Trust, Note and Investment Income
Distributions from a trust, payments on a note you hold, and interest and dividend income are all documented qualifying income. They are just documented differently than a paycheck.
Income that does not come from an employer
No W-2, no pay stub, still qualifying income.
- Trust income can be used when constant payments will continue for at least the first three years of the mortgage.
- Payments on a note receivable count with a copy of the note and twelve months of documented receipt.
- Interest and dividend income qualifies with a two-year receipt history and a three-year continuance.
- Trust income is eligible across agency, jumbo, and non-agency programs.
- It is also listed as an eligible income source on standalone second liens.
- Where the income makes up more than half of your total qualifying income, the continuance requirement extends to five years on some programs.
Trust distributions
Notes receivable
Interest and dividend income
Fixed or variable payments
Agency and jumbo programs
Combine with other income
What Each Income Type Actually Requires
Three categories, three different document sets.
Trust income starts with the trust agreement or a trustee statement confirming the amount, the frequency of distribution, and the duration of payments. Where the trust pays a fixed amount, underwriting generally wants twelve consecutive months of receipt plus a bank statement showing the current deposit, and evidence that the trust holds enough to keep paying for three years past closing. Where the payment varies, expect a two-year history evidenced by signed federal tax returns. One detail catches people: if you are the trustee of your own trust, a letter from the trustee is not acceptable documentation. That confirmation has to come from a bank statement, a CPA, or an attorney.
A note receivable needs a copy of the note establishing the amount and the length of payment, plus evidence that payments have arrived consistently for the last twelve months through deposit slips, cancelled checks, bank statements, or tax returns. If you are not the original payee on the note, the file also has to establish that you can enforce it. The income has to continue for three years from closing.
Interest and dividend income is documented with two years of personal tax returns including Schedule B, plus current statements on the accounts producing the income. One rule surprises people every time: any funds you are pulling from those accounts for the down payment or closing costs get subtracted before the income is calculated. You cannot spend the asset and count its yield at the same time.
Where these files get complicated
Six issues that come up on trust, note, and investment income.
The Distribution Was Created After Application
Trust and retirement account distributions cannot be set up after you apply just to strengthen the file. The exception is a withdrawal you are required to take because of your age.
Continuance Was Assumed Rather Than Proven
Three years is the baseline across these income types, and where the income carries more than half the file, some programs push that to five. Evidence has to be in the file, not implied.
The Borrower Is Also The Trustee
A self-settled or self-administered trust is common and perfectly fine, but the confirmation of trust assets has to come from a source other than you. Plan for a bank statement or a letter from a CPA or attorney.
Assets Got Counted Twice
Money coming out of the trust for closing costs or reserves reduces the balance supporting the income. Underwriting nets that out first, so the qualifying income can be lower than the raw distribution suggests.
The Trust Was New
At least one program requires the trust to have been established for a minimum of twelve months before the income counts. A trust created during the transaction will not support qualification there.
The Program Treated It As Supplemental Only
Some lite-documentation products accept trust and note income but require employment or rental income as the primary source. Program selection determines whether your income can carry the file on its own.
Hear From Homeowners Like You
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about qualifying on trust and investment income.
It depends on the program. Several treat trust and note income as passive income that must supplement employment or rental income. Others do not impose that restriction. We check the treatment before choosing a lender rather than after.
That is a variable-payment trust and it carries a heavier documentation load. Plan on a minimum two-year history evidenced by signed federal tax returns for the most recent two years, plus current receipt.
Yes, as note receivable income. You will need a copy of the note showing the amount and remaining term, and twelve months of documented payment receipt. It also has to continue at least three years past closing.
Yes. When you are not the original payee, the file additionally has to establish that you are legally able to enforce the note.
For interest and dividend income, yes, including Schedule B. For trust income with variable payments, yes. For a fixed trust payment, a trust agreement and receipt documentation is often the path. Only a small number of lite-documentation products avoid tax returns entirely.
No, at least not both fully. Funds required for the down payment, closing costs, or reserves come out of the balance before the income is calculated.
Investment and trust income appears as an eligible source on some standalone second-lien programs. Documentation follows the agency seller guide. Availability is narrower than on first liens.
Find out what you qualify for
If your income comes from a trust, a note, or an investment portfolio, the fastest path is to send us the governing document and twelve months of statements. We will tell you what the qualifying number looks like and which programs accept it as a primary source.
Get Pre-QualifiedDocumentation and continuance requirements for trust, note receivable, and investment income vary by loan program and investor and are subject to change. Some programs accept these income types only as a supplement to employment or rental income. Not all applicants will qualify. This is not a commitment to lend.