I totally get what you mean about the system flagging stuff. When I refinanced last year, I had to explain a $12 PayPal transfer to my sister for pizza, but a much bigger deposit from my side gig just sailed through. It felt random at first, but after talking to my loan officer, it turns out the system just didn’t “recognize” the pizza money pattern. My advice: keep a little log of oddball transactions before you apply. It saved me a headache when they started asking questions.
When I refinanced last year, I had to explain a $12 PayPal transfer to my sister for pizza, but a much bigger deposit from my side gig just sailed through.
That’s hilarious—I had to justify a $9 Venmo for “cat food” (which, full disclosure, was actually for tacos). Meanwhile, my tax refund landed and nobody blinked. It’s wild what the system decides is suspicious. I started keeping a spreadsheet of anything that might look weird, but honestly, half the time I can’t even remember what half those transactions were for... Maybe next time I’ll just label everything as “pizza.”
It’s honestly baffling what gets flagged. I once had to dig up a year-old Venmo for “dog walking” (which was actually for splitting a bar tab), but a few thousand from an investment account didn’t raise an eyebrow. The spreadsheet idea is smart, though—just wish underwriters cared more about the big stuff and less about our lunch habits. At this point, every $10 transfer is “groceries” in my records... easier to explain, even if it’s stretching the truth a bit.
Funny how the small stuff gets all the scrutiny, right? I’ve seen underwriters ask for explanations on $15 Venmo transfers, but then totally gloss over five-figure investment account movements. It’s almost like they’re fishing for inconsistencies more than actual risk. Have you tried color-coding your spreadsheet by transfer type? Makes it easier to spot patterns—or at least, explain them quickly when someone inevitably asks why “groceries” keeps popping up every Friday night...
Color-coding definitely helps keep my sanity, especially when they start asking about every random $12 “coffee” expense. During my refi last year, I swear the underwriter was obsessed with anything under $20—like they were convinced Starbucks was a front for laundering money or something. Meanwhile, a $40k transfer from my brokerage to checking? Not even a peep.
Here’s what worked for me:
- Broke down my statement by “type” (Venmo, Zelle, ACH, etc.) and color-coded them like you mentioned. Made it way easier to pull up explanations on the spot.
- Added a quick “notes” column for recurring stuff—so when they inevitably asked about “Friday groceries,” I just pointed to the note: “Weekly family dinner.” Saved me from having to dig through receipts or rack my brain.
- For bigger transfers, I flagged them in red just in case... but yeah, nobody cared. Go figure.
One thing I did push back on: They wanted an explanation for a $10 transfer to my sister labeled “dog food.” I told them if they really needed proof, I could send a picture of her chihuahua. That got a laugh and actually sped things up—sometimes humor helps break the ice.
Honestly, sometimes it feels like they’re just checking boxes rather than looking at actual risk. Maybe it’s easier for them to get answers on the small stuff? Either way, having everything organized saved me a ton of time (and headaches).
Curious if anyone’s ever had an underwriter actually care about those big account moves though... because in my experience, it’s always the coffee runs and Venmo splits that get all the attention.
