If I give you my social security number, will you give me a loan offer? | Applying For Loans

Possibly, but not necessarily. Your social security number enables Earnest to run credit inquiries with Experian. In the Rate Check, we run a soft credit inquiry to determine if we can give a rate estimate. Then, if you submit the full application, we run a hard credit inquiry to get more in-depth information regarding your financial profile. If your application is approved, you will receive a loan offer. Until then, it's important to keep in mind the possibility that your application could be declined.