result in a credit denial as easily as bad credit.
But, not all inquires are viewed negatively. This is one of those occasions. See Old Delinquent Accounts for warning and explanation of how you can unwittingly restart this clock. However, this does not mean that you never pay these debts. While discussing negotiating with creditors covered in Chapter 4, you will read how to include in your negotiated settlement a provision for how it is to be reported.