As far as a hard or soft pull ie one that doesn't show to other creditors. It all depends on the particular bank. Banks based in Delaware are not permitted to retain the credit reports on file for that long. Some banks may be based in places where they are allowed to. However, the key answer to the question is that it totally depends on your overall credit report and how often you open and close an account. A person with an extensive credit file of excellent accounts can open a new account every 4 months and close one every 6 months with no impact on their score that is significant. You must determine if you fit into that criteria. Example 20+ lines of credit with 70% over 5 years old, A mortgage and car loan, 2 to 4 active lines of revolving credit v/mc/ax, the rest paid off or closed, all balances are less than 70% of your credit limit on average (more is ok with a mortgage, less is better with a credit card), department store cards are not that good for you so it is better if they are paid off or carry very very small balances.