We use your social security number to run credit inquiries with Experian. We use it for a soft credit inquiry (i.e. no impact to your credit score) when you use the rate check tool. We use it for a hard credit inquiry (i.e. a small impact to your credit score) when you submit an application. To keep your account private and secure, we may use it to verify your identity if you are reaching out to us directly.
For more information about why we run credit inquiries, click here. For more information about what Earnest does with your information, click here.