Category Archives: Finance

EPIC Adds Joseph Freeman – Will Lead West Region Loss Control Team

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Joseph Freeman has joined the firm as Managing Principal. He will be based in Los Angeles.

In his new position, Freeman will lead the West Region Loss Control team to assist EPIC clients in managing and reducing risks before losses occur. He will work with the team to understand and improve the measurable outcomes of complex safety management systems, act as advocates for clients, and coordinate the services provided by insurer loss control personnel.

Freeman joins EPIC from Beecher Carlson where he served as Director of Risk Control. In this role, he led a national team responsible for assisting clients in risk reduction strategies. His areas of industry expertise include transportation, hospitality, healthcare, retail, energy, and manufacturing. He helped clients identify cost-drivers associated with their casualty risk management programs, and then helped develop and implement processes to minimize those costs.

This included services in a broad range of areas, including cost allocation and performance measurement, risk management programs and procedures, client-specific training modules, risk management program auditing, site safety evaluations, ergonomic assessments, driver safety, and others. Freeman joined the insurance industry in 2002 as a risk control consultant with Liberty Mutual Insurance, where he held a variety of risk control positions.

"We are pleased to welcome Joey to EPIC as we continue to grow the West Region and provide valuable loss prevention resources on behalf of our clients," said EPIC West Region President, KJ Wagner. "Joey's extensive background in loss control brings a wealth of knowledge and rich industry experience to the team."

Freeman earned a Bachelor of Science, Occupational Safety & Health from Murray State University. He holds the professional designations of Certified Safety Professional through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and Certified Driver Trainer through the North American Transportation Management Institute.

About EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail insurance brokerage, has more than 2,600 team members operating from more than 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs, and Private Client solutions to clients. EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. https://www.epicbrokers.com/

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Joseph Freeman has joined the firm as Managing Principal. He will be based in Los Angeles.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

Sales Boomerang’s Reverse Mortgage Alert helps lenders bring timely home-equity opportunities to more homeowners

BALTIMORE, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- Sales Boomerang, the mortgage industry's top-rated automated borrower intelligence and retention system, today announced the launch of Reverse Mortgage Alert, a new addition to its pantheon of automated borrower intelligence products, as well as significant enhancements to the company's existing Rate Alert product.

The all-new Reverse Mortgage Alert notifies lenders when a past borrower or prospect would be a good candidate for a home-equity conversion mortgage (HECM), also known as a reverse mortgage. Sales Boomerang's Reverse Mortgage Alerts helps lenders identify contacts who could benefit from a reverse mortgage based on their current age and accumulated home equity. With American homeowners sitting on historic levels of untapped home equity, Reverse Mortgage Alert gives lenders the head start they need to connect with reverse mortgage prospects ahead of the competition.

Reverse mortgages include both HUD-insured and proprietary home-equity loan products that offer unique ways for older homeowners - generally, those age 62 and above - to tap their home equity. Reverse mortgages can be used to finance the purchase of a new home, make improvements to an existing home, pay for long-term care or medical expenses, or supplement a homeowner's retirement income, among other purposes.

"With untapped home equity at an all-time high, this latest expansion to our award-winning line of automated borrower intelligence and retention alerts is extremely timely," said Sales Boomerang Vice President of Product Mike Spotten. "By activating Reverse Mortgage Alerts, Sales Boomerang users can build healthier loan pipelines while helping customers access loan options they may otherwise have learned about from a competitor - or perhaps not have learned about at all."

Sales Boomerang has also enhanced its existing Rate Alert. A new feature enables users to limit the frequency of alerts they receive. In addition, a tighter integration with Optimal Blue eliminates the need for lenders to manually update their rates in Sales Boomerang; instead, lenders receive timely and accurate Rate Alerts based on Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices™. For more information about Sales Boomerang's Rate Watch and Reverse Mortgage alert offerings, contact your client success representative or email sales@salesboomerang.com.

About Sales Boomerang:

Sales Boomerang transformed the relationship between mortgage lenders and borrowers with the introduction of the first automated borrower intelligence system in 2017. The company's intelligent alerts notify lenders as soon as a past customer or prospect is ready and credit-qualified for a loan. As the mortgage industry's #1 borrower retention tool, Sales Boomerang is trusted by more than 150 lenders - including brokers, independent mortgage companies, credit unions and banks - to help build lasting borrower relationships that maximize lifetime customer value. To date, Sales Boomerang alerts have enabled lenders to close more than $150 billion in additional loan volume that would have otherwise been overlooked and achieve customer retention rates that outperform industry norms by an average of 3-5X. To learn more about Sales Boomerang and its No Borrower Left Behind™ ethos, visit https://www.salesboomerang.com.

Sales Boomerang, the mortgage industry's top-rated automated borrower intelligence and retention system, today announced the launch of Reverse Mortgage Alert, a new addition to its pantheon of automated borrower intelligence products, as well as significant enhancements to the company's existing Rate Alert product.

Related link: https://www.salesboomerang.com/

ReverseVision Recruits Marketing Maven Scott Shepherd to Elevate Brand and Support Growth

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision®, the leading national provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, announced that seasoned marketing executive Scott Shepherd has joined the company to head its marketing efforts. As head of marketing, he oversees ReverseVision's marketing department and is responsible for the design and implementation of its new marketing strategy.

Founded in 2007, Shepherd joins ReverseVision at a turning point in the company's history as the market leader in reverse mortgage automation solutions. ReverseVision has been putting in place the necessary building blocks to support an increasing need for reverse mortgage products among lenders and borrowers.

"I am elated to join the highly passionate, dedicated team at ReverseVision and look forward to taking its marketing and branding to the next level," said Shepherd. "Following a high-volume re-fi boom, the mortgage industry's changing business landscape is ripe to increase the adoption of reverse loan products via multiple delivery methods. ReverseVision is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities, while helping the mortgage industry expand and evolve with these much-needed loan products."

Shepherd has an extensive marketing background and a proven track record of successful execution in marketing, communications and branding. Over the course of six years, he was central to the development and growth of the eOriginal brand into one of the preeminent digital mortgage lending platforms in the country, ultimately leading to an acquisition by Wolters Kluwer in 2020.

Prior to joining ReverseVision, he headed the marketing strategy at Unleashed Technologies, a web development and digital services firm with commercial and non-profit clients in multiple vertical markets, including financial services. His strategic marketing efforts resulted in the company successfully positioning its solutions in an easy-to-understand, digestible manner for prospects.

Over the course of his career spanning more 25 years, Shepherd developed a broad base of knowledge involving nearly all facets of marketing in multiple industries within different sectors. He has managed marketing communications for several companies ranging from non-profit entities, private, international, government, education and consulting firms. In addition, he has been an editor, journalist and a public relations specialist.

"We welcome Scott to the team at ReverseVision and since joining us, he's already had a positive impact internally and externally," said Bill Mitchell, CRO at ReverseVision. "Scott is an experienced marketing professional who is accustomed to working in fast-paced, dynamic environments operating in growth mode. We are lucky to have him on board at a pivotal juncture as we experience a surge in demand for reverse mortgage technologies."

Scott holds a B.A. in journalism from Buffalo State College and an M.S. in management with a focus in marketing from the University of Maryland.

About ReverseVision:

Since 2007, ReverseVision (RV) has been the leading reverse mortgage technology provider, serving 50 of the top reverse mortgage lenders, 100 percent of reverse investors, and more than 10,000 daily users. RV's award-winning technology offers new APIs (Reverse-as-a-Service) that open the total addressable market, creating new technology synergies that allow forward and reverse mortgages to coexist in the lender's core systems, helping break down adoption barriers so that mortgage bankers can serve their borrowers for life.

ReverseVision's core platform, ReverseVision Exchange (RVX), is comprehensive and proven to automate the entire reverse lending process from origination through secondary marketing. The company's technology is being successfully leveraged as a springboard that helps lenders get into the reverse space easily and efficiently. For more information, visit https://www.reversevision.com/.

ReverseVision®, the leading national provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, announced that seasoned marketing executive Scott Shepherd has joined the company to head its marketing efforts. As head of marketing, he oversees ReverseVision's marketing department and is responsible for the design and implementation of its new marketing strategy.

Related link: https://www.reversevision.com/

Mortgage Coach unveils redesigned website

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Coach, a borrower conversion platform empowering mortgage lenders to educate borrowers with interactive presentations that model home loan performance over time, has announced the launch of a newly designed website. The website redesign offers visitors an enhanced user experience featuring immersive brand exploration opportunities and an enriched library of lender resources.

"After many months of development, we are thrilled to debut the website, which reflects our commitment to helping lenders of all stripes earn customer loyalty with modern, technology-supported consultative service," said Mortgage Coach VP, Marketing, Shannon Baldwin. "The redesign better showcases the strength of our platform, the success of our customers and the source of our ongoing motivation - empowering borrowers to attain the best mortgage outcome for their financial and homeownership goals."

"We invite everyone to visit the new website, explore our award-winning Total Cost Analysis presentations, watch lender success stories, tour insightful blogs from CEO and thought leader Dave Savage and immerse themselves in the value of taking the 'Coach Approach' to helping people achieve their homeownership dreams," continued Baldwin.

The refreshed website makes it easier for lenders, real estate professionals and homeowners to locate valuable information about how Mortgage Coach helps solve their unique challenges. An enhanced library of free educational resources is available to help lenders build lasting borrower relationships with personalized mortgage advice. The Top Producer Insights page features video interviews where successful lending professionals - including top-U.S. loan originator Shant Banosian - share how they use Mortgage Coach to attract leads, win borrower business and generate referrals. The website also features on-demand training to help Mortgage Coach users at all levels optimize the platform.

Additionally, in many prominent areas, including the homepage, images of superusers were used instead of stock photos to celebrate the vibrant community of mortgage professionals who use Mortgage Coach to help borrowers attain their homeownership goals.

Coming just days after Philadelphia-based private-equity firm LLR Partners announced its investment in Mortgage Coach, the refreshed website is the company's first step in a series of interface and product enhancements designed to bring more value to the lenders it serves.

Mortgage Coach is relied on by over 130 enterprise credit unions, depository banks and independent mortgage banks - including 8 of the top-10 independent mortgage banks - to improve borrower conversion and reduce price exceptions with valuable home financing education. Through dozens of technology integrations, Mortgage Coach helps make it possible for lenders to compliantly deliver on-brand, consultative lending services to borrowers at scale.

To view the new Mortgage Coach website, visit https://mortgagecoach.com/.

About Mortgage Coach:

Mortgage Coach is an award-winning borrower conversion platform that gives consumers the confidence to transact with educational presentations that model loan performance over time. The company's side-by-side loan comparisons allow borrowers to make faster, more informed mortgage decisions while enabling lenders to consistently deliver an on-brand, consultative home financing experience that increases borrower conversion, repeat business and referrals. To date, more than 130 enterprise independent mortgage banks, depository banks and credit unions rely on Mortgage Coach to deliver personalized, modern service that grows revenue and customer loyalty. To learn more about Mortgage Coach, visit https://www.mortgagecoach.com or follow @MortgageCoach.

Mortgage Coach, a borrower conversion platform empowering mortgage lenders to educate borrowers with interactive presentations that model home loan performance over time, has announced the launch of a newly designed website. The website redesign offers visitors an enhanced user experience featuring immersive brand exploration opportunities and an enriched library of lender resources.

Related link: https://mortgagecoach.com/

Paragon Hires Industry Vet for East Coast Expansion

AVON, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Paragon Insurance Holdings LLC, a nationwide multiline specialty managing general agent (MGA), is pleased to announce the hire of Patrick Carroll as senior vice president - Eastern Region, effective January 31.

"Pat will be in instrumental in helping expand our footprint, particularly on the East Coast," Paragon President Ron Mairano said. "He has deep rooted relationships in the insurance industry focusing much of that time in the workers' comp marketplace. We're all excited to have him join the team."

Carroll brings more than 38 years of property & casualty and workers' compensation experience to his role at Paragon. He has held leadership positions on both the carrier and MGA side and will be working with new and existing partners in the Eastern United States.

Carroll will report to Andrew Petersen, executive vice president.

"I'm excited to be back in the MGA space with people I have known for over 20 years and who have an incredible track record of success," Carroll said.

About Paragon:

Paragon, a broadly diversified MGA launched in 2014, supplies distinctive alternatives and options to retail brokers, insurance coverage carriers, reinsurers and vendor companions. The agency, which is owned Galway Holdings, writes all business strains of coverage throughout greater than 20 packages.

Please visit https://www.paragoninsgroup.com/ for additional information.

Paragon Insurance Holdings LLC, a nationwide multiline specialty managing general agent (MGA), is pleased to announce the hire of Patrick Carroll as senior vice president - Eastern Region, effective January 31, 2022. Carroll brings more than 38 years of property and casualty and workers' compensation experience to his role at Paragon.

Related link: https://www.paragoninsgroup.com/

Sales Boomerang releases Q4 2021 Mortgage Market Opportunities Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- Sales Boomerang, the mortgage industry's top-rated automated borrower intelligence and retention system, today released its latest Mortgage Market Opportunities Report. The Q4 2021 report identified increasing opportunities for mortgage lenders to assist borrowers with tappable home equity, lending credence to analysts' expectations for a surge in home-equity-related mortgage activity in 2022.

Methodology

The Mortgage Market Opportunities Report draws on Sales Boomerang system data to identify market opportunities of relevance to today's borrowers and lenders. To generate the report, Sales Boomerang reviewed data from more than 160 residential mortgage lenders that use its borrower intelligence and retention tools to monitor millions of customer and prospect records. Sales Boomerang then calculated and compared the aggregate frequency with which those contact records triggered loan-opportunity, prescriptive-scenario and risk-and-retention alerts during the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

Key Findings*

Sales Boomerang's loan-opportunity alerts identify the contacts inside a lender's database who are actively shopping for a mortgage loan or who may be able to benefit from a new mortgage loan. Across the sample group, the frequency of each alert type in Q4 2021 was as follows:

* Mortgage Inquiry Alert: 4.42% of monitored contacts (down 16.13% from Q3)

A customer or prospect has shopped with a competitor in the last 24 hours.

* EPO Alert: 1.84% of monitored contacts (down 17.49% from Q3)

A customer or prospect whose loan closed ≤ 6 months ago has shopped with a competitor in the last 24 hours.

* Credit Improvement Alert: 1.14% of monitored contacts (down 13.64% from Q3)

A customer or prospect has improved their FICO score.

* New Listing Alert: 0.64% of monitored contacts (down 38.46% from Q3)

A customer or prospect has listed their home for sale.

* Equity Alert: 8.61% of monitored contacts (up 7.36% from Q3)

A customer or prospect's home equity has increased.

* Rate Alert: 5.07% of monitored contacts (down 27.16% from Q3)

The interest rate of a customer or prospect's existing mortgage is significantly higher than current prevailing rates.

Sales Boomerang's prescriptive-scenario alerts analyze not only whether a consumer could benefit from a given loan type, but also whether the consumer is credit-qualified to apply for financing. This additional layer of intelligence makes prescriptive-scenario alerts among the highest-converting available to mortgage lenders today. The frequency of each alert during Q4 2021 was as follows:

* Cash-Out Alert: 5.08% of monitored contacts (up 17.87% from Q3)

A borrower is credit qualified and has built sufficient equity to tap into the cash in their home.

* Rate-and-Term Alert: 10.05% of monitored contacts (up 160.36% from Q3)

A borrower is credit qualified and can benefit from the current interest rates for a refinance.

* Debt Alert: 1.33% of monitored contacts (down 23.12% from Q3)

A borrower is credit qualified and can benefit from paying off other debts with the equity in their home.

* FHA MI Removal Alert: 14.01% of monitored contacts (up 92.71% from Q3)

An FHA borrower has exceeded 20% equity and can remove mortgage insurance (MI).

For a subset of lenders that maintain servicing portfolios, the frequency of risk-and-retention alerts was as follows:

* Risk & Retention Alert: 31.18% of monitored contacts (down 13.82% from Q3)

A customer is engaging in one or more of 15 credit activities that may put their serviced loan at risk

Analysis*

* When a borrower puts less than 20% down on an FHA-insured loan, they are required to pay mortgage insurance (MI) premiums on top of their monthly principal and interest payments. FHA borrowers with MI may be unaware they have the option to remove their MI once they reach 20% equity. With a nearly 93% quarter-over-quarter increase in FHA MI Removal alerts, lenders have the opportunity to deliver immediate monthly savings to borrowers.

* Since Sales Boomerang's Cash-Out alerts only trigger for credit-qualified contacts, continued gains in this alert category show that borrowers are growing their credit scores alongside their equity. Lenders should prepare for continued cash-out refinance and HELOC activity in the coming months.

* Keen observers will notice that the Rate and Rate-and-Term alerts trended in opposite directions from Q3 to Q4. Following a year of interest rate growth, fewer consumers are positioned to benefit from a refinance solely based on the difference between their current interest rate and prevailing market rates - thus, the decline in Rate alerts. But a higher frequency of Rate-and-Term alerts indicates that even if the overall refi market is down, there's a growing subset of consumers who have the home equity and credit profiles necessary to benefit from a refinance.

* Mortgage Inquiry and EPO alerts declined for a third consecutive quarter, and New Listings were down for a second quarter in a row. With fewer consumers actively putting themselves in the market for mortgage products, lenders will need to be proactive in bringing financially advantageous opportunities to potential customers.

* Q4's 14% drop in Risk & Retention alerts was the category's first significant decline in 2021. Nonetheless, with nearly one in three borrowers still exhibiting risky credit behaviors, mortgage servicers should keep a close eye on their portfolios for default risk.

"Borrowers aren't always aware of the multitude of ways they can leverage their home equity, yet it's becoming increasingly clear that equity is creating some of the best financial opportunities for borrowers and lenders today. It is up to us to help mortgage advisors bring these opportunities to the table for their customers," said Sales Boomerang CEO Alex Kutsishin. "Experts may have predicted 2022 would be a year to focus on purchase transactions, but our data shows lenders would be well-served to shine equal light on home-equity lending."

*Key findings and analysis provided for informational purposes only. The data represented in the Mortgage Market Opportunities report is historical. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Sales Boomerang accepts no responsibility or liability for readers' use of the key findings or analysis included in this report.

About Sales Boomerang:

Sales Boomerang transformed the relationship between mortgage lenders and borrowers with the introduction of the first automated borrower intelligence system in 2017. The company's intelligent alerts notify lenders as soon as a past customer or prospect is ready and credit-qualified for a loan. As the mortgage industry's #1 borrower retention tool, Sales Boomerang is trusted by more than 150 lenders - including brokers, independent mortgage companies, credit unions and banks - to help build lasting borrower relationships that maximize lifetime customer value. To date, Sales Boomerang alerts have enabled lenders to close more than $150 billion in additional loan volume that would have otherwise been overlooked and achieve customer retention rates that outperform industry norms by an average of 3-5X. To learn more about Sales Boomerang and its No Borrower Left Behind™ ethos, visit https://www.salesboomerang.com.

Sales Boomerang, the mortgage industry's top-rated automated borrower intelligence and retention system, today released its latest Mortgage Market Opportunities Report. The Q4 2021 report identified increasing opportunities for mortgage lenders to assist borrowers with tappable home equity, lending credence to analysts' expectations for a surge in home-equity-related mortgage activity in 2022.

Related link: https://www.salesboomerang.com/

Alliance Group, a leading national insurance marketing organization, announces a series of promotions for 2022

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Alliance Group, a leading national insurance marketing organization (IMO), announced a series of promotions within their ranks, effective immediately. Mark Powell was promoted from Systems Engineer to Chief Strategy Officer, a move that CEO Lee Duncan says will greatly benefit Alliance Group's technological push in 2022 and beyond.

"With Mark's help, we've developed a state-of-the-art Agent Portal this past year and Mark's promotion to CSO is going to help us continue to push the tools and systems we've developed for our agent and agency partners to the cutting edge from a technology standpoint," Duncan said. "I'm excited to see what Mark and his team can do with him in this new role".

Powell has previously headed up teams of up to 150 implementing technology solutions for Fortune 500 companies such as Cigna, Home Depot, Nationwide, and Blackstone Group, to name a few.

In another move, Boise, Idaho-based Steve Walther was tapped as the company's new VP of Sales and Distribution. Walther had previously held the title of National Training Director at Alliance Group.

"As Alliance Group grows, there's a need for someone to be focused exclusively on the tasks of finding ways to grow existing streams of business while developing new ones as well. Steve's experience in the industry has been a huge asset to us at Alliance Group for close to a decade now, and we're happy to see him step up into this new role for us," said Duncan.

Andrea Buffo was promoted to VP of Operations, a role that Duncan says she has really been fulfilling for some time now during her seven years with Alliance Group.

Of Buffo's move, Lee Duncan said, "I've always described Andrea as my right hand, and maybe my left as well. She possesses a keen eye for detail, and I've always appreciated her ability to organize and keep all the plates spinning for us on multiple fronts. This promotion will help us continue to keep all the tracks aligned as Alliance Group speeds toward our goal of $100 million of combined production by 2030."

To learn more please visit: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

About Alliance Group:

Founded in 1998, Alliance Group is the nation's leading IMO in Living Benefits life insurance. With more than 4,500 independent agents nationally, Alliance Group is currently protecting over 130,000 American families with more than $28 billion of Living Benefits coverage.

Alliance Group, a leading national insurance marketing organization (IMO), announced a series of promotions within their ranks, effective immediately. Mark Powell was promoted from Systems Engineer to Chief Strategy Officer,

Related link: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

Down Payment Resource releases Q4 2021 Homeownership Program Index

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the nationwide database for U.S. homebuyer assistance programs, today announced the release of its latest Homeownership Program Index (HPI). The firm's analysis of 2,192 homebuyer assistance programs in its DOWN PAYMENT RESOURCE® database showed measurable quarter-over-quarter gains in program funding levels and an increased prevalence of programs aimed at assisting community heroes.

Methodology

Published quarterly, DPR's HPI surveys the funding status, eligibility rules and benefits of U.S. homebuyer assistance programs administered by state and local housing finance agencies, municipalities, nonprofits and other housing organizations. DPR communicates with over 1,200 program administrators throughout the year to track and update the country's wide range of homeownership programs, including down payment and closing cost programs, Mortgage Credit Certificates and affordable first mortgages, in the DOWN PAYMENT RESOURCE® database.

Key Findings

The Q4 2021 HPI examined a total of 2,192 homebuyer assistance programs that were active as of January 6, 2022. Key findings are as follows.

* Funding levels are on the rise. 84% of programs had funds available for eligible homebuyers. That level of funding reflects a nearly 2% increase from Q3 2021.

* More programs now target community heroes. Nearly 9% of all homebuyer assistance programs available in Q4 benefit teachers, first responders, law enforcement officers, firefighters, healthcare workers and other providers of critical community services. Another 11% of programs offer benefits for veterans, members of the military and surviving spouses.

* Three out of four programs (73%) focus on helping homebuyers with down payments and/or closing costs. This figure includes repayable, partially forgivable and fully forgivable programs. Other major categories of assistance include affordable first mortgage programs (11%), Mortgage Credit Certificates (5%), matched savings programs and Housing Choice Vouchers.

* Assistance is available for repeat homebuyers and landlords. Approximately 38% of programs do not have a first-time homebuyer requirement. In addition, 27% of programs allow buyers to purchase a multi-family property as long as the buyer occupies one of the units.

* Availability varies by location. Three out of four (74%) programs are targeted to properties in specific locales such as cities, counties or neighborhoods, with the balance of programs available statewide through state housing finance agencies. The states with the most homebuyer assistance programs are California, Florida and Texas.

* Support for manufactured housing is increasing. While homebuyer assistance programs have historically favored site-built homes, as of Q4, 28% of programs allow manufactured housing as an eligible property type, up nearly 2% from the previous quarter.

"First responders, military, educators and other community service roles have been front and center for their extraordinary pandemic contributions," said DPR CEO Rob Chrane. "Many locales - especially in higher-cost markets - are determined to find creative ways to recruit and retain these workers, including by helping them make homeownership more affordable."

Further analysis of the Q4 HPI findings, including infographics and examples of many of the programs described in this release, can be found on DPR's website at https://downpaymentresource.com/professional-resource/homeownership-program-index-highlights-programs-for-community-heroes/.

For a complete, state-by-state list of homebuyer assistance programs, visit https://downpaymentresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HPI-state-by-state-data.Q42021.pdf.

About Down Payment Resource:

Down Payment Resource (DPR) creates opportunity for homebuyers, REALTORS® and lenders by uncovering programs that get people into homes. The company tracks funding status, eligibility rules, benefits and more for more than 2,000 homebuyer assistance programs through partnerships with state and local program providers. DPR has been recognized by Inman News as a "Most Innovative New Technology" and named to HousingWire's Tech100(TM) list of the most innovative companies serving the mortgage and real estate industries. DPR is licensed to multiple listing services, REALTOR® associations, lenders and housing counselors across the United States and offers a subscription service, Down Payment Connect, to help agents and loan officers match buyers to available programs. For more information, visit https://www.downpaymentresource.com.

Down Payment Resource (DPR), the nationwide database for U.S. homebuyer assistance programs, today announced the release of its latest Homeownership Program Index (HPI). The firm's analysis of 2,192 homebuyer assistance programs in its DOWN PAYMENT RESOURCE® database showed measurable quarter-over-quarter gains in program funding levels and an increased prevalence of programs aimed at assisting community heroes.

Related link: https://www.downpaymentresource.com/

IDS expands mortgage eClosing platform with addition of eVault

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage document preparation vendor International Document Services, Inc. (IDS), announced today that it has released its eVault, expanding the capabilities of its eClosing platform, Solitude Solution. With the addition of the eVault to Solitude Solution, lenders now have the ability to deliver documents, including eNotes, to partners though Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) eRegistry.

The IDS eVault is approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and includes secure eDelivery and eTransfer functionality for digital mortgage documents, allowing lenders to quickly and easily register eNotes with MERS. Prior its release, the eVault underwent a beta testing phase, during which IDS collected feedback on the product.

"As the mortgage industry continues to progress to a completely digital experience, IDS proudly delivers in-demand innovative eClosing technology backed by our industry-leading customer service support," said IDS Vice President and General Manager Mark Mackey. "Our eVault has undergone rigorous testing and a successful beta testing phase, ensuring it meets the high standards our clients have come to expect of every IDS product. We look forward to helping more lenders expand their eClosing and digital mortgage offerings with our expansive eClosing platform, Solitude Solution."

Solitude Solution includes a single sign-on function with multi-factor authentication, allowing lenders to create one login credential linked to the entire eClosing process. Once the eSign process for a closing package has been completed and the settlement agent has finalized the closing package, the eNote is automatically generated in the lender's eVault. This allows the lender to begin the processes of registering the eNote with MERS, sending the eNote to parties such as the master services via eDelivery and transferring the ownership of the eNote via eTransfer.

"Our customer support team is well-prepared to support our clients as they proceed with the eVault," said David Clement, Director of Operations. "We have a committee in place to ensure our team has the necessary training to fully support eVault operations and setup, and to work with any unexpected client needs and requests that may arise. I am confident that our lenders will be satisfied, both by the eVault itself and by the expert support behind it."

About IDS, Inc.

IDS, a Reynolds and Reynolds company, was founded in 1986 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a nationwide provider of mortgage documents and compliance. IDS services include eSignatures, closing documents, initial disclosures, document fulfillment and integration with leading loan origination systems and eClosing platforms. The IDS flagship doc prep solution, idsDoc, is recognized in the industry for its ability to be customized to meet specific lender needs, particularly in regard to major industry compliance changes.

Learn more: https://info.idsdoc.com/

Mortgage document preparation vendor International Document Services, Inc. (IDS), announced today that it has released its eVault, expanding the capabilities of its eClosing platform, Solitude Solution. With the addition of the eVault to Solitude Solution, lenders now have the ability to deliver documents, including eNotes, to partners though Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) eRegistry.

Related link: https://info.idsdoc.com/

TMC Emerging Technology Fund LP Invests in Capacity

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's largest independent cooperative network serving the mortgage industry, announced today that the TMC Emerging Technology Fund LP (the "Fund") recently participated in a $38M Series C investment round for AI Software, LLC dba Capacity. Capacity is an AI-powered support automation platform that connects into an organization's tech stack to answer questions, automate repetitive support tasks, and build solutions to any business challenge.

"The TMC Emerging Tech Fund's commitment to innovation in lending makes it a great partner for Capacity. We share the belief that technology has the power to improve the loan origination process and value their investment in our efforts to help people do their best work with support automation," said David Karandish, Founder and CEO of Capacity. "By tapping into the insights of TMC members, we can optimize how our AI-powered platform serves the needs of the mortgage industry, helping them centralize their knowledge, streamline workflows and automate repetitive tasks to meet the needs of their customers in today's environment."

Capacity provides mortgage lenders with a single platform to automate customer support and internal business processes. The platform boasts a more than 90% success rate in answering all prospective and current borrower inquiries automatically via conversational AI, and its no-code/low-code design, powerful workflow automation suite, robust developer platform and flexible database enables graceful human handoffs when necessary and intuitive task management. With Capacity's AI-powered support automation platform, lenders can enhance their user experience while streamlining operations, resulting in an 11-day improvement in closing times over the national average of 47 days.

"As mortgage tech enters its next evolution, companies like Capacity and its software represent a key next step in creating a more modern, tech-enabled mortgage operations process. Using best-in-class AI, Capacity helps mortgage lenders ease friction points and reduce costs within their operations, resulting in a less expensive and more streamlined borrower experience. We are thrilled to support Capacity on its journey and look forward to seeing the additional innovations it can deliver," said Jonathan Freed, Lender Engagement Director of the TMC Emerging Technology Fund.

The Limited Partners of the TMC Emerging Technology Fund consist of some of the most technology-forward lender members of TMC who evaluate and invest in companies looking to advance the mortgage industry. The Fund continues to look for investment opportunities that will result in higher profitability and business process improvement for TMC lender members. For more information, please reach out to tmctechfund@mtgcoop.com.

About The Mortgage Collaborative

Based in San Diego, Calif., The Mortgage Collaborative was founded in 2013 by four notable industry leaders and is the nation's largest independent mortgage cooperative network. TMC is singularly focused on creating an environment of collaboration and innovation for small to mid-size mortgage lenders across the country to reduce cost, increase profitability, and better serve the dynamic and changing consumer base in America. For more information, visit http://www.mortgagecollaborative.com/

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's largest independent cooperative network serving the mortgage industry, announced today that the TMC Emerging Technology Fund LP (the "Fund") recently participated in a $38M Series C investment round for AI Software, LLC dba Capacity. Capacity is an AI-powered support automation platform.

Related link: https://www.mortgagecollaborative.com

KROST Posts Record Year of M&A Advisory in 2021, Expects Trend to Continue in 2022

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- KROST CPAs and Consultants reported a record year of M&A advisory work in 2021 and expects to remain equally busy in 2022. "We were involved in 21 buy-side and sell-side transactions in 2021," said Paren Knadjian, Head of M&A and Capital Markets at KROST.

"Most of the time as the exclusive financial advisor. We have also delivered a record number of due diligence reports, including Quality of Earnings reports, which we produce with our colleagues in the Audit department," Knadjian added.

KROST provides M&A expertise in valuation, deal negotiation, structuring, and financing, plus advice on the tax, accounting, and wealth management consequences of a transaction. "We provide both buy-side and sell-side advisory, and because we have experience in over 300 transactions, we know what current market acceptability is, and what is outside the scope of a transaction, depending on its size, industry, and structure. Outside of legal work, we can advise on virtually all aspects of an M&A transaction."

KROST led multiple $100+ million deals and worked in 6 different industries in 2021. Along with experts in Tax, Accounting and A&A practice areas, KROST has specialists in multiple industries including Healthcare, Manufacturing, Technology, Financial Services, and Entertainment. "We bring vertical as well as horizontal expertise," said Knadjian.

One of the transactions we worked on was the sale of Global Oncology to The Oncology Institute (NASDAQ: TOI). "The team at KROST were critical in our ability to navigate and complete this transaction," said Dr. Yang, the owner, and Chief Medical Officer of Global Oncology, "their experience and knowledge, on M&A matters, was vital throughout the process."

KROST was also the exclusive financial advisor in the sale of Integrity Bio to Curia. "We would like to thank the KROST team -they were invaluable in this transaction, and we relied on them enormously," said Michael Reilly, CEO of Integrity Bio.

"We expect to be as busy, if not busier, on M&A activities in 2022 as the dry-powder availability of Private Equity money, the accessibility and low cost of debt, for leveraged buy-outs, and the retirement/succession plans of the Baby Boomer generation, continue to be driving forces in deal-making in the current environment," said Jason Melillo, CEO of KROST.

ABOUT KROST CPAS & CONSULTANTS

Established in 1939 in Pasadena, California, KROST is a full-service certified public accounting and consulting firm serving clients across various industries in the areas of tax, accounting, consulting, assurance and advisory, M&A and capital markets, corporate tax incentives, and wealth management.

For more information about KROST, please visit https://krostcpas.com/.

KROST CPAs and Consultants reported a record year of M&A advisory work in 2021 and expects to remain equally busy in 2022. "We were involved in 21 buy-side and sell-side transactions in 2021," said Paren Knadjian, Head of M&A and Capital Markets at KROST.

Related link: https://www.krostcpas.com/

Nomis Solutions Appoints Fintech Veteran George Neal as Chief Product Officer, Promotes Prashant Balepur to SVP, Corporate Strategy and Partnerships

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Nomis Solutions (Nomis), a global, industry-leading pricing and profitability management solutions provider, recently announced the appointment of George Neal as chief product officer. In this role, Neal will oversee strategy and development for new and existing products across all Nomis industry verticals. With a renewed corporate focus on strategic alliances and partner development, Nomis has also promoted Prashant Balepur to senior vice president of corporate strategy and partnerships. In his new position, Balepur will focus on accelerating existing partnerships as well as evaluating new partnership potentials.

"George is a tremendous addition to the Nomis team, and his vision for our product roadmap will benefit our clients and their customers in a remarkable way," explained Frank Rohde, president and CEO of Nomis Solutions. "While his two-plus decades of experience in fintech is certainly an asset, George also brings a fresh perspective and energy to Nomis, and we are enthusiastic about the direction in which we are heading under his leadership."

Neal joins Nomis from Q2, a digital banking solution, where he served as VP of data products. Previously, Neal spent several years as the chief analytics officer at PrecisionLender, which was acquired by Q2 in 2019. Prior to that role, Neal also gained extensive executive experience at American Savings Bank as the senior vice president of credit and analytics, technology and information security and support services. Neal's additional experiences at HEI, Aon Corporation 2G Consulting, and UBS have equipped him with both a strong technological and financial background.

"I am thrilled to join the team of pricing and profitability management experts at Nomis Solutions," said Neal. "The organization has established an excellent history in traditional pricing and modeling functions, truly setting the bar on understanding how price changes impact portfolios, balances, and overall profitability. We plan to leverage Nomis' immense knowledge across these functions into a cohesive and effective product strategy, providing our valued clients with best-in-class pricing and price execution."

Balepur assumes the SVP of corporate strategy and partnerships position, bringing deep market and technical knowledge to the role. During his tenure with Nomis Solutions, Balepur has played an integral part in leading product management, product marketing, and pre-sales.

"Prashant knows our customers, products, and partners intimately and has been invaluable in the evolution and growth of the organization," said Rohde. "He is perfectly positioned to engage our fintech partners to deliver joint offerings that drive success for our customers, partners, and Nomis."

"As a bank or lender, your goal is to win and serve clients - profitably. But too often, manual processes, rigid systems, and siloed data can limit your impact, disappointing customers, and frustrating employees," said Balepur. "Working with our fintech and cloud partners across data, digital, and core banking, Nomis is helping bring customer-centricity to every product, pricing and offer conversation and decision, resulting in a far more intelligent and impactful process for all parties involved."

Nomis partners with leading banks, mortgage lenders, and other financial institutions throughout the United States and Canada to deliver sophisticated price optimization tools. Through Nomis' advanced customer-centric pricing and profitability management solutions, lenders can leverage real-time data intelligence in a smarter way, to offer best-in-class pricing and deliver more value to their customers and borrowers.

About Nomis Solutions

Nomis Solutions is a global, industry-leading pricing and profitability management solutions provider that delivers competitive intelligence to bankers and mortgage lenders to facilitate more advanced pricing strategies. The company's analytics platform and end-to-end pricing tools enable retail banks and mortgage lenders to achieve customer- and borrower-centric pricing backed by real-time, actionable data. The platform also supports banks and mortgage lenders in their understanding and anticipation of the evolving demands of customers and borrowers, competitors, and ever-changing market conditions. For more information, please visit https://nomissolutions.com/.

Nomis Solutions (Nomis), a global, industry-leading pricing and profitability management solutions provider, recently announced the appointment of George Neal as chief product officer. In this role, Neal will oversee strategy and development for new and existing products across all Nomis industry verticals.

Related link: https://www.nomissolutions.com/

ReverseVision Hires Industry Veteran Steve Butler as Director of Business Development

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision®, the leading national provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, announced that it added long-time mortgage professional Steve Butler to the company's sales team, who brings more than 35 years of experience to the company. ReverseVision has been adding resources in key functional areas as part of its strategic expansion plan.

In this role, Mr. Butler will build upon ReverseVision's strong footprint in the reverse mortgage space. Specifically, he will educate lenders on the opportunity with reverse mortgage products and introduce the ReverseVision Exchange (RVX) loan origination system (LOS) to traditional lenders that are looking to add reverse products. In addition, he will update lenders on ReverseVision's API roadmap to enable reverse products to coexist with their existing LOS system, while also communicating with brokers and the wholesale lending community to begin originating reverse loans using RVX technology.

"We are pleased to have someone with Steve's industry experience and talent join our growing team," said Bill Mitchell, CRO at ReverseVision. "We continue to see an increasing demand for our reverse lending technology and adding mortgage professionals like Steve who possess rich industry experience and a proven track record of success will help us better serve clients as ReverseVision continues expanding."

Prior to joining ReverseVision, Mr. Butler spent just over a decade at mortgage compliance software provider QuestSoft where he spurred the company's sales and business development efforts for a leading mortgage product. While there, he worked closely with independent mortgage bankers, banks, credit unions and LOS vendors. Mr. Butler was consistently a top producer at QuestSoft, part of the management team, and helped with the transition after an acquisition by Ncontracts.

Mr. Butler's lengthy career in mortgage spans working for mortgage technology companies, lending entities and consulting firms. He is a seasoned sales professional that has experience in a multitude of mortgage lending facets.

"I am excited to join the team at ReverseVision and begin working with lenders to assist in diversifying their product offerings using technology," Butler said. "There is a great opportunity in reverse mortgages; it's an ideal time to leverage technology like ReverseVision offers to empower lenders with tech tools for success in reverse lending."

About ReverseVision:

Since 2007, ReverseVision (RV) has been the leading reverse mortgage technology provider, serving 50 of the top reverse mortgage lenders, 100 percent of reverse investors, and more than 10,000 daily users. RV's award-winning technology offers new APIs (Reverse-as-a-Service) that open the total addressable market, creating new technology synergies that allow forward and reverse mortgages to coexist in the lender's core systems, helping break down adoption barriers so that mortgage bankers can serve their borrowers for life.

ReverseVision's core platform, ReverseVision Exchange (RVX), is comprehensive and proven to automate the entire reverse lending process from origination through secondary marketing. The company's technology is being successfully leveraged as a springboard that helps lenders get into the reverse space easily and efficiently. For more information, visit https://www.reversevision.com/.

Social: @ReverseVision #ReverseLendingAutomation #ReverseMortgageTechnology #ReverseLendingTechnology #HomeEquityConversionMortgage

RELATED LINKS:

https://www.reversevision.com/rvx/

ReverseVision®, the leading national provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, announced that it added long-time mortgage professional Steve Butler to the company's sales team, who brings more than 35 years of experience to the company. ReverseVision has been adding resources in key functional areas as part of its strategic expansion plan.

Related link: https://www.reversevision.com/

EnergyCAP Names Lalit Agarwal Vice President, Energy Management and Sustainability

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- EnergyCAP, LLC, the leading provider of energy management and utility bill processing software, today announced that Lalit Agarwal has been named Vice President, Energy Management & Sustainability.

This new leadership position at EnergyCAP will not only serve as the corporate subject matter expert in building energy management but will spearhead the company's ambition to expand its offerings for sustainability and carbon reduction goals as it relates to the built environment.

Lalit Agarwal formerly served as the Executive Director of University Operations and held numerous other energy and facilities roles over his 20+ year tenure at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). At UNL, he and his team implemented EnergyCAP in 2016 to underpin the university's energy reduction and sustainability initiatives. Using technology driven innovative initiatives, from 2004 to 2020 UNL reduced their annual energy consumption 44% while the student enrollment and research activity increased on campus.

Lalit serves on the Board of Directors for multiple industry associations, including the Central Association of Physical Plant Administrators (CAPPA) and the International District Energy Association (IDEA). He currently chairs the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) Task Force for Productive, Smart Buildings Initiative. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Osmania University in India and an MBA from the University Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

"The Vice President of Energy Management and Sustainability will play a critical role in the strategic direction of EnergyCAP," said Tom Patterson, CEO at EnergyCAP. "For someone like Lalit, who is so well respected in this industry, to have such conviction and belief around EnergyCAP's capabilities is strong validation of our solutions and our vision for the future. His decision to join our team emphasizes the magnitude, importance, and potential of the opportunity ahead of us."

"I have used my skills to serve UNL for the last two decades. With this transition, I hope to serve a broader array of institutions and organizations in helping them make progress towards and achieve their ESG goals," said Lalit Agarwal.

He added, "Since I was first introduced to EnergyCAP as a client in 2016, I have been very impressed with their focused approach to leveraging technology to solve the energy & sustainability industry challenges. I have also been very impressed by the team having such strong conviction in their mission. I look forward to joining the team, achieving collective success for the industry, and helping to drive a more energy efficient and sustainable world."

About EnergyCAP:

EnergyCAP is trusted by 10,000+ Energy Managers across the country to aggregate and monitor their utility and energy data. We help our clients make data-driven decisions about their building operations to increase energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. Learn more at https://www.energycap.com/.

EnergyCAP, LLC, the leading provider of energy management and utility bill processing software, today announced that Lalit Agarwal has been named Vice President, Energy Management & Sustainability.

Related link: https://www.energycap.com/

ACES Quality Management software analyzes more than 4.5 million audits, while company achieves record new client growth in 2021

DENVER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced it processed more than 4.5 million audits through its ACES Quality Management & Control® software in 2021. In addition, the company also experienced a 60% surge in new clients, signing dozens of new financial institutions including a Top 15 Bank, one of the largest mortgage outsourcers in the industry, and several top independent mortgage lenders.

2021 also saw the launch of ACES CONNECT, the organization's newest communication functionality designed to help relay critical exceptions immediately and provide secure collaboration between quality control and lines of business. Simultaneously, ACES added 30 vendors to its network, allowing users to order, track and receive re-verification documents and data directly within the ACES core platform. ACES also announced ACES ENGAGE, a two-day conference designed to bring together the nation's top financial services quality management professionals to discuss industry trends and best practices, taking place in May 2022.

"The uncertainty and turbulence of the financial markets over the last 24 months has underscored the need to maintain quality and mitigate risk, and our tremendous growth in 2021 reflects how serious lenders and financial institutions are taking these obligations. Quality control and risk management have often been afterthoughts when it comes to innovation, but by replacing manually-driven processes and legacy systems with the automation ACES delivers, these organizations are realizing the competitive advantages of a faster, more efficient and accurate quality review process," ACES CEO Trevor Gauthier said.

"With the expected market shift to purchases in 2022, our primary focus is to help as many lenders and financial institutions as possible shore up their internal review and risk mitigation practices to keep quality at the forefront of their operations. With ACES in their corner, these institutions can be proactive instead of reactive in addressing issues before they become widespread while also improving quality across the board, which has a positive impact internally and with their business constituencies."

Additional ACES milestones of 2021 include:

* Adding and revising over 8000 audit questions to ACES Managed Questionnaires;

* Publishing 2067 articles and 504 calendar items to its free Compliance NewsHub;

* Reviewing and interpreting 206 Agency/GSE publications on behalf of users;

* Producing four quarterly Mortgage Industry QC Trends Reports and nine free industry webinars;

* Conducting a 2-day virtual user summit;

* Serving as speakers/moderators for eight panels across seven national industry conferences and webinars;

* Maintaining a net promoters score of 45+ since 2016; and

* Securing key industry partnerships with The Compliance Group and Winnow Solutions.

Last year ACES increased its staff by approximately 50% and was recognized for multiple industry awards. Individually, Romina Cusenza was named one of HousingWire's Marketing Leaders, Nick Volpe was named a HousingWire Insider and Trevor Gauthier was selected by HousingWire as an HW Vanguard. Additionally, Sharon Reichhardt and Amanda Phillips were selected as Elite Women in Mortgage by Mortgage Professional America.

In addition, the ACES team continued its efforts to give back to their local communities through ACES CARES. Established in 2018, ACES CARES encourages employees to make a positive difference in the community through volunteering, outreach and financial contributions to charities, offering a dollar-for-dollar match of employee donations to U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) charitable organizations of their choice and supporting employees' wellness and community involvement programs. Since the program's inception, ACES Quality Management and its staff have donated a total of $30,200 to 43 organizations through ACES CARES. Most recently, ACES CARES donated $2,500 each to Sister Carmen Community Center and Community Foundation Boulder County, both local organizations in Boulder County, Colo., assisting victims of the Marshall Fire, which occurred on December 30, 2021, and destroyed nearly 1,000 homes in Boulder County.

"ACES strives to make a positive impact not just for our users, but also within our local communities through ACES CARES and the industry as a whole," Gauthier added. "On the industry side, we doubled down on curating actionable insights and information via resources such as the Compliance NewsHub and our quarterly Mortgage Industry QC Trends Report, to provide the entire industry with the most accurate and up-to-date compliance and regulatory information in a digestible way."

About ACES Quality Management

ACES Quality Management is the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry. The nation's most prominent lenders, servicers and financial institutions rely on ACES Quality Management & Control Software® to improve audit throughput and quality while controlling costs, including:

* 3 of the top 5 and more than 50% of the top 50 independent mortgage lenders;

* 7 of the top 10 loan servicers;

* 11 of the top 30 banks; and

* 1 of the top 3 credit unions in the USA.

Unlike other quality control platforms, only ACES delivers Flexible Audit Technology, which gives independent mortgage lenders and financial institutions the ability to easily manage and customize ACES to meet their business needs without having to rely on IT or other outside resources. Using a customer-centric approach, ACES clients get responsive support and access to our experts to maximize their investment. For more information, visit www.acesquality.com or call 1-800-858-1598.

ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced it processed more than 4.5 million audits through its ACES Quality Management & Control® software in 2021.

Related link: https://www.acesquality.com/

Mid America Mortgage Welcomes Jarred Talmadge to its team of reverse mortgage experts

ADDISON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced industry veteran Jarred Talmadge has joined Mid America as Western Reverse Mortgage Sales Manager. In this role, Talmadge is responsible for expanding Mid America's reverse mortgage presence in the Western U.S.

"Mid America is dedicated to addressing the diverse needs of every borrower, including existing homeowners seeking to tap into their home's equity in retirement," said Mid America Owner and CEO Jeff Bode. "Reverse mortgage borrowers are often underserved even though seniors comprise a significant portion of the homeowner market. We're extremely pleased to announce Jarred has joined our team and thrilled to expand our team of reverse mortgage experts."

Talmage brings more than 25 years of mortgage industry experience and has spent the last three years specifically focused on reverse mortgages. Talmage joins Mid America from the American Advisors Group, where he was the Market Sales Manager for the Rocky Mountain region. In addition to being an industry veteran, Talmage is an author and instructor, offering real estate agents, loan officers and financial planners courses in sales, marketing and reverse mortgage.

In 2020, Talmadge authored the book "Too Good To Be Free: How a Reverse Mortgage Can Improve Your Life, Your Cash Flow and Pay You Too." It can be found on Amazon.com. He's also been a guest on channel 9News NBC in Denver, Colorado and Company, KLZ AM 560 and on the Michael Bailey Radio Show. Talmadge earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix.

"As a reverse mortgage specialist, I'm passionate about helping lenders, borrowers and real estate agents understand the often-misunderstood product that reverse mortgage is," said Talmadge. "The best part of the mortgage business is being able to help other people, to have this ability expanded at Mid America is exhilarating."

To learn more about joining Mid America's reverse mortgage team, contact Talmadge at jarred.talmadge@midamericamortgage.com

About Mid America Mortgage, Inc.

Mid America Mortgage, Inc., Addison, Texas, is a multi-state, full-service mortgage lender serving consumers and mortgage originators through its retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels. We offer a wide range of residential home loan programs to meet the needs of most home buyers and homeowners and are also the nation's leading provider of Section 184 home loans for Native Americans. Learn more at https://www.midamericamortgage.com/.

In operation since 1940, Mid America has thrived by retaining its entrepreneurial spirit and leading the market in innovation, including its adoption of eClosings eNotes. Click n' Close is Mid America's ultra-secure, digital mortgage approval and closing process that gets home buyers from application to closing within two weeks. With just a few clicks at closing, Click n' Close puts keys in the home buyer's hand in 15 minutes or less. Apply online at https://www.midamericamortgage.com/click-n-close/#cnc.

Frequently named a top mortgage employer/workplace by industry trade magazines such as Mortgage Professional America, MReport, National Mortgage News and National Mortgage Professional, Mid America is looking for tech-savvy, service-oriented mortgage professionals to join our growing team. We are dedicated to providing our employees with industry-leading tools and technology to deliver a great package of competitive pricing, programs and knowledgeable service. Want to join our team? Visit https://www.midamericamortgage.com/careers/.

Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced industry veteran Jarred Talmadge has joined Mid America as Western Reverse Mortgage Sales Manager. In this role, Talmadge is responsible for expanding Mid America's reverse mortgage presence in the Western U.S.

Related link: https://www.midamericamortgage.com/

Vice Capital Markets breaks internal trading volume record in 2021, helps clients achieve peak profitability

NOVI, Mich. /ScoopCloud/ -- Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that the company set a new internal trade volume record last year, trading more than $202 billion on behalf of its full service clients. Using an advantageous mix of delivery and execution, the company was able to help its clients capitalize profitably on each trade.

"The past two years have been both chaotic and profitable for the mortgage industry, and Vice Capital Markets has worked hard to ensure our clients felt as little chaos in their hedging pipelines as possible," said Vice Capital Markets President Troy Baars. "That approach certainly paid off in 2021 thanks to the trust we have built with our clients over the years, but we would not have reached this internal trading record if our clients had not had such a stellar year in terms of volume, making this as much their achievement as it is ours."

In addition to the increase in annual trade volume, Vice Capital Markets also experienced a marked increase in its client base, including more than 50% growth in the credit union space in 2021.

"Vice Capital Markets has always placed a premium on serving all types of mortgage lenders and building communicative and collaborative relationships with our clients, a practice that continued last year," said Chris Bennett, Principal at Vice Capital Markets. "Our clients range in monthly production from $10 million to $5 billion a month, yet every client receives the same personalized care and attention to detail, allowing us to better meet their needs."

About Vice Capital Markets

Since 2001, Vice Capital Markets has successfully managed interest rate risk and maximized profitability on MBS trades and mortgage-related transactions for banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders of all sizes. With an average of more than 10 years' experience behind each of the traders on our team, Vice Capital has helped its clients realize, on average, a 25 to 55 bps improvement over their best effort execution, and Vice Capital's proprietary risk-management models and complex investor and agency best execution platform have consistently yielded safe and effective profit maximization for its clients.

Learn more at https://www.vicecapitalmarkets.com/ or call (248) 869-8100.

Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that the company set a new internal trade volume record last year, trading more than $202 billion on behalf of its full service clients. Using an advantageous mix of delivery and execution, the company was able to help its clients capitalize profitably on each trade.

Related link: https://www.vicecapitalmarkets.com/

Housing Finance Strategies Announces #HousingDC22

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- Housing Finance Strategies President Faith Schwartz today announced that the firm will host its annual housing policy and technology event on September 26-27, 2022. "Based on our amazing success last year and the demand for the content we produce, I am excited to announce our plans for next fall. #HousingDC22 will take place ahead of the critical midterm elections and will focus on the key policy and tech issues facing the industry. Importantly, our event will continue to feature the highest quality level of speakers that our audience expects from a Housing Finance Strategies produced event," said Faith Schwartz.

The returning support of #HousingDC22 sponsors is notable and a testament to the quality of the event. Caliber, FICO, FormFree, Freedom, Mr. Cooper and RiskSpan are Platinum sponsors. CoreLogic, LoanCare, Mortgage Connect and Notarize are Gold sponsors. And Black Knight, Depth PR and USMI are Silver sponsors.

"Faith and team have a track record of success and they are always on top of emerging issues, such as Climate Risk Scoring," said Bernadette Kogler, Co-founder & CEO of RiskSpan. Kogler went on to say, "With climate policy plans under development across the federal government, and the private sector already beginning to act, we see the implications to housing as paramount."

As to logistics, Suzanne Garwood, immediate past president of the Women in Housing & Finance Foundation noted: "The production quality of #HousingDC21 was remarkable. With over 1,600 registered housing industry leaders on board, I am excited about the prospects for growing that participation further with #HousingDC22!"

In addition to industry speakers, Schwartz intends to offer a political pundit's take ahead of the midterms and present the sought after Housing Champion award.

Make plans now to Save the Date: https://www.housingdc22.com/. Watch for more sponsor updates, key speaker announcements and event details to come.

Housing Finance Strategies was established by Faith Schwartz in 2016 as a professional services and advisory firm specializing in mortgage modernization, housing policy and legislative and regulatory affairs. Schwartz serves on a number of bank and fintech boards and has a lengthy record of hosting and moderating housing industry events. Schwartz has created and delivered multiple housing events and a number of national housing policy conferences.

Housing Finance Strategies President Faith Schwartz today announced that the firm will host its annual housing policy and technology event on September 26-27, 2022. The returning support of #HousingDC22 sponsors is notable and a testament to the quality of the event.

Related link: https://housingfinancestrategies.com/

KJ Stephens Joins EPIC – Further Expands EPIC’s Employee Benefits Practice

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that KJ Stephens has joined the firm as Vice President within its Employee Benefits Practice.

In his new position with EPIC, Stephens will be responsible for bringing new client relationships to EPIC. He will develop health and welfare plan strategies for his clients and deploy the EPIC team and resources needed to meet client goals. He will create strategies that take clients' benefits to a high performing level.

Reporting to Robyn Pawlo, Executive Managing Principal, NorCal Employee Benefits, Stephens will work from the firm's Rancho Cordova, CA office. He joins EPIC from the Leavitt Group where he was an employee benefits consultant.

"We are excited to have KJ join the EPIC family. HIs integrity, enthusiasm and strong record of advocating for his clients will be an excellent fit with EPIC's culture," commented Pawlo. "We look forward to supporting KJ's continued business growth with our expanded Client Services Platform and through collaboration with his new EPIC team."

Kevin Harnetiaux, Territory President, Northern California, commented, "KJ will be an outstanding addition to our team and will help us continue to build our employee benefits expertise in the Northern California territory."

Stephens graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from California Baptist University, and attained a Master's degree from Azusa Pacific University. He was born and raised in Southern California, and enjoys being outdoors, camping, coaching his kids' teams, and spending time with family.

About EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail insurance brokerage, has more than 2,600 team members operating from more than 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs, and Private Client solutions to clients. EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S.

Learn more at: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants (EPIC), a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that KJ Stephens has joined the firm as Vice President within its Employee Benefits Practice.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

IRS Mandates Additional Requirements for R&D Tax Credit Refund Claims

SAVAGE, Minn. /ScoopCloud/ -- In 2007, the IRS made the Research & Development (R&D) tax credit a Tier 1 issue, says ICS Tax, LLC (ICS). Tier 1 issues were those of high strategic importance that had a significant impact on one or more industries, essentially meaning that the IRS would audit taxpayers filing amended returns on such issues. To taxpayers' relief, the Tiered Issue Process was eliminated in 2012, effectively placing the R&D tax credit in the same audit pool as other issues.

After the IRS was defeated on two refund claims stating that the taxpayers' claims lacked specificity and they had failed to state a claim, the courts held that the IRS could no longer assert their own forms (Form 6765) were insufficient to constitute a refund claim.

As a result of losing these claims, the IRS announced in a Chief Counsel memo released October 15, 2021 that taxpayers seeking refunds attributable to the R&D tax credit must meet the following five requirements:

* Identify all the business components to which the research credit claim related for that year.

* For each business component:

- Identify all research activities performed;

- Identify all individuals who performed each research activity; and

- Identify all the information each individual sought to discover.

* Provide the total qualified employee wage expenses, total qualified supply expenses, and total qualified contract research expenses for the claim year. This may be done using Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities.

The new rules go into effect on January 10, 2022. The IRS has stated there will be a transition period for a year and a grace period, giving taxpayers 45 days (expanded from 30 days on January 5th) to "perfect" a claim for refund before it comes mandatory for all refund claims.

What does "perfect" mean? If a claim for refund is determined to be deficient or if information provided was insufficient, the taxpayer will have 45 days to provide missing information. If the IRS does not receive the information requested, the entire refund claim will be rejected.

By issuing this new guidance, it has put R&D refund claims back into the forefront of IRS audit scrutiny akin to a Tier 1 issue, making R&D refund claims more burdensome for a taxpayer. The IRS new requirements further demonstrate the need to utilize a qualified R&D tax credit professional to properly document all refund claims.

Press Release Authors: Lacey J.S. Robb, JD, LLM; Contributing Author: Alexander Bagne, JD, CPA, MBA, CCSP.

About ICS Tax, LLC:

ICS Tax, LLC (ICS) is a consulting firm providing innovative tax planning strategies. ICS collaborates with taxpayers and their tax professionals to identify credits and incentives that reduce tax liabilities and increase profitability. ICS provides nationwide service through its offices throughout the country.

To learn more about the R&D tax credit as well as other valuable tax ideas visit https://ics-tax.com/.

CITATION:

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-lafa/20214101f.pdf

In 2007, the IRS made the Research & Development (R&D) tax credit a Tier 1 issue, says ICS Tax, LLC (ICS). Tier 1 issues were those of high strategic importance that had a significant impact on one or more industries, essentially meaning that the IRS would audit taxpayers filing amended returns on such issues. To taxpayers' relief, the Tiered Issue Process was eliminated in 2012, effectively placing the R&D tax credit in the same audit pool as other issues.

Related link: https://ics-tax.com/

Trust Lending Leveraging ReverseVision Platform to Grow Reverse Mortgage Wholesale Business

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision®, the leading national provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, announced that Trust Lending, a national mortgage banker, has gone live with ReverseVision's Exchange (RVX) platform for its wholesale lending channel. The platform helped Trust Lending springboard its wholesale channel into easily and expeditiously originating loans for reverse mortgage products.

Headquartered in Doral, Fla., Trust Lending is an established mortgage banker that has been in business for more than 15 years, offering a wide array of products to meet the differing needs of borrowers. The lender recently implemented ReverseVision's Exchange loan origination system (LOS) to automate the reverse lending process. Its goal was to grow a new reverse product line amid a profit-pinched market along with providing its broker partners with easy-to-use technology tools that help them quickly and efficiently originate and manage reverse mortgage deals.

Trust Lending engaged with ReverseVision as part of a long-term strategy to grow its wholesale business by adding a new revenue stream as the re-fi boom winds down. The mortgage lender is leveraging RVX to provide elevated service to senior borrowers, tech tools for brokers, and service a significantly underserved market. Trust Lending says that its model is simple: combine a hands-on, white glove service treatment for brokers coupled with offering comprehensive technology automation to make their broker partners as successful as possible.

"Trust Lending established the foundation of our business based on trust and excellence in service-not only for our borrower customers but also for our highly valued broker network," stated Cesar Robledo, reverse mortgage manager at Trust Lending. "ReverseVision's technology platform helped Trust Lending expand operations into the reverse mortgage business, and it gives our employees and brokers the functionality they need to efficiently originate, manage, process and close reverse loans with ease. ReverseVision's LOS has become the technology backbone of our reverse mortgage operations and we are excited about our newfound ability to scale this side of the business."

Trust Lending lauded ReverseVision's client services team for their rapid implementation of the system, efficient client onboarding process, and detailed training on the solution's features. The lender says it was up and running with full ability to handle reverse loans in under 60 days. In addition, broker set up and training was a snap, according to the company. Notable is that Trust Lending offers use of RVX to its broker network for free, but if they would like to instead simply call the loan in, Trust Lending's service model handles the technology aspect for brokers, if they prefer, thus making it as easy as possible to do reverse loans with Trust Lending.

"It's refreshing to see a tech-savvy independent mortgage banker like Trust Lending implement technology to help their brokers penetrate the reverse market," stated Joe Langner, president and CEO of ReverseVision. "There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for forward lenders to easily get into reverse mortgages and capitalize on an untapped market. Not only does it add a healthy revenue stream to the topline, but it also helps our seniors get the best loan product for their specific retirement situation. It's a win-win."

Trust Lending expects ReverseVision's LOS to be instrumental throughout 2022 in helping the company service more brokers, quickly grow its wholesale business, speed up turn times, further build its reputation for heightened service levels and ease of doing business, and add a highly profitable revenue source in reverse products.

About ReverseVision:

Since 2007, ReverseVision (RV) has been the leading reverse mortgage technology provider, serving 50 of the top reverse mortgage lenders, 100 percent of reverse investors, and more than 10,000 daily users. RV's award-winning technology now offers new APIs (Reverse-as-a-Service) that opens the total addressable market, creating new technology synergies that allows forward and reverse mortgages to coexist in the lender's core systems, helping break down adoption barriers so that mortgage bankers can serve their borrowers for life. ReverseVision's core platform, ReverseVision Exchange (RVX), is

comprehensive and proven to automate the entire reverse lending process from origination through secondary marketing. The company's technology is being successfully leveraged as a springboard that helps lenders get into the reverse space easily and efficiently.

For more information, visit https://www.reversevision.com/.

About Trust Lending:

Based in Doral, Fla., Trust Lending has been originating mortgage loans for more than 15 years and in the process has built a strong reputation as an outstanding mortgage lender serving the home financing needs of real estate professionals, builders and individual home buyers. Trust Lending provides personal, customized solutions to match the specific, yet ever-changing portfolio strategies of its clients. This is accomplished through leveraging our long-standing experience and providing superior results while maintaining a strict adherence to all industry best practices, rules and regulations. The company is focused on creating superior value for its clients through continued capital investment and platform expansion, hiring of experienced people, building effective processes and continued investment in technology.

For more information, visit https://trustlending.net/.

RELATED LINK:

https://www.reversevision.com/rvx/

ReverseVision®, the leading national provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, announced that Trust Lending, a national mortgage banker, has gone live with ReverseVision's Exchange (RVX) platform for its wholesale lending channel. The platform helped Trust Lending springboard its wholesale channel into easily and expeditiously originating loans for reverse mortgage products.

Related link: https://www.reversevision.com/

Wall Street’s Oldest Continually Expands Partnerships and Push to Increase Women Investment Leaders through Corporate DE&I Goals

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Thinkzilla Consulting Group announced today: As the nation's longest continuously operating Black-owned investment firm, Blaylock Van, LLC recognizes and embodies the power of diverse, equitable and inclusive leadership. To further expand its commitment to DE&I and employee success, the firm aims to increase the number of women leaders in the company in 2022 and beyond.

Women entrepreneurs today receive just 2 percent of all venture capital and a fraction of the banks loans that their male counterparts acquire, according to recent analysis. Financial equity for entrepreneurs and company employees alike helps ensure that everyone enjoys equal access to financial services in order to reduce the notable wealth gaps among races and genders.

"Clearly, Blaylock Van has been dedicated to diversity from our firm's launch 30 years ago, but that doesn't mean we rest on our laurels," said Blaylock Van CEO and President Eric Standifer. "We believe that everyone has an opportunity to contribute to our organization's success and continually strive to expand our inclusive, collaborative culture that welcomes everyone with opportunities including role-specific training, career development initiatives, and support focused on team members' personal, professional and financial success."

Blaylock Van's Diversity & Inclusion Statement encourages individuals to "come as you are and work for Blaylock Van," offering extensive diversity, equity and inclusion training while inspiring employees to "bring your whole self to work, sharing your unique ideas and perspectives, while helping us advanced our shared values."

Certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the State of New York, the State of Wisconsin, the City of New York and the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Blaylock Van serves corporations, municipalities, investment managers and pension funds with a diverse employee base committed to work beyond financial services.

In addition, Blaylock Van has partnered with the Millionaire Mastermind Academy to support minority women entrepreneurs in developing sustainable and successful businesses and committed to supporting the academy through employee volunteer hours. The company recently launched the Seynabou Ba Fund A trust fund to honor long-time Capital Markets Senior Vice President Seyna Ba, who inspired many with her determination to support women of color in forging their own paths.

Other nationwide community involvement includes national sponsorship of BuildOn, a movement geared to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education; donating to nationwide food banks; offering hands-on experience to African-American males in the San Francisco Achievers program through scholarships and internships; and encouraging employees to volunteer for causes they are passionate about. In addition, Blaylock Van has hosted interns for several decades through the CORO Foundation, which trains ethical, diverse civic leaders with the aim of creating a wealth of strong and diverse leaders across industries.

About Blaylock Van, LLC

Blaylock Van, LLC (BV) is the oldest and continuously operating Black-owned banking firm in the United States, providing personalized services for clients across the country. Clients include corporations, municipalities, investment managers, pension funds and family offices. Global electronic equity and fixed-income trading platforms allow direct market access to more than 40 worldwide exchanges, while the firm's proprietary web-based research platform is designed to specifically address the needs of fundamental portfolio managers and analysts. The firm's headquarters are in New York City, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Oakland, Calif.

For more information, please visit https://brv-llc.com/

RELATED LINKS

https://hbr.org/2021/02/women-led-startups-received-just-2-3-of-vc-funding-in-2020

https://millionairemastermindacademy.org/

Thinkzilla Consulting Group announced today: As the nation's longest continuously operating Black-owned investment firm, Blaylock Van, LLC recognizes and embodies the power of diverse, equitable and inclusive leadership. To further expand its commitment to DE&I and employee success, the firm aims to increase the number of women leaders in the company in 2022 and beyond.

Related link: https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/

Alliance Group and Living Benefits Awareness Month

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Alliance Group launched their fifth annual Living Benefits Awareness Month, or LBAM, to be observed throughout the month of January 2022.

The industry-wide campaign, which takes place each January, aims to educate consumers on the importance of owning Living Benefits life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families' financial security.

Living Benefits are features built into life insurance policies (term and permanent) that allow the policyholder access to their death benefit while they're still alive if they get sick or injured. Cancer, heart attack, stroke, major organ transplant, blindness, paralysis, and chronic illness are some of the triggering events that would allow for acceleration of the policy's death benefit.

"Getting sick no longer means certain death," says Samuel Howe, CMO of Alliance Group. "People are surviving longer, which is great news, but survival requires treatment, and treatment requires money. Having emergency access to your life insurance policy's death benefit while you're still alive is a hugely valuable option to have."

He adds, "More people should know about that option. That's why we created Living Benefits Awareness Month five years ago, and we're so excited about building on that success in 2022."

According to Howe, consumers can get a better idea of what LBAM is all about by visiting the website geared towards educating the general public on Living Benefits.

The address for the site is: https://www.alliancegrouplife.com/site/lbam.

MEDIA CONTACT: Peter Goldfine, Dir. Of Digital Innovation | 678.969.9000 | info@alliancegrouplife.com

MULTIMEDIA:

VIDEO (Vimeo): https://vimeo.com/491677929

Alliance Group launched their fifth annual Living Benefits Awareness Month, or LBAM, to be observed throughout the month of January 2022. The industry-wide campaign, which takes place each January, aims to educate consumers on the importance of owning Living Benefits life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families' financial security.

Related link: https://www.AllianceGroupLife.com/

After, Inc. and PermaPlate® Partner to Deliver PermaPlate Furniture Protection powered by QuickCover® to Online Furniture Retailers

NORWALK, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- After, Inc., the leading customer experience technology company providing software and services to the world's top manufacturers, retailers and merchants, today announced its partnership with PermaPlate Furniture, the furniture protection plan division of PermaPlate®. PermaPlate® recently expanded its warranty administration solutions to offer furniture coverage to online furniture and home furnishing retailers.

Furniture and homeware e-commerce generates $55 billion in revenue in the United States, according to Statista's September 2021 estimates - 12% of total retail e-commerce and the fastest growing sector, beating fashion and electronics. Given PermaPlate's reputation for delivering a world-class experience to its customers, it chose to partner with After, Inc., who has been providing best-in-class post-sale services to global retailers and manufacturers since 2005.

"For the past fifteen years, After, Inc. has been helping some of the world's top brands like Electrolux, Ford, Harley Davidson, Toro, Husqvarna, Canon, and Bass Pro Shops transform their warranty programs," says Nate Baldwin, CEO of After, Inc. "Now we have taken that knowledge and expertise, helping our clients optimize their product registration, service contract sales, analytics and program management, and built the QuickSuite platform. A key difference in our QuickCover® technology is that it does not compete with manufacturers, retailers or TPAs - like PermaPlate Furniture - who have their own service contract programs. Instead, it provides the technology they need to maximize their own online protection plan sales. We're thrilled to partner with PermaPlate Furniture to offer its Furniture Protection Plus plans powered by QuickCover®."

"After, Inc.'s QuickCover® technology was the clear choice for PermaPlate Furniture," says John Nisson, President of PermaPlate®. "After knows how critically important the customer relationship is for both manufacturers and retailers. They also understand the fundamental nuances and market demands for manufacturing limited warranties, and how to deliver best-in-class post-sale experiences for customers. After aligns with PermaPlate Furniture's strategic expansion plans to deliver innovative solutions to online furniture retailers. Its QuickCover® platform will allow any online furniture retailer to easily implement and offer PermaPlate Furniture protection plans with confidence in minutes through native e-commerce platform APIs like Shopify and Magento."

ABOUT AFTER, INC.

After, Inc. (afterinc.com) is a pioneer in the Warranty Services industry. Since 2005, After, Inc. has been partnering with some of the world's top brands to help transform their warranty businesses, driving customer satisfaction post-purchase, higher product reliability, deeper brand equity and additional revenue and profit opportunities. The company launched QuickSuite, in 2021, a modular set of SaaS technologies to help manufacturers, retailers, and e-commerce sellers build deeper relationships with their customers and drive satisfaction, loyalty, and lifetime revenue after the point of sale.

Headquartered in Norwalk, CT with offices in New York City, After, Inc. is part of Galway Holdings Group, a financial services distribution company with a focus towards data analytics, technology transformation, and innovative risk sharing solutions. Learn more: https://www.afterinc.com/.

ABOUT PERMAPLATE FURNITURE

PermaPlate® is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is an industry leader in the manufacturing of appearance protection products and in the delivery of world class warranty administration services to thousands of retailers throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

PermaPlate Furniture (www.permaplatefurniture.com) is uniquely positioned in the appearance protection warranty industry, leveraging nearly 44 years of rich corporate history and customer service expertise to more than 27,000 furniture stores and online retailers in the United States and their valued customers.

After, Inc., the leading customer experience technology company providing software and services to the world's top manufacturers, retailers and merchants, today announced its partnership with PermaPlate Furniture, the furniture protection plan division of PermaPlate®.

Related link: http://afterinc.com/

Promontory MortgagePath promotes Kevin Wheeler to managing director

DANBURY, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Promontory MortgagePath LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive digital mortgage and fulfillment solutions, announced today it has promoted Kevin Wheeler to managing director of product and engineering. Wheeler previously held the position of director of backend engineering at Promontory MortgagePath.

"Kevin's initiative and drive to consistently evolve process and back-office functions in addition to the customer experience have made him an asset at Promontory MortgagePath since day one," said Dean McCall, chief information officer at Promontory MortgagePath. "From constantly improving the back-end efficiencies of Promontory MortgagePath's tech stack to building the framework needed for new product launches and government-required changes, Kevin's work positively impacts our clients each and every day. This promotion is both well-deserved and a direct result of Kevin's hard work and passion for Promontory MortgagePath's mission to help community banks expand homeownership opportunities."

In his time at Promontory MortgagePath, Wheeler has been a driving force in engineering the technologies supporting Promontory MortgagePath's digital mortgage and fulfillment solutions. One example of this support has been Wheeler's work on Borrower Wallet(r), Promontory MortgagePath's proprietary point-of-sale technology. Borrower Wallet is redefining the lending experience by offering functionality specifically designed to improve efficiency and create a superior user experience for community bank customers. Wheeler works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the backend of Promontory MortgagePath's technology operations is running smoothly and efficiently.

"The talented team at Promontory MortgagePath is among the best with which I've worked," Wheeler said. "I am enthusiastic about what the future holds and welcome the opportunity to play a more prominent role in continuing the company's advancement in the community lending space."

About Promontory MortgagePath LLC | NMLS ID 1532373

Promontory MortgagePath is a fast-growing team of passionate problem solvers on a mission to fundamentally change the way lenders approach their mortgage business. The company combines an intuitive, collaborative digital mortgage platform with modern, comprehensive fulfillment services, giving lenders the progressive technology and scalability required to profitably compete in today's rapidly changing residential mortgage market. Promontory MortgagePath's founder, former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Gene Ludwig, is widely recognized as a visionary thinker on the critical issues confronting financial services, and his companies are renowned for helping community lenders resolve their most pressing challenges. To learn more, visit https://www.mortgagepath.com.

Promontory MortgagePath LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive digital mortgage and fulfillment solutions, announced today it has promoted Kevin Wheeler to managing director of product and engineering. Wheeler previously held the position of director of backend engineering at Promontory MortgagePath.

Related link: https://www.mortgagepath.com/

BankSouth Mortgage’s Shannon K. Bradshaw named 2022 Five Star Mortgage Professional

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- BankSouth Mortgage today announced that Senior Mortgage Banker Shannon K. Bradshaw has been recognized as a 2022 Five Star Mortgage Professional award winner. Each year, Five Star Professional honors outstanding real estate agents and mortgage professionals across the country, recognizing no more than 7% of all agents in a market.

Bradshaw, who was named a Five Star Mortgage Professional for the seventh time in 10 years, is the only Georgia-based loan originator to have won this award a total of seven times since its inception in 2003.

"It's beyond humbling to once again be honored as a Five Star Mortgage Professional," stated Bradshaw. "To be consistently recognized as a top mortgage banker in the Atlanta market by my industry peers and customers is extremely fulfilling. In my 16 years in the mortgage industry, I have always strived to provide the best possible experience not only to my borrowers, but all parties involved in the mortgage process and this award acknowledges that effort."

As a mortgage banker at BankSouth Mortgage, Bradshaw places primary emphasis on service and communication with her customers. By making herself accessible, Bradshaw proves a great resource for both accurate and timely information. Staying current with loan options and products, educating clients to make informed decisions, and making the loan process a worry-free experience are among Bradshaw's primary goals in her business.

"Shannon has a high degree of empathy and understands the logical side of the mortgage business," stated BankSouth Mortgage CEO Kim Nelson. "The mortgage industry is about people, plain and simple. Shannon thrives in helping our customers navigate the emotional landscape and reach the desired conclusions. Shannon's skillset, financial knowledge and understanding of the human element make up the perfect mix in just the right amounts as a trusted mortgage advisor."

Five Star Mortgage Professional award candidates are identified through evaluations submitted by consumers and real estate agents. To receive the award, a mortgage professional must satisfy five objective eligibility and evaluation criteria that are associated with mortgage professionals who provide quality services to their clients. The award process is conducted annually in each market. For more information on the research methodology and to see the full list of winners, go to https://www.fivestarprofessional.com.

About BankSouth Mortgage:

BankSouth Mortgage, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BankSouth, originates over $1 billion in home loans with more than 60 experienced loan officers in 11 offices. With its industry-leading ReadyLoan® app, borrowers can easily and securely apply for a home mortgage and monitor its approval progress from underwriting to closing. For more information, visit https://www.banksouth.com.

BankSouth Mortgage today announced that Senior Mortgage Banker Shannon K. Bradshaw has been recognized as a 2022 Five Star Mortgage Professional award winner. Each year, Five Star Professional honors outstanding real estate agents and mortgage professionals across the country, recognizing no more than 7% of all agents in a market.

Related link: https://www.banksouth.com/

Mid America Mortgage announces completion of new funding source for its down payment assistance program through J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC

ADDISON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced today it has secured an additional line of liquidity from J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (member of FINRA and SIPC) ("JVB"), an indirect controlled subsidiary of Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American: COHN), through the company's Agency MBS & Gestation Repo Group.

"While challenging on many levels, the circumstances presented by COVID have allowed Mid America to innovate our product lines and deliver financing options that enable more consumers - including low-to-moderate income and minority borrowers - to realize the dream of homeownership," said Mid America Owner and CEO Jeff Bode. "By accessing capital through JVB's gestational repo program, we can finance these unique loan programs, including our down payment assistance program, at a lower cost than a traditional warehouse line, thus enabling us to grow these programs by nearly sixfold in 2022."

JVB's Gestational Repo Financing allows mortgage originators seeking incremental returns to make short-term investments into a Ginnie Mae (GNMA) security, which carries a zero-risk weighting, as an alternative means of securing capital markets financing. Gestation repo enables GNMA issuers to pool these securities faster while also reducing issuers' funding costs and improving their cash position.

"Mid America Mortgage has placed itself in a strategic position to capitalize on the implementation and utilization of a gestation repo facility such as ours within its mortgage pipeline operations," said Tom McHugh, Managing Director and Head of the Mortgage Group at J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC. "JVB is excited to partner with the team at Mid America."

About JVB

J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC ("JVB"), a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"), and a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC"). JVB focuses on four distinct business lines: (1) Mortgage Trading and Financing (focusing on providing capital market services to middle-market mortgage originators seeking to enhance their mortgage pipeline execution and overall portfolio profitability and includes (i) TBA Trading, (ii) Agency MBS Trading, (iii) Gestational Repo Financing (2) Wholesale Trading & Distribution (focusing on servicing small fixed income broker-dealers); and (4) Credit Trading (focusing on investment grade and high yield corporate bonds). For more information, please visit www.jvbfinancial.com.

About Mid America Mortgage, Inc.

Mid America Mortgage, Inc., Addison, Texas, is a multi-state, full-service mortgage lender serving consumers and mortgage originators through its retail, wholesale and correspondent channels. We offer a wide range of residential home loan programs to meet the needs of most home buyers and homeowners and are also the nation's leading provider of Section 184 home loans for Native Americans. Learn more at https://www.midamericamortgage.com/.

In operation since 1940, Mid America has thrived by retaining its entrepreneurial spirit and leading the market in innovation, including its adoption of eClosings eNotes. Click n' Close is Mid America's ultra-secure, digital mortgage approval and closing process that gets home buyers from application to closing within two weeks. With just a few clicks at closing, Click n' Close puts keys in the home buyer's hand in 15 minutes or less. Apply online at https://www.midamericamortgage.com/click-n-close/#cnc.

Frequently named a top mortgage employer/workplace by industry trade magazines such as Mortgage Professional America, MReport, National Mortgage News and National Mortgage Professional, Mid America is looking for tech-savvy, service-oriented mortgage professionals to join our growing team. We are dedicated to providing our employees with industry-leading tools and technology to deliver a great package of competitive pricing, programs and knowledgeable service. Want to join our team? Visit https://www.midamericamortgage.com/careers/.

Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced today it has secured an additional line of liquidity from J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (member of FINRA and SIPC) ("JVB"), an indirect controlled subsidiary of Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American: COHN), through the company's Agency MBS & Gestation Repo Group.

Related link: https://www.midamericamortgage.com/

EPIC Acquires Oversea Insurance Agency – Continues Expansion of its Specialty Offerings

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center d.b.a. EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants (EPIC) announced today that it has acquired Oversea Insurance Agency trading as Oversea Yacht Insurance (Oversea). Oversea is based in San Diego, CA and Ft Lauderdale, FL.

Founded in 1978, Oversea Yacht Insurance is in its fourth generation as an insurance agency with three specializing in recreational and commercial marine insurance. Oversea represents unique policy offerings with the premier carriers in the insurance industry, providing value and comprehensive boat insurance coverage to yachts ranging from 30 feet to 300 feet, both domestically and internationally.

Oversea Principals Scott Jarvie and John M. Jarvie, II will remain actively involved in the overall organization and contribute their expertise and guidance in this highly niche practice. John Jarvie will serve as Managing Principal of the Yachting Practice.

"After 45 years in the marine insurance business, we are excited about the opportunities ahead with EPIC as this will enable us to expand our capabilities and offerings to clients. By further collaborating with EPIC and the EPIC Select team who are focused on high-net-worth individuals, there will be added benefit to all," said Scott Jarvie, President, Oversea Yacht Insurance. "I look forward to seeing John continue to lead the practice, as we build our collaboration with EPIC."

Adam Meyerowitz, President, EPIC Midwest & Southeast Regions, said, "We are fortunate to have aligned with the Jarvie team and their organization to provide this specialized expertise adding to our experienced and knowledgeable professionals."

About EPIC Brokers & Consultants

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants has more than 2,600 team members operating from more than 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs, and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients. For more information on EPIC, visit: https://epicbrokers.com/.

About Oversea Yacht Insurance

Oversea Yacht Insurance is a family run fourth generation insurance agency with three of those as marine insurance specialty agency with offices in San Diego and Fort Lauderdale. The Oversea team has over 150 years of combined marine insurance experience. They are a fast-growing agency dedicated to offering competitive and unique policy options with the top carriers in its industry, and its seasoned agents work diligently to service clients every need. For more information on Oversea, visit: https://www.overseainsurance.com/.

Edgewood Partners Insurance Center d.b.a. EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants (EPIC) announced today that it has acquired Oversea Insurance Agency trading as Oversea Yacht Insurance (Oversea). Oversea is based in San Diego, CA and Ft Lauderdale, FL.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

Promontory MortgagePath Chief Compliance Officer Elisha Werner makes Mortgage Professional America’s list of 2021 Elite Women

DANBURY, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Leading digital mortgage and fulfillment solutions provider Promontory MortgagePath LLC announced its Chief Compliance Officer Elisha Werner has been named one of Mortgage Professional America's (MPA) Elite Women 2021. The MPA Elite Women award seeks to honor women in the mortgage sector who are pushing boundaries to diversify a traditionally male-dominated industry.

"Given how critical compliance is to the mortgage origination process, Promontory MortgagePath has curated a deep bench of regulatory compliance talent - ensuring compliance permeates throughout our entire solution and providing our clients with best-in-class, consultative expertise," said Debora Aydelotte, chief operating officer at Promontory MortgagePath. "Elisha plays a critical role in our ability to deliver this knowledge and support, and on behalf of our team, I'd like to congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition."

Werner is a renowned attorney with more than 20 years of compliance experience in the financial services industry. She leads compliance efforts for Promontory MortgagePath's residential mortgage operations and oversees the regulatory and compliance implementation process, including contributing to and testing the company's cutting-edge compliance controls and digital mortgage origination technology.

"Succeeding at PMP is not difficult given the company's solidly built compliance foundation and partners who emphasize continued development of compliant processes and technology. I am grateful to be part of such a uniquely focused organization," Werner said.

Prior to joining Promontory MortgagePath, Elisha held various leadership positions with mortgage banking and financial services firms such as First National Bank of Omaha, Opus Capital Markets Consultants, Midwest Equity Mortgage, and Wipro Gallagher Solutions, working to establish a holistic approach to compliance and risk within each organization.

To view the full list of 2021 MPA Elite Women, visit: https://www.mpamag.com/us/best-in-mortgage/elite-women-2021/319778#winnersListSection

About Promontory MortgagePath LLC | NMLS ID 1532373

Promontory MortgagePath is a fast-growing team of passionate problem solvers on a mission to fundamentally change the way lenders approach their mortgage business. The company combines an intuitive, collaborative digital mortgage platform with modern, comprehensive fulfillment services, giving lenders the progressive technology and scalability required to profitably compete in today's rapidly changing residential mortgage market. Promontory MortgagePath's founder, former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Gene Ludwig, is widely recognized as a visionary thinker on the critical issues confronting financial services, and his companies are renowned for helping community lenders resolve their most pressing challenges. To learn more, visit https://www.mortgagepath.com.

About Mortgage Professional America

A publication of Key Media, Mortgage Professional America (MPA) delivers news, opinion and analysis to mortgage, real estate and finance industry professionals through its bi-monthly magazine and daily email newsletter. For more information, visit http://www.mpamag.com/.

Leading digital mortgage and fulfillment solutions provider Promontory MortgagePath LLC announced its Chief Compliance Officer Elisha Werner has been named one of Mortgage Professional America's (MPA) Elite Women 2021. The MPA Elite Women award seeks to honor women in the mortgage sector who are pushing boundaries to diversify a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Related link: https://www.mortgagepath.com/

Mortgage Coach promotes Jacob Gibbs to VP, Technology and Shannon Baldwin to VP, Marketing

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Coach, a borrower conversion platform empowering mortgage lenders to educate borrowers with interactive presentations that model home loan performance over time, announced the promotion of two of its department directors to vice president-level positions. Jacob Gibbs was promoted from Director of Technology to VP, Technology, and Shannon Baldwin was promoted from Director of Marketing to VP, Marketing. These advancements are a direct result of Gibbs' and Baldwin's exceptional leadership in their respective departments.

Gibbs joined Mortgage Coach 15 years ago and is now responsible for leading the development team, managing partner integrations, administering both local and network technology infrastructure, and overseeing Mortgage Coach's support team that serves 15,000 subscribers. With valuable experience in both mortgage underwriting and lending technologies, Gibbs is perfectly equipped to help lenders better serve their borrowers by empowering them with the digital tools to help them choose the best mortgage loan for their needs.

Prior to joining Mortgage Coach, Baldwin led marketing and events for Optimal Blue for 13 years. Baldwin was tapped by Mortgage Coach as director of marketing one year ago, and in that time she has proven her expertise in all mortgage marketing functions including brand strategy, digital marketing, web content and design, internal and external communications and event planning. As VP of marketing, Baldwin will oversee the development of Mortgage Coach's communication strategies and identify effective brand-building opportunities.

"Jacob's tech-forward mindset and Shannon's creative approach to mortgage marketing have been central to the Mortgage Coach mission of helping lenders enable people of all financial backgrounds to attain homeownership through smart mortgage strategies," said Mortgage Coach President Joe Puthur. "They have both brought immense value to our business and partners, and I am very proud to have them as a part of our team."

About Mortgage Coach:

Mortgage Coach is an award-winning borrower conversion platform that gives consumers the confidence to transact with educational presentations that model loan performance over time. The company's side-by-side loan comparisons allow borrowers to make faster, more informed mortgage decisions while enabling lenders to consistently deliver an on-brand, consultative home financing experience that increases borrower conversion, repeat business and referrals. To date, more than 120 enterprise independent mortgage banks, depository banks and credit unions rely on Mortgage Coach to deliver personalized, modern service that grows revenue and customer loyalty.

To learn more about Mortgage Coach, visit https://www.mortgagecoach.com or follow @MortgageCoach.

Twitter: @MortgageCoach #mortgage

Mortgage Coach, a borrower conversion platform empowering mortgage lenders to educate borrowers with interactive presentations that model home loan performance over time, announced the promotion of two of its department directors to vice president-level positions. Jacob Gibbs was promoted from Director of Technology to VP, Technology, and Shannon Baldwin was promoted from Director of Marketing to VP, Marketing.

Related link: https://mortgagecoach.com/

EPIC and DIATOMS, Inc. Create Exclusive Partnership

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that they have created an exclusive partnership with Todd Morley and DIATOMS, Inc. (DIATOMS).

The partnership between DIATOMS and EPIC will focus on insuring infrastructure assets in conjunction with the financings of those assets around environmental, social and governance (ESG). This partnership will lead to significant developments for both organizations as they work together to bring even greater results and support for their clients.

Todd Morley brings a strong background to the partnership as founder of DIATOMS, Inc. Prior to that, in 1999 he co-founded investment firm Guggenheim Partners LLC, which has over $300 billion assets under management. He served on the Guggenheim Board as well as on its Executive Committee. Morley is a lead investor and sits on the Advisory Board of a variety of e-commerce, blockchain, and AI focused entities. He is also the current chairman of Overline.net, a leader in decentralized finance and asset tokenization. He is also a Board member of several strategic companies including Delaware Life.

Through this partnership, Morley will work alongside EPIC's Philip V. Moyles, Jr. Moyles is an Executive Vice President and the Chief Growth Officer of EPIC and is on the firm's Executive Committee. He is also the President of EPIC's Financial Services business as well as the CEO of Vanbridge, a firm he founded in 2008, which is an EPIC company. In his role as Chief Growth Officer, Moyles has responsibility for the distribution and innovation platforms at the company.

"I have worked with Phil Moyles for the last three years and am thrilled to be able to develop this exclusive agreement with he and EPIC to change the way companies are able to move forward with their investments," Morley commented.

Moyles concurred, "We couldn't be more excited about the opportunities that lie ahead with Todd Morley and DIATOMS as we create a dedicated insurance business focused on infrastructure and ESG. The realization of these opportunities become stronger through this partnership. Todd's business and financial acumen in combination with the experts within EPIC will bring about big change."

In addition, Morley will work with Scott Davis, President, National Specialty for EPIC, who leads the team that delivers creative and innovative solutions to EPIC clients in their National Specialty Group. Davis said, "The combination of skill sets, and industry expertise of these organizations will allow the work they will be doing together to drive success and better results for clients."

Davis continued, "This is a very exciting time within EPIC. We are growing and offering even more diversity in our areas of expertise. By partnering with Todd Morley and his team of experts within DIATOMS we will be able to change the way we do business with our top clients that invest in infrastructure and ESG."

About EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail insurance brokerage, has more than 2,600 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs, and Private Client solutions to clients. EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Learn more: https://epicbrokers.com/.

About DIATOMS, Inc.

DIATOMS, Inc. is a technology / infrastructure finance company, driving progress and innovation through structured finance, tested technologies, strong counterparties, and private capital to solve the world's largest environmental challenges. The company is established by a group of global technologists, entrepreneurs, financial architects, engineers, political leaders, academics, blockchain experts and economists, working in partnership with large corporations to align interests along-side of federal, state, and local governments. Learn more: https://diatomsinc.io/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that they have created an exclusive partnership with Todd Morley and DIATOMS, Inc. (DIATOMS).

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

DocMagic Officially Launches eDecision™, Fully Automating and Perfecting Digital Closing Eligibility

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully compliant loan document preparation, automated regulatory compliance, and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced the rollout of eDecision™, a robust solution that significantly expands the level of analysis applied to e-eligibility determination for eClosings. The result is a clear-cut, highly accurate decision that tells users precisely how far they can take a digital closing based on the unique attributes of the loan transaction-all the way down to county-level eRecording acceptance.

eDecision is powered by DocMagic's sophisticated audit engine, which begins the decisioning process as soon as the first set of disclosures are generated-starting as early as the point-of-sale-and continuing with e-eligibility checks throughout the entire loan process. The solution accesses and compiles first-party data, leveraging an immense amount of information to improve the digital closing process.

"Our goal in developing eDecision was straightforward: to help clients execute flawless eClosings and bring a new level of automation to the overall process by providing lenders with an immediate determination of how 'e' they can be," said Dominic Iannitti, president and CEO of DocMagic. "Simply put, eDecision equates to eSuccess for all parties involved in the closing process."

The eDecision solution does not force users to leave DocMagic's platform and visit another website, use a third-party application, or access an ancillary database. Everything eDecision offers is available within DocMagic's core process and is provided as an integral component of the eClosing workflow, ensuring a seamless and efficient eClosing process each and every time.

eDecision's core capabilities:

* eClosing selection - eDecision automatically determines how "e" lenders can be with DocMagic's Total eClose solution, which offers four distinct types of compliant eClosings. From the moment the first document package is generated, the highest level of hybrid available or a fully-paperless eClosing is instantly identified.

* eNote certification - eDecision automatically confirms whether a lender is certified to originate eNotes, is registered with MERS, and has completed their MERS end-to-end testing.

* eRecording readiness - eDecision automatically validates whether the local recording jurisdiction is able to accept an electronically executed security instrument.

* Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) - eDecision automatically confirms whether KBA is required in the closing state where it occurs.

* eNotary acceptance - eDecision automatically identifies which type of notarization is accepted within the jurisdiction: remote online notarization (RON), in-person electronic notarization (IPEN), or traditional in-person notarization.

* Investor acceptance - eDecision will also soon provide a determination whether an investor will purchase an electronically closed loan, saving time for secondary marketing departments.

All analysis and results from eDecision are incorporated into DocMagic's Loan Detail Report (LDR), which is automatically included with all document requests and is widely accepted by most investors as proof of regulatory compliance. Furthermore, DocMagic's audit engine automates data and document validation throughout all phases of the lending process to ensure accuracy while performing continuous compliance checks to ensure strict adherence to applicable rules and regulations.

Iannitti concludes: "At DocMagic, with each innovation we engineer, we strive to eliminate manual processes and improve the overall user experience. We don't want our clients having to go elsewhere to research or rely on disparate third-party systems for what we believe should be a fully-integrated analysis that begins the moment our services are accessed for a particular loan transaction. eDecision gives lenders, settlement providers and notaries a completely integrated digital closing determination process - and the confidence they need to begin offering eClosings on a widespread scale."

About DocMagic:

DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully compliant document generation, automated compliance, eSignature and comprehensive eMortgage solutions for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops award-winning software, mobile apps, and web-based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. The company's solutions connect industry participants, promote collaboration, and ensure data integrity to execute precision-based digital lending transactions. The company's compliance experts and in-house legal staff consistently monitor legal and regulatory changes at both the federal and state levels to ensure accuracy. For more information on DocMagic, visit https://www.docmagic.com/.

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully compliant loan document preparation, automated regulatory compliance, and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced the rollout of eDecision™, a robust solution that significantly expands the level of analysis applied to e-eligibility determination for eClosings.

Related link: https://www.docmagic.com/

PROGRESS in Lending Recognizes DocMagic’s Director of Product Development Michael Morford with 2021 Tech Thought Leader Award

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance, and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that Michael Morford, Director of Product Development, was selected as a 2021 Tech Thought Leader by PROGRESS in Lending Association.

PROGRESS in Lending states that the Tech Thought Leader award recognizes premier mortgage professionals who consistently introduce and drive innovative and creative ideas for today's highly unique business environment and beyond. The association says it developed the annual award to identify industry leaders who are out-of-the-box, solution-oriented technology thought leaders that are helping address industry-wide issues and challenges.

Mr. Morford has more than 23 years of industry experience; 17 of those with DocMagic. He joined the company as the Integration Services Manager where he oversaw the development of interfaces with a multitude of third-party software providers. Mr. Morford now serves as Director of Product Development and is responsible for DocMagic's portfolio of solutions and services.

"I am elated to be honored with PROGRESS in Lending's Tech Thought Leader award," said Morford. "We're always innovating at DocMagic and driving the industry to leverage leading-edge technology to gain newfound efficiencies that ultimately benefit our lender clients and their customers."

As lead coordinator for the design, development and implementation of DocMagic's web-based suite of digital lending solutions, Mr. Morford is at the forefront of innovating and enhancing software applications. He has seen the industry's drive to adopt eMortgages steadily grow over the years, and in the last five years, he has helped DocMagic develop highly effective solutions while operating in a very fast-paced, dynamic, and constantly changing mortgage market.

Mr. Morford regularly sits on industry technology-based panel sessions, serves as a thought leader in the mortgage media, and attends key conferences to share his ideas and help move the industry forward.

About DocMagic:

DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully compliant document generation, automated compliance, eSignature and comprehensive eMortgage solutions for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops award-winning software, mobile apps, and web-based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. The company's solutions connect industry participants, promote collaboration, and ensure data integrity to execute precision-based digital lending transactions. The company's compliance experts and in-house legal staff consistently monitor legal and regulatory changes at both the federal and state levels to ensure accuracy.

For more information on DocMagic, visit https://www.docmagic.com/.

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance, and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that Michael Morford, Director of Product Development, was selected as a 2021 Tech Thought Leader by PROGRESS in Lending Association.

Related link: https://www.docmagic.com/

HomeBinder and Own Up announce strategic partnership to strengthen borrower relationships with lenders, real estate agents and home pros

BOSTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- HomeBinder, a centralized home management platform that keeps homeowners connected with mortgage lenders, home inspectors, Realtors and other authorized professionals, today announced a strategic partnership with Boston-based Own Up to support homeowners who receive HomeBinder from a non-mortgage industry business, such as a home inspector or insurance agent. Together, HomeBinder and Own Up provide a customizable and personalized experience for today's homeowners that strengthens their relationships with lenders, real estate agents and home professionals before, during and after the transaction.

HomeBinder is a centralized online platform designed to make home management and home value actionable with features that include adaptive home valuation, document storage, maintenance reminders, appliance recall notifications, a digital home inventory and more. Binders are provided by business partners supporting the homeownership journey, automatically pre-populated with documents from the transaction and delivered to clients upon closing. Homeowners that do not have a mortgage lender associated with their binder can now leverage the Own Up experience to understand refinancing options for their existing home or compare loan options for their next home purchase.

Own Up is a technology service that empowers borrowers to make smarter home financing decisions by providing customized data, personalized advice and a hassle-free mortgage shopping and comparison service. Both HomeBinder and Own Up are alumni of the Techstars Boston Accelerator, a program that helps Boston-based startups connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders and corporations to grow their companies. The companies' founders share a belief that mortgage, real estate and home professionals should empower borrowers with transparency and access to educational information that supports each stage of the homeownership journey.

"HomeBinder is excited to partner with a member of the Techstars family to enable mortgage lenders that already work with Own Up to enhance their borrower experience after the loan closes and ultimately build a 'client for life' experience with their borrowers," said HomeBinder Chief Strategy Officer Pete Paglia.

"In an increasingly competitive market, lenders are seeking meaningful ways to differentiate themselves and remain top of mind with their clients," said Own Up SVP and Director of Lender Relations Matthew Wildman. "Compelling rates and fast cycle times are not enough; it takes a memorable borrower experience to keep today's clients engaged, and delivering that experience is at the heart of what Own Up and HomeBinder do."

For more information, visit https://hubs.ly/Q010X6yT0.

About HomeBinder:

HomeBinder is a home management platform that makes maintaining a home's value easy and actionable while improving relationships between homeowners and the businesses that serve them. Unlike traditional leave-behinds like business cards and refrigerator magnets, HomeBinder maintains an ongoing digital connection with homeowners as they manage their home improvements, data, documents and relationships over time. Founded in 2015, HomeBinder is a venture-backed Techstars Boston '19 company headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://pages.homebinder.com/.

About Own Up:

Own Up was founded in 2016 with a mission to ensure no borrower overpays for their mortgage. The company provides a hassle-free mortgage shopping and comparison experience coupled with independent, expert advice to ensure homebuyers and homeowners have the data they need to make smarter financing decisions. For more information, visit https://www.ownup.com/.

HomeBinder, a centralized home management platform that keeps homeowners connected with mortgage lenders, home inspectors, Realtors and other authorized professionals, today announced a strategic partnership with Boston-based Own Up to support homeowners who receive HomeBinder from a non-mortgage industry business, such as a home inspector or insurance agent.

Related link: https://pages.homebinder.com/

Galway Holdings Acquires Simatree

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- Galway Holdings ("Galway") today announced its acquisition of Virginia-based Simatree, a strategic advisory firm specializing in data, analytics, technology consultation and digital transformation. Fast-growing, Simatree has won multiple awards for its innovative and transformational digital and analytics solutions, founded by Patrick McCreesh, Wes Flores and Jay Williams, former NBA player and current television analyst.

"We couldn't be more excited to move forward with Patrick and the Simatree team with an aligned vision and mission to provide differentiated product and service offerings to our clients, carrier partners and strategic distribution relationships," said John Hahn Executive Chairman of Galway Holdings.

Additionally, access to capital from the private equity-backed Galway will allow Simatree to explore creative opportunities for growth. Galway's recent acquisition of MAI Capital Management complements the Simatree acquisition.

Simatree will add value to the Galway Holdings' companies by defining and executing transformative programs that modernize the industry to accelerate the demand for change in the insurance and wealth management industries. Simatree will continue to work collaboratively with Derek Thomas (President of Galway Strategic Solutions) and the Galway Strategic Solutions team as they advance internal/external ecosystem business and digital transformation efforts. Current partnering efforts include digitization of the growing EPIC small to medium enterprise and personal lines portfolio.

Patrick McCreesh noted, "I'm looking forward to continued success as part of Galway Holdings. The relationship with Galway continues to provide deep expertise in financial services and insurance that allow us to build better solutions for the market."

Jay Williams has been engaged in the wealth management platforms at Galway and notes, "Galway provides high-net-worth individuals and family offices with complete financial planning/management and risk management for a natural alignment with how these individuals approach their lives. The client experience of having a cohesive approach is profoundly uncommon today."

About Simatree

Simatree is an advisory practice that blends a unique mix of technical prowess with people-focused service to achieve data-driven change. They harness the strengths of exceptional people to help clients transform their organization and build modern solutions. Visit https://www.simatree1.com/.

About Galway Holdings

Galway Holdings, LP is a financial services distribution company. It includes EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants and a diversified brokerage distribution and underwriting platform, with a focus towards data analytics, technology transformation, and innovative risk sharing solutions.

About Galway Strategic Solutions

Galway Strategic Solutions is dedicated to driving innovation and ROI through strategic consulting, advisory, business and digital transformation. Its core mission is to create value by optimizing organic growth, inorganic growth and unique investment opportunities on behalf of Galway Holdings.

About MAI Capital Management

MAI Capital Management, LLC is a fee-based registered investment adviser and wealth management firm, which provides comprehensive investment management and planning services to high-net-worth individuals, families and athletes. Visit https://mai.capital/.

Galway Holdings ("Galway") today announced its acquisition of Virginia-based Simatree, a strategic advisory firm specializing in data, analytics, technology consultation and digital transformation. Fast-growing, Simatree has won multiple awards for its innovative and transformational digital and analytics solutions, founded by Patrick McCreesh, Wes Flores and Jay Williams, former NBA player and current television analyst.