C-suite executives often assume that their seniority and earnings will make obtaining a mortgage easy. Yet the reality in 2025 is almost the opposite. CEOs, CFOs, COOs and CTOs frequently run into more underwriting friction than mid-level employees because their compensation is rarely straightforward. A base salary may appear modest compared to the wider package, while bonuses, equity awards, stock options and deferred pay form the majority of annual remuneration. Lenders treat each of these differently, often far more conservatively than borrowers expect.

This matters because many senior leaders purchase high-value properties and require lending structures that reflect the complexity of their income. In an environment shaped by fluctuating rates, tighter affordability rules and more cautious underwriting, the interpretation of variable, performance-linked or equity-based compensation has become significantly more restrictive.

Willow Private Finance regularly acts for senior executives across sectors including technology, financial services, healthcare, energy and multinational corporations. Many face challenges similar to international borrowers, founders and individuals with multi-country income streams. For broader context, you may find it useful to read our articles on How to Get a UK Mortgage With Overseas Income in 2025 and How UK Lenders Assess Foreign Assets and Non-UK Income in 2025, as many executive clients fall into overlapping categories.

This guide explains how lenders treat executive-level compensation in 2025, why traditional affordability models often fail to capture true wealth and borrowing capacity, and how Willow Private Finance presents senior-level profiles to unlock significantly better outcomes.

Market Context for Executive Borrowers in 2025

The mortgage landscape in 2025 is defined by caution. Although inflation has stabilised and the Bank of England is signalling a more predictable rate trajectory, lenders remain risk-averse—particularly toward income that fluctuates, vests in the future or depends on company performance. Regulators continue to pressure banks to demonstrate sensible, evidence-based underwriting, and this has a direct impact on how they interpret high-value compensation packages.

High-street lenders are sticking closely to rigid affordability models that favour predictable PAYE income. Specialist lenders have broadened their approach but still require a clear pattern of vesting or bonus payment history before accepting variable income in full. Private banks remain the most flexible, especially where liquidity and asset holdings are strong, but they too have tightened criteria around unvested equity and speculative valuations.

This means that even highly successful executives can be penalised if their income profile appears heavily reliant on equity markets, foreign currencies or long-term incentive plans. Conversely, executives with strong liquidity reserves or consistent vesting histories may find that they can borrow more—and often at better terms—than they expected. Understanding how each lender group interprets these income streams is critical for structuring an effective borrowing strategy.

How Executive Compensation Is Viewed by Lenders

Senior executives often earn a comparatively modest base salary, with the majority of their compensation delivered through bonuses, performance incentives or equity plans. Unfortunately, lenders rarely treat these elements with equal weight.

Base salary is the simplest component of the package. It is nearly always counted in full and forms the foundation of any affordability assessment. For executives based overseas or paid in more than one currency, lenders may apply a conversion rate with a buffer to account for volatility, although private banks are typically more flexible.

Annual bonuses, which often form a significant proportion of total income, are handled more cautiously. Most lenders want to see a consistent track record, usually over a two- or three-year period. Even if bonuses substantially exceed base salary, some lenders only accept a portion to avoid overstating affordability. This becomes particularly restrictive for executives whose bonus varies significantly with company performance.

RSUs have become central to modern executive pay, especially in global corporations and technology firms. Lenders view RSUs through the lens of liquidity and certainty. Vested RSUs supported by a strong vesting history are usually the most straightforward for underwriting. Unvested RSUs, however, are interpreted cautiously, as lenders consider the risk of forfeiture, company performance, and the executive’s future role.

Stock options are generally the most difficult part of an executive package for lenders to work with. Because their future value is dependent on market price relative to the strike price, many lenders do not include them at all in affordability calculations. Only a small number of private banks are comfortable including a discounted value and even then, only when there is a robust history of options vesting profitably.

Deferred compensation, particularly multi-year long-term incentive plans, presents additional underwriting difficulty. Lenders want to understand vesting conditions, the structure of past awards and how frequently vesting events have resulted in cash or realisable equity. They may apply significant discounts or ignore future vesting altogether if they perceive uncertainty.

The underlying principle is simple: lenders care more about consistent, realised income than theoretical future wealth. The more predictable and liquid the compensation, the more favourably it is treated.

What Lenders Look for in 2025

Although the types of compensation vary, the key themes across underwriting remain consistent. Lenders want stability, liquidity and evidence. A long history of receiving bonuses or RSUs provides confidence that these are an integral part of total remuneration rather than occasional awards.

Documentation also plays a central role. Lenders will often request full compensation statements, employer letters, vesting schedules and evidence of historic payments. Executives with international or multi-currency income must also provide tax records or proof of the stability of foreign income sources.

The strength and stability of the employer is another significant consideration. Compensation paid by a major, established multinational carries more weight than that of a rapidly scaling, highly volatile business. Even when remuneration is technically the same on paper, lenders view the underlying certainty differently.

Finally, lenders are increasingly focused on liquidity. Executives with substantial vested equity, large cash reserves or a diversified investment portfolio generally receive far more flexibility—and often higher loan sizes—than those with a large unvested equity position but limited accessible capital. This is one of the reasons why private banks often outperform mainstream lenders for senior leaders.

Challenges Faced by C-Suite Executives

The most common challenge for executives is that lenders do not fully understand or correctly interpret their pay structures. Many underwriters are unfamiliar with the nuances of global equity plans, multi-layered vesting schedules or performance-based share awards. As a result, income may be understated, sometimes significantly.

Affordability caps also create unexpected barriers. Even when a bonus history is consistently high, lenders may restrict the percentage they include, which reduces borrowing power. This creates a mismatch between real-world income and lender-accepted income.

Executives earning across multiple jurisdictions face additional hurdles. Currency volatility, foreign tax structures and differing documentation standards can all slow down or complicate an application. This is similar to the challenges covered in our guide on How to Get a UK Mortgage With Multi-Country Income in 2025.

The final major challenge is timing. Many executives rely on future vesting events to support down payments or affordability. However, if the timing of these events falls after exchange or completion, many lenders will not include them, even if the liquidity event is only weeks away.

Smart Strategies for Structuring Executive Mortgages

The most effective approach for any senior leader is to begin preparations early. Providing full compensation documentation, multi-year histories and clearly structured vesting information gives lenders confidence and substantially widens the lender pool.

Matching the borrower with the right lender category is equally important. High-street lenders remain suitable for executives with simple compensation structures or predictable bonuses. Specialist lenders support more intricate profiles but still require strong evidence of consistency. Private banks offer the most sophistication, especially when the borrower has significant liquid assets or a substantial track record of equity vesting.

A well-constructed income narrative is crucial. Rather than presenting a compensation package as a list of entitlements, the most successful applications highlight the stability, continuity and liquidity of each component. This is precisely where Willow Private Finance adds value—by preparing lender-ready, evidence-driven cases that align with underwriting patterns.

Asset-backed lending is a powerful tool for executives whose cash salary does not fully reflect their wider wealth. Private banks in particular may lend based on investment portfolios, vested shares or liquidity reserves, enabling borrowing levels that far exceed those available through traditional affordability models.

Hypothetical Scenario

Consider a senior executive earning a £300,000 base salary, a £600,000 annual bonus and holding several million pounds of RSUs. A high-street lender might only use the base salary and a fraction of the bonus, reducing borrowing to a level far below what the borrower expects. A specialist lender may take a more generous view of the bonus but still ignore most of the RSUs. However, a private bank could take the entire base salary, the full bonus and treat the vested RSUs as liquid wealth, significantly increasing the available loan size and offering bespoke lending terms.

This demonstrates how the choice of lender—not the compensation package—often determines the final borrowing outcome.

Outlook for 2025 and Beyond

The treatment of executive compensation is likely to continue evolving. As equity-based remuneration becomes even more common, mainstream lenders may become incrementally more flexible, but the pace of change is slow. Private banks will retain their position as the most effective route for large, complex loans, particularly for individuals with substantial vested equity or cross-border income.

Looking ahead, lenders may place even more emphasis on liquidity and realised compensation, rather than projected wealth. Executives with diversified holdings and stable vesting histories will benefit most, while those reliant on future awards may face stricter affordability assessments.

How Willow Private Finance Can Help

Willow Private Finance works extensively with C-suite clients whose income structures fall well outside standard underwriting models. We understand how to present RSUs, carried interest, deferred compensation and multi-jurisdiction salaries to lenders in a way that accurately reflects your true earning capacity and underlying wealth.

Our relationships with private banks, specialist lenders and international banking institutions allow us to secure borrowing solutions that fully utilise both your income and your assets. Whether you are relocating, refinancing, upgrading or investing in high-value UK property, Willow provides the strategic structuring required to ensure lenders see the complete picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Do lenders count RSUs for mortgage affordability in 2025?
A: Most lenders only accept vested RSUs, and usually where there is a consistent vesting history. Private banks may consider future vesting, but only alongside strong liquidity.

Q2: Can bonuses be used to increase borrowing?
A: Yes, but lenders typically require a multi-year bonus track record and may restrict the percentage they include to avoid overstating affordability.

Q3: Are stock options accepted by lenders?
A: Few lenders include stock options. Those that do often apply significant discounts due to the uncertain nature of future value.

Q4: How is deferred compensation treated?
A: Lenders evaluate vesting schedules, employer stability and past payments. Many will use only a portion of deferred income unless supported by long-term consistency.

Q5: Do private banks offer better options for executives?
A: In most cases yes, particularly for borrowers with significant vested equity or investment portfolios, as private banks can offer asset-backed lending structures.



Q6: Can multi-country income complicate a mortgage application?
A: It can, due to FX risk and documentation requirements, but specialist lenders and private banks remain well-positioned to support these profiles.

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