Not all lenders ask to see bank statements as a matter of course, although all reserve the right to request them. Getting your bank statements mortgage ready. Mortgage customers can sometimes get nervous about their bank account when they come to provide statements ahead of applying for a mortgage. If you are considering applying for a mortgage sometime soon then invest some time in tidying up your account conduct now to give your future application the best possible chance of success.

Following the ‘Mortgage Market Review 2014’, where rules came into effect to ensure people take out a mortgage they can truly afford. Lenders began paying much more attention to customer’s outgoings. Back in 2014 when this was all brand new, lenders were more than keen in some of their deep analysis of outgoings.

You may recall some of the headlines at that time regarding “My mortgage provider wants me to tell them how much I pay for haircuts and eating out”. The availability of ‘statistics’ is greater these days and there is rich data available to lenders from the Office of National Statistics and other sources to estimate some of those outgoings.

Improve your chances with your mortgage application

Taking the first steps onto the property ladder as a first time buyer in Derby can be hard, so you need to know absolutely everything in order to improve your chances of being accepted straight away.

If you are applying for a mortgage and you are bouncing direct debits and incurring bank charges then any lender will not look favourably upon that, so if you fall into this category then you’ll need to work on getting things in order. Using an overdraft facility is usually ok, as long as you do not exceed your agreed limit. Even then, if it’s a one-off with a good explanation then it’s still possible that you will be accepted. Avoid bank charges, particularly for missed payments, bounced cheques etc.

Payday loans – If these appear on your bank statement, this will be a red flag to most major lenders as it implies you are not able to meet and manage your monthly budget and requirements. So aim to avoid these and balance your finances so you can demonstrate good solid financial management.

What lenders look for on your bank statements: red flags

Gambling payments on your bank statement? Gambling is something that viewed poorly by lenders. If it is very small amounts then it’s often ok. If you gamble more regularly than that it would be wise to address this before applying. It’s a good idea to get “mortgage-ready” before you find a property you are would like to purchase.  If you have any concerns about whether lenders may have an issue with anything on your bank statements we would recommend you contact us sooner rather than later to avoid the disappointment of having an application declined.

Date Last Edited: December 6, 2023