MDG requirements: what it actually takes to qualify
Five hard requirements, a long list of accepted income types, and an honest account of why applications get declined. Checking where you stand costs nothing and leaves your score untouched.
Last updated 15 September 2026Figures as of 15 September 2026
There is no minimum credit score
We do not publish a cut-off score, because we do not use one as a gate. A score is one input among several, and applicants in the mid-500s are approved regularly when income is verifiable and recent banking activity is clean.
What tends to decide an application is affordability: whether the payment fits alongside what you already pay each month, and whether your income arrives reliably enough for a scheduled debit to clear. A thin file is not a decline. A file with no traceable income usually is.
If you have been declined elsewhere on score alone, it is worth checking your rate here, because the soft inquiry costs you nothing and tells you where you actually stand.
The five hard requirements
- 18 or older, or the age of majority in your state.
- A valid Social Security number.
- Verifiable recurring income.
- An active checking account in your own name that receives that income.
- An address in a state where we are licensed to lend.
Everything else is judgement, not a rule.
Income we accept
A paycheck from an employer is the simplest case, not the only one. What matters is that we can trace the money arriving.
Employment
Full time, part time, hourly or salaried. Ninety days in the same job helps but is not required.
Self-employment and 1099
Contractors, gig platforms and small business owners. We look at deposits over three to six months rather than one month.
Benefits and pensions
Social Security, disability, retirement and pension income all count. Federal law prohibits us from declining you because income comes from public assistance.
Multiple sources
Two part-time jobs, a job plus benefits, or a job plus gig work. List all of it; we assess the total.
What you will need to hand
Most applications are verified from a bank connection alone and need no uploads. Have these ready in case we ask.
Identity
- Government-issued photo ID: driver's licence, state ID or passport.
- Your Social Security number.
- Your current residential address, matching your ID where possible.
Money
- Checking account and routing number.
- Recent bank statements, if you prefer not to connect your account directly.
- Pay stubs, benefit award letters or tax returns, if your income is not visible in your bank records.
Why applications get declined
These are the real reasons, in roughly the order we see them. Every decline comes with an adverse action notice stating the principal reasons, which is worth reading rather than filing away.
Most common
- Income that cannot be traced in bank records, however real it is.
- A prepaid card or a savings-only account instead of a checking account.
- An account too new to show a deposit history.
- The requested payment does not fit alongside existing commitments.
Also seen
- An open bankruptcy. A discharged one is a different matter and is not an automatic decline.
- A recent pattern of returned payments or sustained overdraft use.
- An existing MDG balance that is behind.
- An address in a state where we do not hold a licence.
- Identity details that cannot be verified, which is usually a typo rather than anything sinister.
Repeat applications do not help
Applying again the next day rarely changes the outcome and can add inquiries to your file. Read the adverse action notice, fix the specific thing it names, and come back when it is genuinely different. If you think we got it wrong, email support; a person can review the decision.
How to improve your odds before applying
None of these are tricks. They change the underlying picture, which is the only thing that moves a decision.
Ask for what you need
Requesting $700 when $700 is the problem approves far more often than requesting the maximum because it is available.
Let your account settle
If you have had a returned payment in the last few weeks, waiting until it is 30 days behind you changes how the account reads.
Use the account your income lands in
Giving us an account with no deposits in it makes verification fail even when your income is perfectly stable.
Have documents ready
If your income is irregular, a benefit letter or two recent tax returns can settle in minutes what bank data alone leaves ambiguous.
Common questions
What credit score do I need for an MDG loan?
There is no published minimum. Applicants in the mid-500s are approved regularly when income is verifiable and recent banking activity is clean. Affordability and income stability carry as much weight as the score.
Can I get a loan on Social Security or disability income?
Yes. Social Security, disability, retirement and pension income all count as verifiable recurring income. Federal law prohibits us from declining an application because income comes from a public assistance program.
Can I apply if I am self-employed?
Yes. We look at deposits across three to six months rather than a single month, and you can support the application with tax returns if your bank records alone are unclear.
Can I use a prepaid card instead of a checking account?
No. We need an active checking account in your own name that receives your income, because scheduled debits cannot run reliably against a prepaid card.
Does checking my eligibility affect my credit score?
No. Prequalification uses a soft inquiry that only you can see. A hard inquiry is made only after you accept an offer and move to final verification.
I was declined. When can I apply again?
Read the adverse action notice first, because it names the principal reasons. Apply again once that specific thing has changed rather than the next day, as repeat applications rarely change the outcome and can add inquiries to your file.
Related pages
Everything on this page links back to the product pages and disclosures it refers to.
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