High net worth mortgages
Bonus, RSU, dividend, carried interest, multi-property buy-to-let. The high street under-borrows complex income. The right lenders look at the whole picture.
A high net worth (HNW) case is rarely about the loan size on its own; it is about the income shape. Bonuses, restricted stock units, deferred share awards, partnership distributions, carried interest, dividends from a private business, multi-property buy-to-let portfolios, offshore structures. Mainstream lenders count a fraction of this income, often only base salary, and arrive at a borrowing figure that bears no relation to your actual earning power. A specialist tier (private banks, large-loan specialists, private-bank-adjacent lenders) reads the full income picture and lends accordingly. We work that tier and we know which structures fit which lender.
Who this is for
- Your income includes a meaningful element of bonus, RSUs, dividend, carried interest or partnership distribution.
- You hold one or more buy-to-let properties and need them refinanced or repackaged on a portfolio basis.
- You are looking at a loan size of £750,000 and above, where private banks become competitive.
- You have offshore income, trust structures or company-held wealth that mainstream underwriting cannot read.
What "HNW" actually means here
Definitions of high-net-worth clients vary between lenders, banks and regulatory contexts, and may take account of income, assets, wealth structures and borrowing requirements. Once you are past those thresholds the lender pool changes shape. Private banks become competitive, large-loan specialists are willing to underwrite case by case, and standard high-street pricing models stop driving the answer.
Counting the full income
The right lender takes 100% of base, 100% of contractual bonus, 50% to 100% of discretionary bonus depending on history, the vesting schedule of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units), dividend income from owned businesses, and partnership distribution where you have multiple years of K-1 or LLP equivalents. Combined gross income on this basis is often two or three times the figure a high-street lender uses.
Worked example, City professional with bonus and RSUs
Base £180,000, contractual annual bonus 60% (£108,000), RSU vesting at £120,000 a year on a 4-year rolling schedule. Total comp around £408,000. High-street lender takes base plus 50% of bonus, ignores RSUs: read income £234,000, multiplied at 4.5x = £1,053,000 of borrowing. Large-loan specialist takes base plus 100% of contractual bonus plus 75% of vesting RSUs: £378,000, multiplied at 5x = £1,890,000 of borrowing. Same applicant, a difference of £837,000 in the borrowing those two lenders would consider on these illustrative figures. On a £2.5 million home, the high-street lender produces a case that does not work; the HNW lender produces a workable case. We run both quotes.
Private banks versus specialist lenders
Private banks price the mortgage as part of a wider wealth-management relationship and expect assets under management, at a level each bank sets for itself. Large-loan specialist banks will lend without an AUM requirement, in exchange for slightly tighter pricing. Rates differ between the two routes and between individual lenders, so we run both quotes and let you decide.
Multi-property buy-to-let and portfolio lending
If you hold three or more buy-to-let properties, PRA (Prudential Regulation Authority) rules require lenders to underwrite at portfolio level. Some lenders refuse portfolio cases; others (including the HNW tier) handle them well. We package the portfolio properly and route to the right lender.
Offshore, trust and company structures
Trust ownership, offshore companies and family-investment companies all complicate the case but do not break it on the right lender. Source of wealth, beneficial-ownership documentation and tax-residency confirmation are the standard packaging.
Process and timeline
HNW cases involve a relationship director rather than a call-centre handover. Six to ten weeks from instruction to offer is normal. Documentation is heavier: source-of-wealth letter (often from your accountant), source-of-funds evidence going back 12 to 24 months, AML on directors of any related companies, and trust-deed extracts where applicable. The relationship director typically wants a face-to-face or video call before pricing the case. We coordinate the process so the documentation arrives in the right order.
Common pitfalls we see
Approaching a private bank for a quick mortgage when no AUM is in play (the rate proposition does not work). Letting the high-street lender set the maximum borrowing expectation. Forgetting that bonus history (typically 2 to 3 years) is needed for full counting. Underestimating the AML lead time on offshore structures. We work all four.
Buy-to-let warning
Most buy-to-let mortgages, including those held by HNW clients in personal name, in companies or via offshore structures, are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The protections that apply to your residential mortgage do not all apply to your buy-to-let.
How Major Money Matters helps
Specific things we do for this case type. No generic platitudes.
Count the whole income
Base, bonus, RSUs, dividend, carry. We pick lenders who run private-bank-style underwriting, not high-street defaults.
Run private bank against specialist
Private banks compete on rate when AUM is in play. Specialist large-loan banks compete without it. We quote both.
Portfolio underwriting
Three or more buy-to-lets triggers PRA portfolio rules. We package the portfolio and route to lenders who handle it cleanly.
Read offshore and trust structures
Trust, offshore company, FIC. We package source of wealth and beneficial ownership so the case lands clean at AML.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a high earner with bonus actually borrow?
On the right lender, with two or three years of bonus history, the bonus counts in full or near-full. As an illustration only: a lender counting a £200,000 base and a £150,000 bonus in full, at 4.5 times income, arrives at £1,575,000. That is arithmetic, not an offer. What you can actually borrow depends on the lender, your deposit and your outgoings, and is only confirmed once a lender has assessed your case.
Will RSUs count as income?
Some HNW and specialist lenders may consider RSU income where there is a demonstrable vesting and realisation history, subject to their underwriting criteria. They look at vested-and-sold history (typically two years), the current vesting schedule and the share price stability. Some lenders apply a haircut; others count gross.
Do I need to bank with a private bank to get a private bank mortgage?
Usually yes. Private banks expect an AUM (assets under management) relationship, and each bank sets its own level. If you do not want that, large-loan specialist banks will lend without an AUM requirement.
I have ten buy-to-let properties; do all lenders accept that?
No. Once you hit four or more rentals you are a portfolio landlord under PRA (Prudential Regulation Authority) rules and a lot of lenders step out. The HNW (High Net Worth) tier and specialist buy-to-let lenders handle portfolios well. We map the portfolio and route accordingly.
My income comes through an offshore structure; is that a problem?
Not in itself. We package source of wealth, beneficial ownership and tax-residency documentation up front. Specialist HNW lenders handle this regularly. Mainstream lenders generally do not.
How quickly can a large-loan case complete?
Typically six to ten weeks, sometimes faster on the private bank side where the wealth manager owns the relationship. Standard underwriting timescales apply to the specialist banks.
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Read moreWhat our clients say
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Complex income, read properly
A quick 15-minute call tells you what private bank versus specialist lender pricing looks like, and what your real borrowing power is.
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