[Updated March 2024; originally published July 29, 2021]
It’s an ordinary day of underwriting mortgage files and then you see it – a restricted stock unit (RSU) listed as income for the borrower. How will you handle this type of income?
Depending on where you work, this may or may not be a common scenario you run into… but it may pop up! Regardless, our very own Marilyn Richter, Regional Underwriter, dives into restricted stock units, how they’re taxed, and how the GSEs treat RSUs.
What is a Restricted Stock Unit?
A restricted stock unit is a form of compensation issued by an employer to an employee in the form of company shares.RSUs are issued to an employee through a vesting plan and distribution schedule after achieving required performance milestones or upon remaining with his/her employer for a particular length of time.
RSUs give an employee interest in company stock but they have no tangible value until vesting is complete.Upon vesting, they are assigned a fair market value and are then considered income, a portion of which is withheld to pay income taxes. The employee receives the remaining shares and can sell them at his/her discretion.
Understanding Restricted Stock
Restricted stock as a form of executive compensation became more popular after accounting scandals inthe mid-2000s as a better alternative tostock options. At the end of 2004, theFinancial Accounting Standards Board(FASB) issued a statement requiring companies to book an accounting expense for stock options issued.
Now, RSUs are granted to all levels of employees. RSUs also allow a company to defer issuing shares until the vesting schedule is complete, which helps delay the dilution of its shares.
Taxation and Restricted Stock Units
With RSUs, a recipient is taxed when the shares are delivered, which is almost always at vesting. The taxable income is the market value of the shares at vesting. The RSU recipient will have compensation income subject to federal and employment tax (Social Security and Medicare) and any state and local tax. That income is subject to mandatory supplemental wage withholding. Withholding taxes, which for U.S. employees appear on Form W-2 along with the income, include the following:
- Federal income tax at the flat supplemental wage rate, unless your company uses your W-4 rate
- Social Security (up to the yearly maximum) and Medicare
- State and local taxes, when applicable
A company may offer a choice of ways to pay taxes at vesting, or it may use a single mandatory method. The most common practice is taking the amount from the newly delivered shares by surrendering stock back to the company. This holds or “tenders” shares to cover the taxes under a net-settlement process, and company cash is used for the payroll tax deposit.
Agency Guidelines on Restricted Stock Units
The guidelines around using restricted stock units as qualifying income are not terribly complex, but we’ve outlined some key takeaways below.
Freddie Mac Guidelines
When qualifying a loan for sale to Freddie Mac, you’ll first want to determine if the restricted stock units are subject to either performance-based vesting provisions or time-based vesting provisions.
For performance-based vesting provisions, you’ll need a history of two years of consecutive receipts, proof that the payment is likely to continue for at least the next three years, and sufficient documentation like paystubs and W-2s.
For time-based vesting provisions, you’ll need a one-year history of receipt, proof the payment is likely to continue for the next three years, and sufficient documentation for proof of payment.
See the full breakdown of performance-based vs time-based vesting RSU guidelines, available via Section 5303.3, in the charts below.
Section 5303.3 – Additional employed income
Effective 11/01/23
| Income Type | Stable monthly income requirements | Documentation requirements Streamlined Accept andStandard DocumentationLevels |
| RS and RSU subject to performance- based vesting provisions | History of receipt:
Continuance:Must be likely to continue for at least the next three years Calculation:Refer toSection 5303.4(b)for calculation guidance and requirements | All of the following:
Or all of the following:
Additional documentation requirements applicable to all documentation levels: The Mortgage file must contain:
|
| RS & RSU subject to time-based vesting provisions | History of receipt:
Continuance:Must continue for at least the next 3 years Calculation:Refer toSection 5303.4(b)for calculation guidance and requirements | All of the following:
Or all of the following:
Additional documentation requirements applicable to all documentation levels: The Mortgage file must contain:
|
Once you have all the documentation for the file, you’ll need to complete a calculation based on Section 5303.4. These calculations must be completed based on whether the RSU is performance-based vs time-based, as well.
Section 5303.4 – Employed income calculation guidance and requirements
Effective 11/01/23
Fluctuating employment earnings
These requirements apply to fluctuating hourly employment earnings and additional fluctuating employment earnings (e.g., commission, bonus, overtime and tip income).
Refer toSections 5303.2(b)for information about fluctuating hourly earnings andSection 5303.3 for information about other types of additional employed fluctuating income (e.g., bonus, overtime).
| Subject | Requirements and guidance |
| Calculation RS and RSU subject to performance-based vesting provisions | Based on the form in which vested RS or RSU are distributed to the Borrower (i.e., as shares or its cash equivalent), the Seller must use the applicable method(s) below to calculate the monthly income: RS or RSU distributed as shares Multiply the 52-week average stock price as of theApplication Received Dateby the total number of vested shares distributed (pre-tax) to the Borrower in the past two years, then divide by 24. (e.g., if 200 vested shares were distributed (pre-tax) in the past two years and the 52-week average stock price as of theApplication Received Dateis $10, multiply 200 x $10 then divide by 24= $83.33 monthly income) RS or RSU distributed as cash equivalent Use the total dollar amount distributed (pre-tax) from the cash equivalent of vested shares in the past two years and divide by 24. Refer toSection 5303.3for more information about additional employed income – fluctuating earnings. |
| Calculation RS and RSU subject to time-based vesting provisions | Based on the form in which vested RS or RSU are distributed to the Borrower (i.e., as shares or its cash equivalent), the Seller must use the applicable method(s) below to calculate the monthly income: RS or RSU distributed as shares Multiply the 52-week average stock price as of theApplication Received Dateby the number of vested shares distributed (pre-tax) to the Borrower in the past year, then divide by 12. (e.g., if 50 vested shares were distributed (pre-tax) in the past year and the 52-week average stock price as of theApplication Received Dateis $10, multiply 50 x $10 then divide by 12 =$41.67 monthly income) RS or RSU distributed as cash equivalent Use the total dollar amount distributed (pre-tax) from the cash equivalent of vested shares in the past year and divide by 12. Refer toSection 5303.3for more information about additional employed income – fluctuating earnings. |
Fannie Mae Guidelines
Section B3-3.1-09 – Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Employment Income
Effective 03/06/2024
FNMA’s policy on vested RSUs as income is outlined in Section B3-3.1-09, Other Sources of Income. The following table provides verification requirements for restricted stock income.
| Verification of Restricted Stock Income |
| To be used as qualifying income, the restricted stock must have vested and been distributed to the borrower without restrictions. For performance-based awards: A minimum history of 24 months restricted stock income from the current employer is recommended. Restricted stock income received for 12 to 24 months from the current employer may be considered as acceptable income if there are positive factors to offset the shorter income history such as
For time-based awards: A minimum history of 12 months restricted stock income from the current employer is required. The lender must confirm continuance of income perContinuity of IncomeinB3-3.1-01, General Income Information. Note: Sign-on bonuses received in the form of restricted stock that vest over any length of time cannot be considered by the lender as qualifying income. |
The lender must document all the following:
|
| The calculation method for restricted stock income will vary depending on whether payment is made is shares or cash. For income paid in shares:
For income paid in cash:
Note: When the borrower has a history of income ranging from 12-24 months, the lender must use the actual number of months the borrower has received the income rather than 24 months. SeeVariable IncomeinB3-3.1-01, General Income Information, for additional information about calculating variable income. |
To learn about employment-related assets as qualifying income, access the selling guides for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
Enact Guidelines on Restricted Stock Units
When working with Enact, know that we will follow agency guidelines on a DU/LPA loan with Approve/Eligible or Accept/Eligible recommendations.
Manually underwritten loans are subject to our standard guidelines in Section 7.11. Enact does not have a stated policy regarding restricted stock units, therefore you should refer to the GSEs’ guidelines on RSUs.
Be sure to check with your investor to see if they have any investor specific requirements on RSUs.
If you have any questions about how to handle this income type, feel free to contact our Regional Underwriting Team or contact your Sales Representative today!
More Ways We Can Help
When working on loans with this income type, your Enact MI team has got you covered. Our Regional Underwriting Team is available to assist you Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm ET at 800-444-5664 option 2.
Be sure to make the most of your MI experience, too. Please explore our many underwriting resources and underwriting tips for more information. Because going the extra mile comes easy for us, we also offer a comprehensive suite of training resources to help boost your industry experience.
Source: Marilyn Richter is a Regional Underwriter for Enact.
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