re: Loan question - If you have a significant IRA in a bank then.....

The IRA would be looked on as an additional source of repayment for the loan --capital--but would not be the primary determinant in approving the request.

The bank will have specific underwriting policies for unsecured loans--loan amount cannot exceed 2X gross monthly income, DTI must be below 40%, credit score must be above 675, etc. if those policy criteria are not met then the loan may be denied. If the loan is approved when policy exceptions exist, the loan can be scrutinized during a bank examination and if enough instances of approved exceptions are noted to one particular class of customer, the bank could be charged with disparate treatment under Fair Lending regs.

Best bet is to sit with a knowledgeable and helpful lender at your bank and determine what criteria is needed to be approved for the amount requested. Be prepared to receive an answer that isn't the exact one you expect to hear. While most deposit accounts are valued by all banks, IRA's and even CD's are not the accounts that provide the most bargaining leverage. These accounts pay the holder interest which cut into the bank's interest margin/profitability. Also, those accounts are considered hot money and at maturity can leave the bank for a higher rate paid by another financial institution.

Long story short, banking regulations and the bank's risk profile may prevent you from obtaining the specific loan you seek.