The Quick Read: It depends on which path you use, but cash, savings, CDs and money market balances count in full on both, brokerage and securities count in full on the asset qualifier path and at 80% on the asset depletion path, and retirement accounts count at 90% to 100% on one path and 70% on the other, all subject to underwriting. Business accounts, crypto and borrowed funds are the gray zone. The rules are the same for an Ohio borrower as anywhere else the program is offered.
- Cash, savings, CDs, money market: count at 100% on both paths.
- Brokerage and securities: 100% on the qualifier path, 80% on the depletion path.
- Retirement accounts: 90% under age 59½ and 100% after on the qualifier path, 70% at any age on the depletion path.
- Not published as eligible: crypto, precious metals, collectibles, pledged or borrowed funds.
- Statements are required: this is a no-income-documentation loan, never a no-documentation loan.
First, Which Path Are You On?
An asset-based mortgage is a consumer home loan qualified on what you own instead of what you earn. Across the wholesale network Lendmire works with, it comes in two forms. A borrower is qualified on one path at a time, and the account percentages differ between them, so never blend the two.
On the asset qualifier path, your eligible assets must equal or exceed the entire loan amount. No employment or income is documented. Leverage runs up to 80% on a purchase and 75% on a refinance, for a principal residence or second home. Loans go up to $4,000,000.
On the asset depletion path, the lender converts your usable assets into monthly income by dividing them by 60 months. That income has to carry the housing payment and your other debts through the debt-to-income test. Loans run from $125,000 to $3,500,000. This path also covers investment property, at lower leverage.
Nothing is sold, withdrawn or pledged on either path. The property secures the loan, and your accounts stay where they are. They are counted and documented.
The Lookup Table: Which Accounts Count?
Every figure below is the share of the balance that counts, through select programs and subject to underwriting. A dash means the account is not published as eligible on that path.
| Account | Qualifier path | Depletion path |
|---|---|---|
| Savings, money market | 100% | 100% (cash) |
| Certificates of deposit | 100% | 100% |
| Checking | Ask the lender | 100% (cash) |
| Brokerage accounts | 100% | 80% (securities) |
| Private stock | — | 75% |
| 401(k) and IRA | 90% under 59½, 100% at 59½+ | 70% at any age |
| Real-estate equity | — | 60% |
Qualifier-path accounts combine. You can stack brokerage, savings and retirement balances toward the loan amount.
Cash Accounts: The Cleanest Money
Cash is the easiest asset to count. Savings, money market and CDs count at 100% on both paths. Checking is treated as a cash account on the depletion path, and on the qualifier path you should confirm it with the lender before planning around it.
Cash earns full credit because nobody has to guess what it is worth tomorrow. It is also the form most other assets have to turn into if they are not directly eligible.
Brokerage and Securities: Full Credit on One Path, a Haircut on the Other
A haircut is the share of a balance the lender subtracts because the value can move. Stocks, bonds and funds swing, so the depletion path counts securities at 80%. Private stock counts at 75% because it is harder to sell.
The qualifier path is more generous. Brokerage accounts count at 100%. If your goal is to cover the whole loan with assets, this difference can decide which path you pick.
Retirement Accounts: Age Matters
Retirement balances count, but the percentage depends on the path. On the qualifier path, a 401(k) or IRA counts at 90% if you are under 59½ and 100% at 59½ or older. On the depletion path, retirement accounts count at 70% at any age.
Access matters too. Some employer plans restrict withdrawals while you are still working, and lenders review that. For the deeper mechanics, Lendmire’s piece How to Count Retirement Accounts as Reserves on an Asset Depletion Mortgage walks through the details.
What Does Not Count
On the depletion path, these are not eligible:
- custodial accounts
- deferred compensation
- escrow accounts
- foreign funds
- cash on hand
- stock options
- non-vested restricted stock units
- funds from non-regulated financial companies
Cash-out proceeds from the new loan never count as qualifying assets.
Cryptocurrency, precious metals, collectibles, pledged or borrowed funds, and business accounts beyond your ownership share are not published as eligible on either path. Do not plan around them at any percentage. The documented route is converting them to a seasoned cash balance in a regulated account. The lender then reviews where the money came from.
Seasoning and Statements
Seasoning is how long money has sat in your account. It shows the funds are really yours and not a recent loan or transfer.
- Qualifier path: 60 days of seasoning and two months of statements for each qualifying account.
- Depletion path: statements at least 120 days old at application, plus the most recent statement within 45 days. Funds from the sale of a business, an inheritance or a legal settlement are excused from that seasoning.
Moving money between accounts right before you apply can break the paper trail. Keep the history clean and explain any large deposit.
Worked Example: Assets Cover the Loan
These numbers are illustrative, and the lender’s own calculation governs. Say you want an $800,000 loan on the qualifier path. You hold $330,000 in brokerage accounts (100% counts, so $330,000), $300,000 in a 401(k) while under 59½ (90% counts, so $270,000), and $200,000 in savings (100%, so $200,000).
Together that is $800,000 of usable assets. That equals the loan amount, so the file is reviewed on assets alone, subject to underwriting. Credit still matters, with a 600 minimum score on this path. Reserves are not required at or below 75% loan-to-value.
Worked Example: Assets Become Income
Now take the depletion path. You hold $1,500,000 in securities (80% counts, so $1,200,000) and $300,000 in cash (100%, so $300,000).
That is $1,500,000 of usable assets. Divide by 60 months and you get $25,000 of monthly qualifying income. That income then carries the housing payment and your other debts through the debt-to-income test.
This path has minimums. Qualified assets must be at least the lesser of $1,000,000 or 1.25 times the loan balance. They must never fall below $250,000 liquid when asset depletion is your only income source. If asset income only supplements documented income, it can be used up to a 45% debt-to-income ratio, and the minimum-assets rule is waived.
Leverage on the Depletion Path
Leverage is capped by property use and transaction type:
- Principal residence or second home: up to 80% on a purchase or rate-and-term refinance, and 60% on a cash-out refinance.
- Investment property: up to 65% on a purchase or rate-and-term refinance, and 60% on a cash-out refinance.
A first-time investor on this path needs a 700 score. Otherwise the lender’s score and loan-amount matrix applies. Housing history is 0x30x12, and one 30-day late in the last twelve months is considered case by case. Multiple bankruptcies are not eligible. Those figures are ceilings and floors, not offers.
Is This the Same as DSCR Reserves?
No. DSCR loans are designed for non-owner-occupied investment properties. Because they are business-purpose investor loans, they are reviewed differently from a standard owner-occupied mortgage. Under federal rules, credit extended primarily for a business purpose is exempt from most consumer-lending requirements, as the OCC’s Truth in Lending booklet also notes.
A DSCR loan is reviewed primarily on property-level rental income covering the payment, subject to lender guidelines. You still show liquid assets for reserves, and the lender sets how each account type is valued. Programs below 1.00 coverage are available through select lenders, with leverage and terms adjusted. The complete DSCR loans guide covers that path.
Ohio Scenarios
Program figures do not change by state. Lendmire is licensed for consumer mortgage lending in Ohio, among 16 states, and arranges these loans as a broker. No Ohio-specific rule changes which accounts count, so the situations below are about your own balances.
- A retiree with a large IRA and a brokerage account: often a fit for the qualifier path if the combined credited balances meet the loan amount.
- A business owner who just sold the company: proceeds sitting in a regulated account can qualify on the depletion path, and sale-of-business funds are excused from the seasoning period there.
- An heir holding a big inheritance in cash: the same seasoning exception applies on the depletion path, with a paper trail showing where the funds came from.
Ownership is reviewed on any file. Titling situations such as joint accounts, trusts or accounts held by a family member vary, so confirm them with the lender before relying on the balance.
Mistakes That Cost Borrowers
- Counting the same dollars twice. Money you need for the down payment and closing costs comes out of the pool first.
- Assuming retirement counts at face value. On the depletion path it does not, and on the qualifier path the full-value treatment applies only from age 59½.
- Treating crypto as cash. Convert it and let the balance season first.
- Mixing the tables. A qualifier-path percentage does not apply on the depletion path.
- Skipping the large-deposit explanation. An undocumented transfer can stall a file.
Tax treatment varies; consult a qualified professional before relying on any withdrawal or deduction.
Key Terms Defined
Asset qualifier path: qualifying on eligible assets alone, with the total at or above the whole loan amount.
Asset depletion path: dividing usable assets by 60 months to create monthly qualifying income.
Haircut: the share of a balance a lender subtracts when counting it.
Seasoning: the length of time funds have been in your account.
Debt-to-income ratio: your monthly debts divided by your monthly income.
Rate-and-term refinance: a refinance that changes the loan’s terms without taking cash out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do retirement accounts count?
Yes, on both paths, at different percentages. The qualifier path counts them at 90% under age 59½ and 100% at 59½ or older. The depletion path counts them at 70% at any age. Plan access rules can still affect eligibility, subject to underwriting.
Do I have to sell my investments?
No. Nothing is sold, withdrawn or pledged. The lender counts the balances and reviews the statements, while the accounts stay in your name.
Can I use crypto or a business account?
Cryptocurrency is not published as eligible on either path. Business accounts count only to the extent of your ownership share, and lenders review them case by case. The documented route is moving the value into a seasoned cash balance in a regulated account.
Can I buy a rental with this?
On the depletion path, yes, at lower leverage: up to 65% on a purchase or rate-and-term refinance and 60% on a cash-out. The qualifier path covers principal residences and second homes. For a pure rental that is reviewed on rent, DSCR is often the better fit.
Is the credit requirement different between paths?
Yes. The qualifier path has a 600 minimum score. The depletion path follows the lender’s score and loan-amount matrix, and a first-time investor there needs 700. Every file is underwritten individually.
If you are qualifying on assets rather than income and want to see how the numbers work, Lendmire can help you compare asset-based mortgage options based on your statements, the property, credit profile, leverage, and your goals. Whether your liquid balances sit in savings, brokerage or retirement accounts, the lender may count each type differently, so the mix of accounts can affect the total.
Lendmire’s asset-based mortgage in Ohio page presents the program for Ohio borrowers.
About Lendmire
Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a mortgage broker licensed for consumer lending in 16 states. Scotsman Guide named Lendmire a Top Mortgage Workplace in both 2025 and 2026.
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References
1. CFPB – 12 CFR §1026.3 Exempt transactions
2. OCC – Comptroller’s Handbook, Truth in Lending Act booklet
This article is part of Lendmire’s asset-based mortgage program — full qualification details, guidelines, and scenarios live on the program page.
Related reading: How a Margin Balance Is Treated on an Asset Depletion Mortgage · Is an Asset-Based Mortgage Reported to Credit Bureaus Like Any Other Mortgage? · What Counts as an Asset Statement for a Mortgage?
Guides: Asset-Based Mortgage in Ohio
Brandon Miller
Founder & CEO, Mortgage Loan Originator, Lendmire LLC
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Legal disclosures. Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a state-licensed mortgage brokerage that arranges financing through wholesale lender relationships. Lendmire is not a direct lender, depository institution, or registered financial advisor. The discussion above is general informational content about real estate financing — it is not financial, legal, or tax advice, and readers should consult licensed professionals for guidance on their individual circumstances. Loan inquiries are subject to lender underwriting; this article does not represent a commitment to lend. Loan terms, rates, and qualification standards vary by borrower, property, and state, and are subject to change at any time. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS Consumer Access: nmlsconsumeraccess.org.