Why does the lender need my bank statements?
Regardless of your mortgage situation, you could be a first time buyer in Manchester, a home mover or looking to remortgage. Your lender will always want a copy of your bank statements.
They will analyse your bank statements to determine whether or not you are the sort of person who can manage your money responsibly and can afford to keep up regular mortgage payments.
It would help if you thought about your statements and what other elements of your banking say about you. One trend that has come into highlight is the question of gambling transactions on bank statements.
What has it got to do with the lender whether l gamble or not?
There is nothing illegal about having an annual flutter on the grand national or regular use on licensed gambling sites. However, even the bookmakers and gambling advertisers urge customers to ‘gamble responsibly’.
This is the same message to bear in mind when it comes to applying for a mortgage. It is not the lenders’ job to tell you how to live your life, how you spend your money or preach on moral rights and wrongs of gambling. They do however have a duty to lend responsibly.
If lenders need to prove to the regulators that they are making careful lending decisions, it isn’t entirely unreasonable to expect the people they lend to be responsible for their finances.
Will gambling affect my chances of getting a mortgage?
As we mentioned above, just because you have the odd gambling transaction on your bank statements doesn’t mean your mortgage application will get declined. The lender will consider whether or not these transactions are reasonable and responsible.
Your lender will mainly look at the frequency of transactions and the overall impact on the account balance. If these gambling transactions are small and infrequent, making no significant impact on your overall regular credit bank balance, then they are likely to be overlooked.
On the contrary, if you bet most weeks and are constantly overdrawn, the lender is likely to view this as irresponsible and could decline your application.
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What will lenders be looking for on my bank statement?
Remember, lenders are financial institutions that either directly or as part of a wider group often provide various products, such as current accounts, overdraft facilities, credit cards and personal loans. The way in which you conduct these accounts will impact your ability to obtain a mortgage.
For example, having an overdraft facility and occasionally using it is not inherently wrong; regularly exceeding the overdraft limit is not ideal.
Your lenders will look for excess overdraft fees or returned direct debits because these would generally show that the account is not being well conducted.
Other things to look out for include credit transactions from pay-day loan companies; “undisclosed” loan repayments. They would look out for any missed payments and consider how much of a typical month is spent overdrawn.
What can I do to show the lender I am reliable?
The answer is simple – be sensible and, if possible, plan ahead. Typically, a bank would ask for up to three months of your most recent bank statements. These will show your salary credits and all your regular bill payments. Making sure that your bank account is conducted in a manner that shows you are reliable and manage your finances well.
If you are a regular gambler, maybe think about taking a break or setting limits, there are features on most gambling apps that can help with this. As well as helping your mortgage application, this may also be good for mental health.
Get in touch with a mortgage broker in Manchester
If you are a first-time buyer, home mover or looking to remortgage in Manchester but need some support or guidance, you should get some specialist advice from a mortgage advisor in Manchester.
Our advisors can guide you through the whole mortgage process and help you with your application and get you on track so that lenders will be impressed.
Date Last Edited: April 22, 2024
