💼 Asset Depletion Loans
Big balance, small paycheck? Your assets can do the qualifying.
Asset depletion (sometimes called asset utilization) converts eligible liquid assets — brokerage accounts, cash, certain retirement funds — into a monthly qualifying income by dividing the balance over a set number of months. No employment required. It pairs naturally with investors who sold a business, retired early, or keep their net worth in the market rather than in a W-2.
Is this you?
Asset depletion tend to fit…
- Retirees and early retirees buying rentals or a new primary home
- Investors who sold a business or property and are sitting on proceeds
- High-net-worth borrowers with modest taxable income
- Self-employed buyers whose statements don’t show the full picture
- Anyone whose assets are strong but whose DTI math doesn’t work
Questions investors actually ask
Asset depletion: straight answers
How does asset depletion income work?
The lender totals your eligible liquid assets, applies any discounts (retirement accounts and stocks are often counted at a percentage), subtracts the funds you’ll use for closing, and divides the remainder by a set number of months — commonly 60 to 120. The result is treated as monthly income for qualifying.
Which assets qualify?
Typically cash, checking and savings, publicly traded stocks and bonds, mutual funds, and retirement accounts (often discounted and sometimes only after a certain age). Business accounts, crypto, and real estate equity usually do not count, though program rules vary.
Do I have to actually withdraw the money each month?
No. Asset depletion is a qualifying calculation, not a required distribution. The assets stay where they are; the lender simply uses them to demonstrate the ability to repay.
Can I combine asset depletion with other income?
Often yes — many programs let you stack asset-based income with pension, Social Security, rental, or other documented income to qualify.
Is this a Non-QM loan?
Usually, yes. Asset depletion is available on some agency loans under narrow rules, but the flexible versions investors use are Non-QM products with their own pricing and reserve requirements.
Keep exploring
Conventional investor loans
The agency route: full income docs, often a lower rate than DSCR, and up to 10 financed properties.
Learn more →House hacking
Live in one unit, rent the rest. Low down payment because it’s your home — and the rent helps you qualify.
Learn more →DSCR Loans
Qualify on the property’s rent instead of your tax returns. The investor loan this whole site is built around.
Learn more →Not sure if asset depletion fit your deal?
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