Step 1 · Education-only

Pre-Approval Document Checklist

Missing paperwork is the #1 cause of pre-approval delays. Gather these before you apply — lenders review the same categories for almost every borrower. Your progress saves automatically in this browser, and nothing you enter is ever sent anywhere.

Education only, not financial advice. This is a general guide to the kinds of documents lenders commonly request. Requirements vary by lender and loan type. PreApprov is not a lender and does not collect applications.

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Income & employment

Most recent 30 days of pay stubs
Lenders verify current, ongoing income. Two to three recent stubs usually cover it; keep them as PDFs from your payroll portal. W-2s from the last 2 years
Shows stable income history with your employers. If you've changed jobs, bring W-2s from each employer. Federal tax returns, last 2 years
The full return (all schedules), not just the summary page. Required by most lenders; essential if you're self-employed. Self-employment docs (if applicable)
Profit-and-loss statement (year-to-date), business tax returns, and sometimes a letter from your CPA. Self-employed borrowers face the most scrutiny — start early. Other income documentation (if applicable)
Social Security award letters, pension statements, child support court orders, disability income letters — lenders need proof it will continue for at least 3 years.

Assets & down payment

Bank statements, last 2–3 months
All pages of every account — even the "this page intentionally left blank" ones. Lenders look for large unexplained deposits. Investment / retirement statements (if applicable)
Brokerage and retirement account statements show reserves. Lenders often want 2–6 months of reserves beyond the down payment. Gift letter + donor paper trail (if applicable)
Down-payment gifts need a signed letter stating it's not a loan, plus the donor's bank statement showing the transfer. No letter, no gift — it counts as debt.

Identity, credit & debts

Government-issued photo ID
Driver's license or passport. Some lenders also ask for your Social Security card. Credit authorization (signed with your lender)
Your lender pulls your credit directly — you don't bring your own report. Just be ready to authorize it and know roughly where your score stands. Current debt statements
Car loans, student loans, credit cards, child support — lenders calculate your debt-to-income ratio from these. Have monthly payment amounts handy. Rent payment history, last 12 months
Bank statements or canceled checks showing on-time rent. Some loan programs treat strong rent history as a plus.

Organization tips that actually help

One folder, everything. A single labeled folder (digital or physical) with a subfolder per category above. Lenders process complete files faster.
PDFs, not photos. Download statements as PDFs from your bank — phone photos of screens get rejected.
Explain large deposits now. Any single deposit that isn't normal payroll will be questioned. Write a one-line explanation and keep the paper trail attached.
Don't move money around. Shuffling funds between accounts right before applying creates a paper-trail mess. Keep balances stable.

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