Why Do Lenders Request Bank Statements? (2024)

Why Do Lenders Request Bank Statements? (1)

Bank statements contain a lot of useful information for lenders. Lenders want to see your bank statements to get an understanding of how your company manages its finances and see if you qualify for funding.

Lenders want to review a few months’ worth of your company’s financial information to see what your income, cash flow, and daily balance look like. Consider opening a bank account if you do not have one. Not many lenders will give you funding for a business loan if you do not have bank statements.

Documents Needed When Applying for a Loan

Regardless of the type of loan you are applying for, you will likely need to provide bank statements. Typically, you will be asked 3-6 months of bank statements. They will verify the bank statements you provide by contacting the bank directly or sending a verification or proof of deposit request to your bank and validate your history and account balance.

Lenders may also request the following documents in addition to the bank statements:

  • Driver’s license
  • Voided business check
  • Proof of ownership
  • Tax returns

Why Do Lenders Need to See Bank Statements?

Below are the top reasons why lenders check your bank statements.

Verify your business’s name: the information on your bank statements will help verify your business’s registered name and trading name.

Financial history: to assess your business’s health the bank statements are a good indicator to see how it is doing.

Average daily balance: if your bank statements show that you struggle to keep a positive daily balance, it will be difficult for you to be approved for a loan. If it is positive over a certain period of time, you are likely to get approved for funding.

Daily deposits: the more daily deposits you have, the better because it shows that you are bringing in revenue. If you have not received a deposit in weeks, your chances of getting approved are very low.

Recurring payments: your bank statements prove to the lender that your deposits or revenue are more than your payments or expenses. If your business is repaying pre-existing debt, your lender will want to know if you have any remaining balances on your company.

How To Find Your Bank Statements

  • Log on to your account: visit your bank online and log on.
  • Find your statements: you can find your statements on the home screen of the website. It should be labeled “documents” or “statements”.
  • Download statements: you should be able to download your statements as PDF files.

The Bottom Line

Bank statements can tell the lenders how healthy and consistent your business is. To be considered for approval, lenders look for those who make enough to operate while paying expenses, employees, and debt. Lenders want to make sure that your business is sustainable before they lend you money for your business.

Why Do Lenders Request Bank Statements? (2024)

FAQs

Why Do Lenders Request Bank Statements? ›

Bank statements offer insight into your financial situation that helps lenders make that determination. For example, your deposits help the lender verify your income and its source, and your savings tell the lender if you've got sufficient funds to cover a major repair or weather a financial emergency.

Why do lenders ask for bank statements? ›

They Prove That Your Assets Are 'Sourced And Seasoned'

Your lender is also checking your bank statements to be sure that your assets are “sourced and seasoned.” “Sourced” means that the lender knows where your money is coming from.

What is the purpose of requesting a bank statement? ›

You'll find records of all transactions—both incoming and outgoing—so you know exactly what was going on with your funds during that period. Bank statements are an essential resource for account holders to track their funds, review spending habits, and flag fraudulent transactions or potential payment errors.

How do mortgage lenders verify bank statements? ›

The borrower typically provides the bank or mortgage company two of the most recent bank statements in which the company will contact the borrower's bank to verify the information.

What is the purpose of the bank statement for a loan? ›

Lenders closely examine bank statements from many months or even years to understand a borrower's savings, spending habits, and financial responsibilities. The objective? To determine the creditworthiness and the associated risks of granting a loan.

What are red flags on bank statements? ›

Red flags on bank statements for mortgage qualification include large unexplained deposits, frequent overdrafts, irregular transactions, excessive debt payments, undisclosed liabilities, and inconsistent income deposits, which prompt lenders to scrutinize the borrower's financial stability and may require further ...

What do lenders not want to see on bank statements? ›

Another point is not disclosing loans or regular committed outgoings, such as childcare or child maintenance at application stage as your bank statemnent will raise this. Other things to be aware of are missed payments for personal loans and things such as credit cards / store cards.

Why do loan officers want to see bank statements? ›

Lenders typically look for 2 months of bank statements from potential borrowers, which provides enough data to assess your income consistency, spending habits, account balances and other crucial financial information. It's possible the lender may ask to see more bank statements for additional insights in process, too.

What do they want when they ask for a bank statement? ›

They need confidence that you not only take in enough money to afford the mortgage, but that you handle money in a responsible way. That's why lenders ask for bank statements. Your bank statements are the quarterly or monthly financial documents that show what's been moving in and out of your checking account.

Is it safe to give a bank statement? ›

Yes, it is generally safe to submit your statement for credit and other financial purposes. However, keep these points in mind: Check if the lender or financial institution is legitimate. Submit the statements only for loan, rental and legal purposes.

What do underwriters look for in bank statements? ›

Lenders want to see “seasoned and sourced” funds in your accounts — that is, money from identifiable sources that has been in your account long enough to convince the lender the assets are your own. They want to ensure the funds are not undisclosed gifts meant to pad your accounts.

Do mortgage lenders need to see all bank accounts? ›

You only need to provide bank statements for accounts that you want to use for your mortgage application. These will be any accounts that: You receive income into e.g. salary, dividends, rental income etc. that you want to use for your application.

How do banks verify income for home loans? ›

How do mortgage lenders verify employment and income? Mortgage lenders usually verify income and employment by contacting a borrower's employer directly and reviewing recent employment and income documentation.

Why do lenders ask for financial statements? ›

Investors and lenders rely on financial accounting to obtain critical information about businesses' financial solvency and the risks they face. The most important benefit of financial accounting, and the benefit the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) most emphasizes is access to information.

Why is a bank statement needed? ›

Bank statements are a great tool to help account holders keep track of their finances, identify errors, and recognize spending habits. You should verify bank accounts regularly—daily, weekly, or monthly—to ensure your records match the bank's. This helps reduce overdraft fees, errors, and fraud.

Why do personal loans need bank statements? ›

Bank statements help lenders verify your income.

While you may have specified your income on your application, your lender will typically need to ensure that it is accurate and up to date by reviewing your recent bank statements.

Is it normal for a finance company to ask for bank statements? ›

Lenders ask for this information so they can see whether or not you can afford your monthly repayments alongside your regular expenses. Documents you'll usually be asked for: You may need to provide proof of income, particularly if you're self-employed. These could be bank statements, payslips, tax returns etc.

What financial statement is most important to lenders? ›

The liquidity of a company is captured by the cash flow statement, and in the cash flow models of the company; The cash flow statement in conjunction with the balance sheet allow for a lender to analyze the working capital efficiency of a company.

Why do lenders need to see financial statements? ›

A lender can review the financial accounts to assess liquidity, cash flow, leverage, and overall solvency.

How long does money need to be in your account for a home loan? ›

Generally, lenders want to see that money has been in an established account anywhere from 60 to 90 days.

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