Please note that you can expand any of the screenshots by right-clicking them and selecting open in a new tab. The applicable screenshot follows each sentence.
In this guide
Who do I contact for support when using the platform?
You can contact us on customersuccess@mortgagebrain.co.uk or use our live chat.
How does it work? (accuracy and how are the results calculated)
Affordability Brain essentially acts as an intermediary between the Affordability Brain form and the lender’s affordability calculators on their website. You will complete the form on Affordability Brain and the Affordability Brain engine will, in turn, complete the lender’s affordability calculator, wait for the result and then return it to the results page back inside Affordability Brain.
Our form will aim to collect just enough information from you to provide a very high level of accuracy across all lenders. Our approach is and has always been, to provide the highest level of transparency as possible and so we will also detail how we’ve done this for each lender so you can have the highest level of comfort that the results are accurate.
When will additional lenders be added to the platform?
We are always working on adding new lenders to the platform. We have no set plan but you will see new lenders added before the end of the year so watch this space!
How do I learn to use the platform? Is there any training material available?
We have various videos & help articles throughout the platform to guide you through the process and ensure you are getting the most from Affordability Brain. There is also a full training video on the dashboard.
Is there the option to have 1-2-1 or firm training?
We always suggest watching the videos on the platform and reading through the help articles available. However, if you would like extra support please do reach out to us.
What are ‘assumptions’?
It wouldn’t be feasible to design a form to capture every unique field a lender may have and so often times we will make assumptions. For example, we might assume that the applicant is not expecting any future financial changes in income. Whenever we make an assumption we tell you and we also tell you exactly what we’ve assumed so if you want to go to the lender’s calculator direct you can.
What are ‘ignored fields’?
Whilst we couldn’t possibly have a form with all lenders fields present we do have a lot of fields on our form and so although you may have indicated that a property is a flat the lender might not have that question on their form and so it is essentially ignored by the lender. Again we will tell you all the fields you completed that each lender has ignored.
Can I save a search?
Every search you do will automatically be saved by giving a Profile Reference name or number.
Can I amend a search?
You can retrieve a previous search and branch off and create a new version of it. This will essentially allow you different versions for the same application/applicants.
Can I print my results?
Once the results have fully returned, you will be able to click on 'View full results breakdown'. You will then be able to download and export the results as well as the individual screenshots taken from each lender. These files can be saved locally to your computer or printed off.
How can I report an inaccuracy?
When reporting an inaccuracy, it's very useful for us to know which field you feel is inaccurate or miss-representative of the case you are processing. This could be that the data has not been passed to the lender at all, or the data passed looks incorrect.
In each instance, knowing either our field name or the lender field name would help to debug their issue quickly and efficiently.
In instances where you might have manually keyed the case into the lender website and generated a different loan amount than the one generated through our platform, a screenshot of this submission would allow us to get to the problem much quicker.
Where should I input pension contributions?
We will be updating the form in the future to allow you to document pensions contributions deducted from payslips. In the meantime, the only approach is to include them in the expenditure section under Insurance, Pensions & Investments
Are contractors covered on Affordability Brain?
We hoped to have contractor income available at launch, however, following lots of research we couldn't quite find a formula that worked for every lender and this meant that we couldn't achieve the very high standards we set ourselves to ensure the highest level of accuracy. We need to more work on this and we hope to revisit this soon.