You're pre-approved, the contract is signed, and closing is three weeks out. This is not the time to finance furniture, switch jobs, or shuffle bank accounts. Underwriters verify your financial picture right up to closing day, and any material change can delay funding or cancel the loan outright.
No new credit
Opening a credit card, financing appliances, or co-signing a loan changes your debt-to-income ratio and pulls your score. Even a small car lease can push DTI above the threshold. One client financed a $12,000 bedroom set four days before closing; the new $340 monthly payment raised DTI from 42% to 46%, and the loan had to be restructured with a higher rate to qualify. These figures are illustrative; rates and products are subject to change and this is not a commitment to lend. Wait until after you have keys.
No big purchases
Paying cash for a vehicle, boat, or renovation drains reserves. Underwriters require you to show two months' mortgage payments in liquid accounts at closing. A $25,000 cash truck purchase that drops your savings from $18,000 to zero will trigger a re-verification and likely a denial. The same rule applies to transferring large sums as a gift to family—reserve requirements don't care where the money went, only that it's gone.
No job changes
Switching employers, going self-employed, or moving from salary to commission resets the income clock. Conventional loans require a two-year history for commission and self-employment income; salaried W-2 roles need only 30 days of paystubs if you stay in the same field. A borrower who quit a $90,000 job to start a consulting LLC the week before closing had to withdraw; self-employment income can't be used until two years of tax returns exist. If a job change is unavoidable, call your loan officer before you give notice.
No large unsourced deposits
Any deposit over 50% of your monthly income must be documented. Cash from selling a car, a personal loan from a relative, or even moving money between your own accounts will trigger a letter of explanation and a paper trail. One buyer deposited $8,000 in garage-sale cash and couldn't document the source; the underwriter excluded that $8,000 from reserves, dropping the file below minimum liquidity. If you must move money, keep a clear audit trail and notify your processor immediately.
No moving money around
Transferring funds between banks, paying off collections without guidance, or wiring earnest money from an unverified account all require re-sourcing. Every account that touches the transaction must be documented with two months of statements. Moving $15,000 from Bank A to Bank B means two more statements and another three-day verification cycle.
The Alliance take
The keep-it-boring rule: from application to closing, change nothing. No new debt, no big checks, no job moves, no shuffling cash. If any financial event is unavoidable, call your loan officer before you act—most issues are fixable with advance notice but fatal when discovered at the closing table. Ready to lock? Start an application and we'll walk you through every pre-closing guardrail.