Leah Zlatkin featured in CMP Magazine: ‘Stricter lending standards push self-employed borrowers to home-equity options’

Mortgage broker Leah Zlatkin says showing reliable credit behavior can help offset perceived risks.

Zlatkin, highlighted the differences between how salaried employees and self-employed borrowers report their income and how tax strategies can affect their application.

“Self-employed Canadians often face dtricter requirements because their income can fluctuate from month to month,” she said. “Unlike salaried employees who can show steady pay through T4s, self-employed borrowers typically have variable earnings and often claim legitimate deductions to reduce their taxable income.

“That’s helpful at tax time, but it can make it harder to prove income consistency when applying for a mortgage.”