Mortgage loan document checklist for brokers and loan officers
Every loan file starts the same way: a list of documents, a borrower who means well, and a week of “just checking in” emails. Pay stubs arrive without the second page, bank statements are missing a month, and the ID is a blurry photo. This guide covers the documents borrowers are commonly asked for and a practical way to collect them so you spend less time chasing and more time on the file itself.
A note on scope: FilesDue is a document-collection tool, not a loan origination system. It does not verify income, pull credit, run underwriting, or replace your lender's or company's required systems. Exact document requirements vary by lender and loan program, so always build your list from the lender's conditions. Check your company's information-security and compliance policies before using any third-party tool for borrower documents.
Common borrower documents
Identity
- Government-issued photo ID for each borrower (driver's license or passport).
Income
- Recent pay stubs — typically the most recent 30 days, showing year-to-date earnings.
- W-2s — usually the last two years, from every employer.
- Federal tax returns — often requested for self-employed borrowers, or when income includes rental, commission, or business income.
- 1099s — for contract or other non-wage income.
- Award letters for Social Security, pension, or other fixed income, if applicable.
- Year-to-date profit and loss statement for self-employed borrowers, if the lender asks for one.
Assets
- Bank statements — commonly the two most recent monthly statements, all pages, for each account used for down payment or reserves.
- Investment and retirement account statements, if those funds are being used.
- Gift letter and related documentation, if part of the down payment is a gift.
Property and other
- Purchase contract (for a purchase) or the current mortgage statement (for a refinance).
- Homeowners insurance information.
- Divorce decree, bankruptcy discharge, or other explanation documents, if they apply.
- Letters of explanation for anything the lender flags, such as a large deposit or a gap in employment.
Where loan document collection slows down
- Missing pages. A bank statement with page 1 of 4 is not a bank statement. Asking for “all pages” in the item itself helps.
- Unclear item names. “Send your income docs” gets a pay stub. “Pay stubs — last 30 days” and “W-2s — 2024 and 2025” get what you need.
- Co-borrowers. Each borrower has their own ID, pay stubs, and W-2s. Listing them separately avoids guessing whose document is whose.
- Conditions after the first pass. Underwriting asks for an updated statement or an explanation letter, and the chase starts again.
A simple collection process
- Build one checklist per loan. Start from your own list and make each document its own item, with a short description such as “all pages” or “most recent 30 days.”
- Mark conditional items optional. Gift letters, award letters, and divorce decrees only apply to some borrowers. The borrower can mark an item N/A, so you know it is intentionally empty.
- Send one link. The borrower uploads each document next to its name from a phone or computer. No account, no password, no app to install.
- Let reminders follow up. Each reminder lists only the documents still missing and stops when everything is in.
- Send back anything that won't work. If a statement is missing pages, return the item with a short reason and the borrower is asked for a new file.
- Download one organized ZIP with a folder per checklist item, then move the files into whatever system your lender or company requires.
How FilesDue handles this
FilesDue does not ship a mortgage-specific template, so you build the checklist once from the list above (or your lender's conditions) and adjust it per borrower. Reminders go out on day 2, 5, and 9 after you create the request, then weekly, and each one lists only what is still missing. Borrowers can pause reminders from the email, and you can pause them from your dashboard.
FilesDue also runs a basic, automatic check on uploads. It asks the borrower to re-upload files that look empty or too small to read, and for items labeled as things like “W-2,” “bank statement,” or “photo ID,” it looks for matching text in PDFs that have readable text. It is a simple keyword check, not document verification, so you still review every file.
Each file can be up to 100 MB, with up to 500 MB per request. Borrowers can upload PDFs, photos (including iPhone HEIC), Word, Excel, CSV, and ZIP files.
Tips for loan officers and brokers
- Put the date range in the item name (“Bank statements — Aug and Sep, all pages”) so there is no ambiguity.
- Ask for statements downloaded as PDFs from online banking instead of phone photos of paper.
- When underwriting adds conditions, send a short follow-up request with just those items instead of starting a new email thread.
- Keep an optional “Anything else the lender asked for” item for one-off requests.
Frequently asked questions
Does FilesDue replace my LOS or lender portal? No. It collects documents from borrowers and gives you an organized download. Your origination, disclosure, and underwriting work stays in the systems you already use.
What does it cost? Solo is $15/mo for 25 active requests; Pro is $29/mo with no limit on active requests. See pricing.
Any tips for collecting W-2s? See our guide to collecting W-2s from clients.