Freddie Mac recently announced that the company will launch a new, automated capability that allows mortgage lenders to assess a prospective homebuyer’s income paid through direct deposit. This should reduce the paper documentation burden on borrowers so they can close loans faster and simplify the lending process, according to a Freddie Mac release.
This income assessment solution is available to mortgage lenders nationwide through Freddie Mac’s Loan Product Advisor (LPASM) asset and income modeler (AIM). AIM for income using direct deposits provides these cost-saving efficiencies, while continuing to meet Freddie Mac’s strong credit underwriting standards.
“Our direct deposit solution is an innovative, data-driven approach that takes minutes, not days, to assess income so our clients can serve more borrowers more efficiently,” Matt Vincent, Freddie Mac single-family vice president of credit and capacity, said in the release. “Sourcing data directly from the mortgage applicant’s bank account increases accuracy, removes subjectivity, reduces manual underwriting errors and delivers a better experience for borrowers and lenders.”
With more than 93 percent of U.S. workers being paid by direct deposit, according to the American Payroll Association, AIM is now able to assess more income sources than ever. In addition to direct deposit data, with borrower permission, AIM can assess an applicant’s income from employer data as well as tax return data for self-employed individuals, Freddie Mac stated.
“We are thrilled to announce another first-of-its-kind solution to help bring greater loan origination efficiencies,” Kevin Kauffman, vice president of client and partner delivery, Freddie Mac single-family, said. “Working alongside our partners, we’re offering tremendous value to our lender clients and their borrowers, while leading the industry on its digital journey to modernize the mortgage process.”
A recent Freddie Mac study highlights how lenders, through the adoption of Freddie Mac’s LPASM automated solutions (including AIM), were able to significantly boost efficiency and on average shorten cycle times by as much as 15 days. In addition, these efficiencies translated into cost reductions, increased customer satisfaction and improved capacity and conversion pull-through rates, the release stated.
This new AIM capability will be available to Freddie Mac-approved Sellers using LPASM. Additional requirements and the effective date will be announced this month in a guide bulletin. Initial service providers supporting Freddie Mac’s AIM for income using direct deposits include Finicity, a Mastercard Co., FormFree and PointServ. Freddie Mac’s privacy policy is available online.