Do Gambling Transactions Look Bad on My Bank Statements in York?

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What has it got to do with the lender whether I gamble or not?

Is it still possible to get a mortgage if I’ve got gambling transactions on my recent bank statements?

Is there anything else lenders wouldn’t want to see on my bank statements?

What can I do to improve things?

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When lenders are requesting your bank statements, they will be looking into various things. By assessing these bank statements, the lender can get an idea of the type of person you are and how well they would be able to manage their mortgage payments. Through our experience, we have encountered numerous enquiries asked by applicants wondering if gambling transactions look bad on their bank statements.

Mortgage Questions to Consider

What has it got to do with the lender whether I gamble or not?

As much as gambling can be a risky activity, we are not saying that it is an illegal act, however, lenders do judge applicants in a less favourable light if there are a large amount of gambling transactions in a shot space of time on their bank statements. You might have seen many gambling adverts on TV where they always urge customers to ‘gamble responsibly’, this is something in the mortgage industry we persuade too.

Obviously, it’s not the lender’s job to tell you what to do with your life with your finances or to lecture you on the rights and wrongs of gambling but, they do have a duty to lend responsibly.

Lenders need to demonstrate to the regulators that they are making judicious lending decisions. Therefore, it isn’t entirely unreasonable of them to have similar expectations of the people who are looking to borrow from them. Put it in this perspective, if you were to lend your own money, would you lend money to the individual who gambles or the one who doesn’t?

Is it still possible to get a mortgage if I’ve got gambling transactions on my recent bank statements?

It is not illegal to gamble, therefore, the odd gambling transaction on your bank statement does not automatically mean you will be declined for a mortgage. On the other, these transactions will be judged by the lender as to whether these transactions are rational. Along with this, they will look at the frequency of these transactions, the size of the transactions in relation to the applicant’s income and the overall impact on the balance.

When the transactions are infrequent small amounts that make no big impact on a regular credit bank balance, then they are not likely to be regarded as important. On the other hand, if an applicant gambles most weeks and is constantly in their overdraft, the lender will see this as irresponsible and decline your application.

Is there anything else lenders wouldn’t want to see on my bank statements?

The reason lenders like to look at your bank statement is for them to understand your financial behaviour with managing money and can conclude whether or not they are confident in lending to you.

Lenders are financial institutions that, either directly or as part of a wider group, often sell current accounts, overdraft facilities credit cards and personal loans. With this in mind, you need to understand that these all factor in prudent financial planning. It’s important for a mortgage applicant to look into how these facilities work.

For example, if you occasionally find yourself in overdraft, this is not inherently a bad thing. Whereas regularly exceeding the overdraft limit is not so good. Furthermore, lenders will look for excess overdraft fees or returned direct debits as these would usually show that the account is not well conducted.

Credit transactions from pay-day loan companies; “undisclosed” loan repayments (e.g. if you said on the application that you have no other loans but here appear to be regular loan payment, this could be an issue) is just some of the things to look out for. They would also look out for outstanding missed payments and they might see how much of a typical month is spent overdrawn – i.e. if you only just go into credit on payday and for the rest of the month is overdrawn, how sustainable is this mortgage?

What can I do to improve things?

Be sensible and plan ahead, if possible. Usually, a bank would request up to three months of your most recent bank statements. This will show the lender your salary credits and regular bill payments. Therefore, if you are thinking of applying for a mortgage in the distant future make sure that you avoid any of the above pitfalls. It’s best that you take a break from gambling for a short time and work on presenting your bank account in the best possible light.

There are a number of lenders out there who may ask for fewer bank statements than others or some may not ask them at all, this is something a mortgage broker could help you with. Despite this, these lenders do still have the right to request bank statements in particular circumstances so it’s best you are prudent in the run-up to any mortgage application. It’s important you if you do gamble, please gamble responsibly!

Get in Touch With a Mortgage Broker in York

Getting some specialist mortgage advice in AREA will benefit first time buyer in York like yourselves, especially if you have little knowledge about mortgages. They can provide a helping hand with your application and look impressionable to lenders. Simply book online your free mortgage appointment to speak with one of our mortgage advisors in York today.

Date Last Edited: December 19, 2023