Asset-based loans (also called asset depletion loans) qualify you using your liquid assets — savings, brokerage, retirement accounts — instead of tax returns or W-2s. Perfect for retirees, business owners, and high-net-worth borrowers with non-traditional income. Loan amounts from $250K to $5M+.
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If you’re asset-rich but your tax returns don’t reflect your true financial picture, conventional lenders deny you. Asset-based loans were designed for exactly this situation.
Skip the income-doc gauntlet entirely. We qualify you using statements from your liquid asset accounts — checking, savings, brokerage, retirement. Tax returns and W-2s aren’t required.
Loan amounts from $250,000 well into jumbo territory ($5 million+, with some lenders going higher). Your maximum scales with your liquid asset base and down payment.
If you’re retired, between businesses, or have low W-2 income but strong assets, conventional lenders deny you. Asset-based loans qualify you on what you actually have — not what your tax returns say.
Choose 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, or 5/1, 7/1, 10/1 ARMs. Interest-only options available for qualified borrowers. Use for primary, second home, or investment property purchases and refinances.
The qualification math is straightforward once you understand the formula. Here’s exactly how lenders calculate your borrowing power from your assets.
Eligible Assets ÷ Term in Months = Monthly Qualifying Income. For example, $1.5M in liquid assets divided by 120 months equals $12,500/month qualifying income. Retirees over 59.5 often use shorter terms (60–84 months), which produces higher qualifying income from the same asset base — letting you borrow more.
Checking, savings, money market, and CDs count at 100%. Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds count at 70–80% (haircut for market volatility). Retirement accounts (IRA, 401k) count at 60–70% if you’re 59.5+, less if younger (due to early withdrawal penalties). Real estate equity, business equity, and crypto typically don’t count.
Down payments typically start at 20% for primary residence, 25–30% for second home or investment property. Most asset-based programs require a 700+ FICO score; the best pricing kicks in at 740+. You’ll need 2–3 months of asset statements to document stability — lenders want to confirm the funds aren’t borrowed.
Retirees living off investments. Business owners with variable or modest W-2 income but strong personal balance sheets. Executives with stock-heavy compensation. Recently sold-business owners between ventures. Foreign nationals with US assets. Trust beneficiaries. Anyone wealthy on paper but with non-traditional income flows.
Curious how much you’d qualify for? Send us your asset profile and we’ll run the calculation in 24 hours — no credit pull required for the initial estimate.
Calculate My Borrowing PowerAll three are non-QM alternatives for borrowers without W-2 income. Each works best for different profiles — here’s how to pick.
| Asset-Based | Bank Statement | DSCR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifies On | Liquid assets | 12–24 mo bank deposits | Property rental income |
| Tax Returns Needed? | No | No | No |
| Minimum Threshold | $500K–$1M+ in assets | $10K–$25K+ avg monthly deposits | 1.0+ DSCR ratio |
| Min FICO | 700+ | 620+ | 620+ |
| Down Payment | 20%–30% | 10%–20% | 20%–25% |
| Loan Amount Range | $250K–$5M+ | $200K–$3M | $150K–$3M |
| Property Type | Primary, 2nd home, investment | Primary, 2nd home, investment | Investment only |
| Best For | Retirees, HNW, business owners | Self-employed w/ strong cash flow | Real estate investors |
Slightly longer than conventional due to additional asset documentation review, but no government approvals or extra oversight steps.
We review 2–3 months of statements from your liquid asset accounts and run a preliminary asset-depletion calculation to estimate your borrowing power.
Submit ID, asset statements, and credit authorization. We issue a pre-approval letter within 24–48 hours showing your maximum loan amount.
Find your home with confidence. We can validate the loan-to-value ratio against your target purchase price before you submit any offer.
Standard 30–45 day underwriting. Asset-based loans require slightly more documentation review than conventional, but no extra approvals or government oversight.
Sign closing docs and get your keys. Your loan terms (rate, payment, ARM schedule) are locked in. Refinance to a conventional loan later if your situation changes.
The flexibility is real, but so are the costs and requirements. Make sure these fit your situation before committing.
The questions wealth-management clients and retirees ask most before choosing this loan type. Don’t see yours? Ask Alex directly.
Alex Doce has structured asset-based loans for retirees, business owners, executives, and foreign nationals for 38 years. Send us your asset profile and we’ll calculate exactly what you can borrow — no obligation, no hard credit pull, no tax returns required.
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