I had to send screenshots of my bank app just because I transferred $50 to my sister with a “🥑” emoji. It’s wild.
That’s honestly not even the weirdest one I’ve seen. Had a client last month who got flagged for a $20 Venmo payment labeled “dog food”... turns out it was just splitting groceries with a roommate, but the underwriter wanted a whole explanation letter. I get why they’re cautious—regulations have gotten super strict—but it does feel like they’re looking for trouble sometimes.
Back in the day, you could just hand over your pay stubs and be done with it. Now, every little thing gets picked apart. I’ve even had to explain birthday gifts showing up as random deposits. It’s frustrating, especially when you know everything’s above board. Sometimes I wonder if there’s any logic behind which things get flagged and which don’t, or if it’s just totally random...
It really does feel like a guessing game sometimes. I’ve had files held up over the most random things—one time, a client’s grandma sent her $100 for “treat yourself” and we had to prove it wasn’t loaned money. It’s definitely gotten more intense lately, but hang in there... it’s not just you.
Seriously, it’s wild what they flag these days. I had to explain a Venmo from my brother labeled “pizza money”—like, do they think he’s secretly my lender? It’s a circus, but you’re right, we’ll get through it...eventually.