Frequently Asked Questions About Day 1 Certainty®

Below, we cover the most frequently asked questions about Day 1 Certainty and how it works.

What is Day 1 Certainty, and what does it mean?

Day 1 Certainty refers to the peace of mind mortgage lenders can achieve when they underwrite mortgage loans through Fannie Mae’s Desktop Underwriter® (DU®) and validate certain loan components through the DU validation service.

When lenders use the DU validation service according to the terms set forth in Fannie Mae’s selling guide, they can be more confident in the integrity of a loan file and are eligible to receive relief from representation and warranty obligations on validated loan components.

What are the benefits of Day 1 Certainty and the DU validation service?

Fannie Mae created Day 1 Certainty and the DU validation service to encourage lenders to simplify and accelerate the mortgage loan process by replacing some manual workflows with automations and digital tools. In turn, lenders benefit from:

Quicker loan cycles. When lenders validate data using the DU validation service, they can reduce the mortgage process up to 12 days.
Relief from representations and warranties. Fannie Mae will not enforce reps and warranties on assets, employment, and income validated correctly through the DU validation service.
Improved competitiveness. Using digital tools streamlines the loan application and origination process, reduces paperwork for borrowers, and improves the borrower experience. This can lower loan fallout.
Reduced buyback risk. Fannie Mae is less likely to make a putback claim on loan files that have gone through sanctioned validation processes.

How does the DU validation service work, and how do I use it?

Lenders can use the DU validation service to validate the income, employment, and asset components of loan files and to seek eligibility for representation and warranty enforcement relief related to those components.

To use the DU validation service, lenders must obtain a verification report with a DU reference number through an authorized report supplier (see list of participating vendors). The DU validation service then assesses the loan components submitted and outputs one of three possible results:

Validated

This is when the DU validation service confirms that the supplied verification report supports the information the lender entered into DU.

Not validated

This is when the DU validation service finds that the verification report does not adequately support the information the lender entered into DU. It will specify the additional documentation that is required.

Unable to be validated

If the DU validation service is unable to access the verification report data or the report has insufficient data, the lender will be asked to provide alternative documentation.

How do I know if the income and employment verification report I request from Argyle is eligible for Day 1 Certainty?

Argyle is the first consumer-permissioned income and employment verification vendor to be named an authorized report supplier for the DU validation service.

That means, any Argyle VOI/E report requested by a lender is eligible for Day 1 Certainty when the required borrower information is accessible through Argyle’s data network. Argyle reports will surface a DU reference number whenever the verification is eligible for Day 1 Certainty.

Reverifications are also able to surface a DU reference number and become eligible for Day 1 Certainty.

How do I “turn on” Day 1 Certainty features in Argyle?

It’s easy to start using Argyle to generate Day 1 Certainty-eligible VOI/E reports:

Reach out to the Argyle support team to learn more about Day 1 Certainty. Our team will configure your experience.

After configured for Day 1 Certainty, Argyle will automatically attempt to generate Day 1 Certainty-eligible verification reports. Whenever applicable, Argyle will surface DU reference numbers for you to use within the Desktop Underwriter validation service.