One of the biggest stresses in life can be coming up with a mortgage loan down payment. This is because even if you only need to get as little as 3%, it can seem like a vast amount of money alongside everything else that you need to pay for. However, there are ways to come with a down payment for your home, from planning ahead and saving up, to selling some of the stuff you don’t want to move, to getting help from relatives. But it is important that there is one big no-no: using a credit card to make your down payment.

When it comes to making a mortgage loan down payment, your bank will document where you are getting the money from — just like it documents everything else. And one thing that won’t fly is using your credit card to make a down payment. You’re allowed to receive "gifts" from relatives for the down payment, and you can scrape together money from your savings. You can even get a piggyback loan from the bank to fund your down payment. But you can’t put it on your credit card.