Category Archives: Finance

LBA Ware CEO to Discuss Loan Originator Compensation Trends in Today’s Market at MBA Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), provider of the leading automated compensation and sales performance management platform for mortgage lenders, today announced that its Founder and CEO Lori Brewer will be a panelist at the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) 2019 Independent Mortgage Bankers (IMB) Conference, which will be held January 28-31 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. In the panel, Brewer will reveal definitive data that answers the question on everyone's mind, "Are lenders cutting loan originator (LO) comp?"

The session, "Managing LO Comp to the Bottom Line," will take place Tuesday, January 29, from 2:15 - 3:15 p.m. PT in the Bayview Room. Loretta Salzano, president of law firm Franzen and Salzano, and Lauren Patel, Human Resources Director at loanDepot.com, will co-panel the session with Brewer.

As part of the conference's Business Operations & Compliance track, the session will cover current business and legal challenges faced by many mortgage businesses - including declining margins, LO compensation trends and evolving roles requiring new skillsets and regulations complicating the compensation of LOs - and discuss possible regulatory relief on the horizon.

"2019 will be a challenging year for many independent mortgage bankers. Decreasing volume, increasing rates and unrelenting operational demands require lenders to be very diligent and strategic about their recruiting and compensation decisions," Brewer said. "I look forward to sharing insights on how lenders are adjusting LO comp plans to reflect market changes, and what lenders can do to incentivize more production while also streamlining efficiencies within lending organizations."

Also that day, Brewer will provide a demonstration of LBA Ware's flagship platform CompenSafe(TM) in the general session, "TechLive - Technology Solutions for the Mortgage Lifecycle," taking place from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. PT in the Grand Ballroom. The session, led by MBA Chief Economist and Vice President of Research and Industry Technology, Michael Fratantoni, Ph.D., will provide a platform for the executives of six leading mortgage technology firms to show how their products are solving business problems for mortgage lenders. In this interactive session, attendees are invited to ask questions and participate in live polling.

About LBA Ware:

Founded in 2008, LBA Ware's mission is to inspire opportunity by delivering solutions that are essential to the way mortgage companies operate. We are a trusted partner and play a key role in our clients' success by enabling them to motivate, incentivize and better leverage the human potential within their organizations. Our applications automate traditionally manual business processes for which an existing software solution does not exist, empowering lenders to create an integrated software environment that maximizes their productivity and operational efficiency.

For more information about LBA Ware and our software solutions, visit https://lbaware.com.

Twitter: @LBAWare @MBAMortgage #MBAIMB19 #mortgagebanking

LBA Ware(TM), provider of the leading automated compensation and sales performance management platform for mortgage lenders, today announced that its Founder and CEO Lori Brewer will be a panelist at the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) 2019 Independent Mortgage Bankers (IMB) Conference, which will be held January 28-31 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

Related link: https://lbaware.com/

Anow Closes 2018 with 110-percent Year-over-Year Increase in Orders Processed Through Its Digital Appraisal Office Management Technology

RED DEER, Alberta /ScoopCloud/ -- Digital appraisal management software developer Anow reported a record 110 percent year-over-year increase in appraisal orders processed through its core appraisal office management platform in 2018 despite an industry-wide, market-driven drop in orders per customer. The announcement follows a year punctuated by major product launches and enhancements as the growing firm continues to lead the appraisal industry in innovation.

"We're proud to put appraisal firms that use Anow light years ahead of their competition," said Anow Founder and President Marty Haldane. "In 2019, we'll continue to redefine the speed, efficiency and transparency with which appraisers work with mortgage lenders and other clients."

Just last month, Nations Valuations Services integrated Anow's appraisal management software into its AppraisalTRAX(TM) management system, fueling faster turn times for its 16,000-strong appraiser network and an improved experience for its mortgage lender customers.

In September, Anow filed patents to protect its proprietary mass collaboration technology, which enables teams of appraisers to radically reduce turn times by working simultaneously on appraisal reports and which Anow expects will power the next generation of bifurcated appraisal products.

Anow also filed patents on its proximity-based assignment system designed to improve the borrower experience and reduce friction in the inspection-setting process.

In August, the company announced its forthcoming Anow Enterprise, a platform for mortgage lenders that enables instant, on-demand appraisal booking and leverages artificial intelligence to pair lender deadlines and quality-control criteria with the best appraiser for the job based on availability, travel schedule and workload.

May 2018 saw the introduction of Anow Connect, a platform that connects appraisal firms directly with their customers via a branded, mobile-first portal that automates appraisal order acceptance, scheduling, status updates, file sharing, messaging, report delivery and payment collection.

Anow also rolled out over 4,100 feature enhancements designed to simplify the lives of appraisers and help make their businesses more efficient. These included significant enhancements to Anow's mobile appraisal and home inspection platforms; simplification of Anow's payment collections, payment processing and payroll systems; significant improvements to the APIs that facilitate integrations with Anow's partners; enhanced reporting; and architectural changes to accommodate the platform's growing volume of appraisers and orders.

Anow also added new capabilities that enable multiple appraisal companies to more seamlessly work together and gave users the ability to import work history into Anow.

Anow is currently accepting participants for a closed beta of its next appraisal software innovation, Anow NEXUS, which is being developed with input from the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the National Association of Appraisers (NAA) and the Business Association of Real Estate Appraisers (BAREA). For more information, see https://anow.com/NAA.

ABOUT ANOW:

Anow is an appraisal management software developer that simplifies the way real estate appraisers manage their businesses. Launched in 2011 by multi-generational appraisal professional Marty Haldane, Anow streamlines a wide range of everyday appraisal processes while offering unmatched business insights to help appraisers compete in today's digital environment. Powerful order tracking, job assignment, collaboration and scheduling tools allow appraisers and administrative staff to save time, assign appraisals more easily and deliver exceptional service to clients and mortgage lenders from any web-enabled device. Advanced reporting enables business owners to manage fee competition and turn times with ease. Anow is headquartered in Red Deer, Alberta.

For more information, visit https://anow.com/.

Twitter: @AppraisersNow #DigitalAppraisal

Digital appraisal management software developer Anow reported a record 110 percent year-over-year increase in appraisal orders processed through its core appraisal office management platform in 2018 despite an industry-wide, market-driven drop in orders per customer.

Related link: https://anow.com/

SafeChain Digitizes Property Deed Transfer and Conveyance for Perry County, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today it has completed the digital conversion of Perry County, Ohio's deed transfer and conveyance process between the engineer and auditor. Beginning January 7, the Perry County Engineer's office will be able to digitize property deeds before the inspection and mapping process.

Moving forward, each deed will receive a digital stamp backed by blockchain for added transparency and security, eliminating the need for physical authorization. The deeds will then be electronically transferred to the county Auditor's office for conveyance.

"As public servants, our top priority is to ensure that we operate as efficiently as possible to best serve our constituents - regardless of the size of our jurisdiction," said Perry County Auditor Drew Cannon. "By working with SafeChain and the Perry County Engineer to modernize our operations and eliminate the need for a physical stamp, we've completed a key step for a 100 percent digital deed transfer and conveyance process. Through this project, we are providing transparency for property owners about their deed status, while also increasing our operational efficiency."

Perry County marks another successful public-private partnership in which SafeChain has worked with local government officials to utilize the latest technology to transact property more efficiently. Its second successfully executed use case was deed issuance with Franklin County, Ohio. SafeChain's previous endeavors also include its commercial wire fraud product, SafeWire(TM). With the completion of the Perry County project, SafeChain has, for the third time, leveraged blockchain to positively impact the real estate transfer process, representing significant progress on Ohio's goal to transfer all real property using blockchain.

"When SafeChain entered the real estate industry, we knew that tackling the industry's biggest challenges in both the public and private sectors was the only way to truly innovate a process that has existed for hundreds of years," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Perry County is a great example of how innovation comes from across the state and isn't limited to metropolitan jurisdictions. By eliminating these physical and analog processes, SafeChain is excited to continue partnering with forward-thinking elected officials to improve the taxpayer experience of transacting property."

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence.

For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io/.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today it has completed the digital conversion of Perry County, Ohio's deed transfer and conveyance process between the engineer and auditor. Beginning January 7, the Perry County Engineer's office will be able to digitize property deeds before the inspection and mapping process.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Bank of Southern California, N.A. Names Bill Lamison Vice President, Underwriter

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Bill Lamison as Vice President, Underwriter. He will join the company's established business banking team and will be responsible for structuring, analyzing and underwriting commercial credit for new clients as well as managing an existing portfolio of customers.

Mr. Lamison brings nearly 40 years of industry experience covering all aspects of commercial, consumer and real estate lending. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Senior Credit Analyst for the Commercial Real Estate Group at Silvergate Bank. Active in the community, he is a member of the La Jolla Rotary Club and supports fundraising efforts for La Jolla YMCA and United Way. Bill holds a bachelor's degree from Eisenhower College in New York.

"We are excited to welcome Bill to our business banking team," said Tony DiVita, Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer. "Bill's depth of underwriting knowledge and industry experience will be instrumental as we continue to expand our reach and provide financing for even more small to mid-sized businesses throughout Southern California," concluded DiVita.

About Bank of Southern California:

A growing community bank, established in 2001, Bank of Southern California, N.A., with headquarters in San Diego, Calif., is locally owned and managed, and offers a range of financial products to individuals, professionals and small-to-medium sized businesses. The Bank's solution-driven, relationship-based approach to banking provides accessibility to decision makers and enhances value through strong partnerships with its clients.

The Bank currently operates ten branches in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, as well as production offices in Orange County and West Los Angeles.

For more information, please visit https://www.banksocal.com/ or call (858) 847-4780.

Tickers: OTC Pink:BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS: BCAL / OP: BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Bill Lamison as Vice President, Underwriter. He will join the company's established business banking team and will be responsible for structuring, analyzing and underwriting commercial credit for new clients as well as managing an existing portfolio of customers.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and HR Hotlink Partner for the Benefit of California New Car Dealers

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today a marketing and distribution agreement with HR Hotlink. Both firms are longtime valued partners of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA).

EPIC serves as the statewide exclusive licensed broker for Health and Welfare Insurance Consulting and Workers Compensation Insurance for CNCDA members. EPIC also brokers Property & Casualty insurance to new car dealers throughout California.

HR Hotlink was conceived from a vision to simplify the entire world of employment, legal, compliance, and human resources functions for California automobile dealerships. The platform is an employee management solution that ensures dealerships are in compliance with state and federal regulations. While compliance is the main focus of HR Hotlink, it also includes robust solutions for recruiting, on-boarding, training and performance management.

According to Brian Maas, CNCDA's President, "Both EPIC and HR Hotlink have consistently provided outstanding service and value to our members and demonstrated a strong commitment to the association since we began working together. As the CNCDA-licensed broker in California - now in partnership with HR Hotlink - EPIC will continue to provide dealers with the help they need to navigate the increasing complexity of the California health insurance market."

Added John Connell, EPIC's Regional President, Employee Benefits West, "We are very excited about our collaboration with HR Hotlink to offer best in class employment management software and risk management resources to CNCDA members. The EPIC/HR Hotlink partnership provides a turnkey process to identify and mitigate risk, save money, and ensure legal and regulatory compliance."

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

With run rate revenues of more than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

About HR Hotlink:
HR Hotlink does not merely automate human resource tasks, it "forces process" to assist compliance with federal and state labor regulations. HR Hotlink automates the required procedures in a step-by-step method that guides the correct process. The platform is regularly updated in response to legislative and regulatory changes. HR Hotlink provides online employment applications, a step-by-step automated rejection and acceptance process, automated drug and background reporting, auto-populated new hire packets, online employee handbooks, electronically tracked employee training, an information security program and much more. Please visit http://www.HRHotlink.com

About the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA):
The California New Car Dealers Association is the country's largest state association of franchised new car and truck dealers representing over 1,100 dealer members. CNCDA members are primarily engaged in the retail sale and lease of new vehicles, and also engage in automotive service, repair and part sales. CNCDA promotes fair and ethical business practices through a wide range of educational programs, services and industry publications. Learn more about CNCDA at https://www.cncda.org/

Twitter: @EPIC_Insurance @CNCDA #HRHotlink

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today a marketing and distribution agreement with HR Hotlink. Both firms are longtime valued partners of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA).

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

Caregivers Will Be Honored as ‘Saints’ in New Orleans ‘Gift Bag Assembly’ Event, Organized by ACSIA Partners

NEW ORLEANS, La. /ScoopCloud/ -- While the New Orleans Saints give their all on the football field, caregivers give their all in sickrooms, bedrooms, and care centers. They are also "saints." They will be honored for their devotion in a "Caregiver Gift Bag Assembly & Giveaway" event, 4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 19, at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans. Organized by ACSIA Partners, the event will include representatives from a dozen care-related organizations.

During the event, the representatives will participate in a hands-on project while mingling with their peers. They will fill 300 care bags with items ranging from hand sanitizer and tissues to snacks and reading matter.

"The idea is to provide pick-up-and-go items caregivers might need in an emergency," says Denise Gott, CEO of ACSIA Partners, the national long-term care insurance agency. "Just as important, we want to let caregivers know someone is thinking of them and appreciates them."

Also included in the event will be uplifting talks on the importance of caregiving, by three leaders of care organizations:
* Liezette Felicione, Corporate Director of Business Development, Brookdale Senior Living: "Those who care for loved ones often sacrifice their own needs. The items in these bags will provide comfort, hope, and a little rejuvenation."

* John Schall, CEO, Caregiver Action Network: "In the past, we have provided gift bags to thousands of family caregivers ... and they're really thankful. One woman said she had to take her husband to the hospital twice, and the items were a life-saver."

* Tafa Jefferson, CEO, Amada Senior Care: "Caregivers tending to the homebound and those in community settings should be heralded as heroes. In many cases they have no voice, and should be recognized for their noble calling. We're proud to play a small role in recognizing these amazing individuals."

At the end of the event, 250 bags will be presented to Kingsley Adult Day Care of New Orleans, for them to distribute within their services. The center provides seniors and medically fragile adults with a hospitable and comfortable environment (up to 8 hours each week day) while caregivers take care of their responsibilities. The gift bags will acknowledge the vital role the caregivers play.

The center's Director of Adult Services, Jessica Boykin, will be on hand to say a few words and accept the bags.

The rest of the bags will be presented to Care Action Network of Washington, D.C., for selective distribution nationally.

Items for the gift bags will be provided by Mutual of Omaha, Transamerica, OneAmerica, Genworth, LifeSecure, Brighthouse Financial, Amada Senior Care, and Securian Financial. Representatives from these organizations will attend to present their donations.

Members of the media are invited.

About ACSIA Partners LLC:

ACSIA is one of America's largest and most experienced long-term care insurance agencies serving all states. More than 100 of their agents and staff will be on hand to support the gift bag effort.

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

While the New Orleans Saints give their all on the football field, caregivers give their all in sickrooms, bedrooms, and care centers. They are also "saints." They will be honored for their devotion in a "Caregiver Gift Bag Assembly & Giveaway" event, 4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 19, at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans. Organized by ACSIA Partners, the event will include representatives from a dozen care-related organizations.

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

ARMCO Launches ARMCO CARES Employee Donation Matching Program

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk management solutions, announced the launch of ARMCO CARES, the company's employee matching gift program.

Introduced during the holiday season of 2018, ARMCO CARES offers a dollar for dollar match of employee donations to a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization of the employee's choice. It is available to both part time and full time ARMCO employees. ARMCO plans to expand ARMCO CARES in 2019 to include employee wellness and community involvement programs.

For its inaugural effort, ARMCO CARES provided financial support to 27 different charitable organizations with causes that include health, human rights, animal welfare, human services, veterans, inclusion, youth services, and more.

"This program is great because it extends employees' reach for the causes that they're passionate about," said Avi Naider, CEO of ARMCO. "ARMCO's success is based on our commitment to bettering the lives of others, and ARMCO CARES is a natural extension of that. In just a couple of months, ARMCO CARES has grown our family-friendly company culture of giving, which ultimately benefits both our employees and our customers."

About ARMCO:
Over half of the top 20 mortgage lenders in the U.S. choose ARMCO as their provider of risk management software. ARMCO's product line includes loan quality enterprise software, services, data and analytics. Its flagship product, ACES Audit Technology(tm), has set the bar for user definability in its category. It is used at virtually every point in the mortgage lifecycle, as well as for a wide range of risk-prone business operations outside traditional mortgage origination and servicing.

ARMCO's consultative approach to customer relationships leverages 25 years of mortgage risk intel, assuring that its clients are using the most effective risk mitigation strategies, and are using the fastest, most reliable, most efficient means for preventing risk-related loss. ARMCO distributes the ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report, a free quarterly analysis of industry-wide mortgage loan quality.

For more information, visit http://www.armco.us/ or call 1-800-858-1598.

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk management solutions, announced the launch of ARMCO CARES, the company's employee matching gift program.

Related link: http://www.armco.us/

EPIC Insurance Brokers adds Judith Paredes in Dallas, Texas

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that Judith Paredes has joined the firm's Property & Casualty practice as an Account Executive, reporting to EPIC Managing Principal and Director of the Southwest Region, KJ Wagner.

Paredes, based in Dallas, will be responsible for supporting new business development and the design, placement and management of property/casualty insurance programs, providing risk management strategies and solutions for mid-market and large clients.

Parades joins EPIC from McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc. (a subsidiary of BB&T Insurance Holdings, Inc.) as a result of McGriff's merger with her prior employer, Regions Insurance Group. Prior to her previous role as an account executive, she spent time as an associate underwriter with AmWINS and a senior account manager and team lead with USI.

"We are thrilled to continue the growth of our Property & Casualty team in the Southwest region with Judith's addition," said KJ Wagner. "She brings a strong risk management background that adds tremendous value to our clients and our organization as a whole. Judith will be a terrific addition to EPIC."

Judith Paredes can be reached at judith.paredes@epicbrokers.com or 323-683-3269.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that Judith Paredes has joined the firm's Property & Casualty practice as an Account Executive, reporting to EPIC Managing Principal and Director of the Southwest Region, KJ Wagner.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers adds Krista Aburrow in Dallas TX

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that Krista Aburrow has joined the firm's Property & Casualty practice as a Client Advocate, reporting to EPIC Managing Principal and Director of the Southwest Region, KJ Wagner.

Aburrow, based in Dallas, will be responsible for new business development and the design, placement and management of property/casualty insurance programs, providing risk management strategies and solutions for mid-market and large clients.

Aburrow joins EPIC from McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc. (a subsidiary of BB&T Insurance Holdings, Inc.) as a result of McGriff's merger with her prior employer, Regions Insurance Group, where she was one of the team's commercial lines producers.

"We are thrilled to continue the growth of our Property and Casualty team in the Southwest region with Krista's addition," said KJ Wagner. "She brings a strong risk management background that adds tremendous value to our clients and our organization as a whole. Krista will be a terrific addition to EPIC."

Krista Aburrow can be reached at krista.aburrow@epicbrokers.com or 214-566-8973.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that Krista Aburrow has joined the firm's Property & Casualty practice as a Client Advocate, reporting to EPIC Managing Principal and Director of the Southwest Region, KJ Wagner.

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

Former FNF/Black Knight executive joins Cloudvirga as chief revenue officer

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), a leading provider of digital mortgage software, today announced the appointments of Dan Sogorka as chief revenue officer and Kelly Kucera as senior vice president of marketing. Sogorka, a seasoned mortgage technology executive, will drive Cloudvirga's continued revenue growth and oversee the firm's sales and marketing strategy with the help of veteran cloud technology marketer Kucera.

"Dan's exceptional track record of delivering technology solutions to leading mortgage companies is unmatched," said Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck. "His leadership of Cloudvirga's sales, partner and marketing efforts in partnership with Kelly is instrumental to our continued strong growth."

Sogorka brings two decades of experience as a business unit leader and senior sales executive at private and publicly traded firms specializing in mortgage and real estate technology. Prior to joining Cloudvirga, Sogorka was president of EXOS Technologies for Fortune 500 title insurance giant Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF). Before that, he was president of RealEC Technologies for mortgage data and solutions provider Black Knight (NYSE: BKI). His career contributions to the housing finance industry have earned Sogorka the Mortgage Bankers Association's Tech All-Star award and October Research's Innovator of the Year award.

Kucera has over 20 years of experience in senior-level marketing, sales and product management roles for global firms in the B2B cloud technology sector. Before joining Cloudvirga, she was head of commercial and global marketing at Arcules, a Canon Group company (NYSE: CAJ). Prior to that, Kucera oversaw global industry and commercial marketing in her role as head of marketing at global product content cloud platform 1WorldSync.

"Continual change within the mortgage industry has created new opportunities to re-imagine how technology platforms interact with all constituents across the loan life cycle," said Sogorka. "I believe Cloudvirga is in the right place at the right time. I look forward to helping guide the company's ongoing growth."

"I look forward to developing a marketing strategy that reinforces Cloudvirga's mission to help mortgage lenders decrease costs and increase borrower satisfaction," said Kucera.

Kucera and Sogorka join four other recent additions to the Cloudvirga leadership team: former loanDepot executive Tim Von Kaenel as chief product officer; former Roostify executive Jesse Decker as chief customer success officer; former Altisource CTO James Vinci as executive vice president of technology; and former Drip leader Ashley Lundquist as vice president of talent.

Cloudvirga offers hyper-motivated overachievers the opportunity to help transform a $10 trillion industry. The company provides competitive benefits including an attractive annual bonus program, equity participation and career development programs. For a list of current job openings, visit https://www.cloudvirga.com/company/careers.

About Cloudvirga(TM)

Cloudvirga's digital mortgage point-of-sale (POS) software, powered by the intelligent Mortgage Platform(r), uniquely combines a world-class borrower experience with a truly automated lender workflow that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Led by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's customer base includes nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $77 million from some of the country's top lenders and private-equity firms.

For more information, visit https://www.cloudvirga.com/ or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

PHOTO LINKS FOR MEDIA:
(1) Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0110s2p-Dan-Sogorka-300dpi.jpg
(2) Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0110s2p-Kelly-Kucera-300dpi.jpg

REF: NY: FNF / NY: BKI / NY: CAJ

Cloudvirga(TM), a leading provider of digital mortgage software, today announced the appointments of Dan Sogorka as chief revenue officer and Kelly Kucera as senior vice president of marketing. Sogorka, a seasoned mortgage technology executive, will drive Cloudvirga's continued revenue growth and oversee the firm's sales and marketing strategy with the help of veteran cloud technology marketer Kucera.

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

The Cooksey Team Achieves 35 Percent Increase in Profitability in 2018 Despite Overall Mortgage Market Decline

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- The Cooksey Team, a top-producing retail branch of Mid America Mortgage, Inc., announced today it has achieved year-over-year growth in volume and profitability for the sixth year running. In 2018, The Cooksey Team increased its overall volume by 27 percent over the previous year and increased the number of loan units closed by 28 percent. In addition, the branch decreased its cost to originate by 14 percent, resulting in a 35 percent increase in branch profitability.

"At a time when volumes are down and the cost to originate is up, we've been able to buck industry trends, and that's due in large part to Mid America's commitment to utilizing technology to make our operations more efficient," said Michael Cooksey, founder of The Cooksey Team. "With the adoption of our eClosing process and top-notch CRM system, as well as utilizing Fannie Mae's Day 1 Certainty program, Mid America has modernized its operations, and our LOs are reaping the benefits."

More than 80 percent of Cooksey Team loan originators (LOs) increased their production in 2018, with some achieving as much as 100 percent growth over 2017. In addition, several LOs have achieved top-tier status in their respective markets, including Wesley Ryan Grubbs, Brandon Findley and Darren Lovell, and The Cooksey Team was honored by the Dallas Business Journal as one of North Texas's "Best Places to Work" for the second consecutive year.

"When you have the proper technology and resources in place, along with support from the executive level down, it is possible to thrive in a down market," Cooksey said. "LO and branch success has always been a top priority at Mid America, and not only has the firm's investment in the tools and support paid off tremendously this year, but we expect to see that success continue into 2019 as we look to bring on more top-tier talent."

As the head of Mid America's most successful branch, Cooksey will be leading the firm's branch and LO recruitment efforts in 2019. Loan originators and branches interested in joining Mid America Mortgage should contact Cooksey directly at (972) 767-5701.

About The Cooksey Team:

Headquartered in Dallas, The Cooksey Team is a top performing retail branch of Texas-based lender Mid America Mortgage and has offices located throughout the North Texas and Los Angeles County areas.

With 16 years in the industry and six years with Mid America, Cooksey Team Founder Michael Cooksey brings the experience and knowledge needed to lead a successful mortgage transaction. Utilizing The CORE Training methodology, Michael has coached his own staff, as well as loan officers, brokers and real estate agents across the country, to become top producers. The Cooksey Team loan officers average six closings per month and $250,000 in annual income. In addition, the branch has increased its annual origination volume by nearly 50 percent year-over-year and is projected to achieve $350 million in volume in 2018. For more information on The Cooksey Team, visit https://www.cookseybranch.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. In operation since 1940, Mid America has thrived by retaining its entrepreneurial spirit and leading the market in innovation, including its adoption of eClosings and eNotes. The company offers 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/.

Mid America is looking for tech-savvy, service-oriented mortgage professionals to join its 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 http://www.midamericamortgage.com/careers/.

Twitter: @midamericamtge @TheCookseyTeam

The Cooksey Team, a top-producing retail branch of Mid America Mortgage, Inc., announced today it has achieved year-over-year growth in volume and profitability for the sixth year running. In 2018, The Cooksey Team increased its overall volume by 27 percent over the previous year and increased the number of loan units closed by 28 percent.

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

Triserv Becomes a Preferred Partner of The Mortgage Collaborative

ROSWELL, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Triserv, a national appraisal management company (AMC), is proud to announce a strategic partnership with The Mortgage Collaborative to provide appraisal management services to the organization's growing lender member network.

"The Mortgage Collaborative is an outstanding organization within the mortgage ecosystem. The phenomenal growth they've experienced over the last few years highlights the tremendous value it brings to its members. Our newly formed partnership with them is based on a mutual respect of values, alignment in strategic direction and the opportunity to have an impact on the financial outcomes of their member network," said Joe Bryant, president of Triserv.

"We understand the issues, challenges and organizational impact associated with residential appraisals. Our focus on delivering a tailored, customizable process with a dedicated support team ensures their members receive the highest level of service and a peace of mind that comes from doing business with a partner that is fully focused on delivering a compliant appraisal solution in a legal, ethical and moral fashion."

The Mortgage Collaborative is a fast-growing independent mortgage cooperative of banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers ranging in size from $200 million to over $5 billion in annual originations. The Mortgage Collaborative provides its members with access to products and services that help reduce costs, improve compliance and better manage their businesses. Its preferred partner network consists of product and service providers across the mortgage origination ecosystem.

Triserv, focuses on one simple motto - "provide incredible customer service and follow-up on every order." This has been key to their phenomenal growth and high level of client satisfaction since inception. In addition, the company celebrates the tenure and longevity of their team which exceeds 5 years in every department.

"We are thrilled to have Triserv join our preferred partner network. Their industry reputation and company values align with our guiding principles of offering best-in-class products and services to our lender member network," said Rich Swerbinsky, COO for The Mortgage Collaborative.

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

Based in San Diego, The Mortgage Collaborative was founded in 2013 to empower mortgage lenders across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise and improved compliance to help its members access the dynamic and changing consumer base in America. The association is managed by its founding members: John Robbins, CMB; David Kittle, CMB; Gary Acosta, CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP); and Jim Park, former chair of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). Robbins and Kittle are former chairmen of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (MBA).

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

About Triserv, LLC:

Triserv, LLC is a national appraisal management company that was founded in 2008 and is licensed to conduct business in all 50 states. The company provides best in class evaluation solutions to banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers. In addition, they are part of the Trident Services LLC family of companies who were founded by a former Navy Seal. The company is committed to honoring veterans, conducting business ethically and putting their employees first. The company's primary office is located in Roswell, Georgia.

For more information, visit https://triservllc.com/, email info@triservllc.com or call 855-875-1100.

Triserv, a national appraisal management company (AMC), is proud to announce a strategic partnership with The Mortgage Collaborative to provide appraisal management services to the organization's growing lender member network.

Related link: https://triservllc.com/

EPIC Insurance Brokers Adds Blake Kirk as a Principal in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that risk management and insurance professional Blake Kirk has joined the firm's operations in Northern California as a Senior Vice President and Principal.

Kirk will be based in EPIC's San Francisco headquarters and work closely with EPIC Principal Joe Vineis on a number of key risk management, business development and client service initiatives. Kirk will report to Curt Perata, EPIC's Pacific North Region President.

Kirk joins EPIC from broker Beecher Carlson in San Francisco, where he spent more than 13 years, most recently as managing director working with large, complex risk management accounts in the retail, healthcare, financial services and hospitality industries.

Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Kirk served as vice president with Aon Risk Services, where he worked exclusively in the Healthcare industry with a focus on HMO reinsurance and provider excess of loss coverage.

Kirk began his career working for a large Management Service Organization (MSO) in Northern California owned by Sutter Health. He has years of managed care contracting experience, both hospital and physician.

Kirk holds a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration from the College of Notre Dame and a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Political Science and Government from California State University, Chico.

"We are excited to further expand and enhance EPIC's operations in Northern California and across the country with Blake's addition," said Curt Perata. "He is well known for his expertise and professionalism, particularly in Healthcare circles; has a tremendous network; and is highly respected for building strong, positive relationships and providing exceptional service to his clients. He is another top flight addition to our EPIC team."

Blake Kirk can be reached at blake.kirk@epicbrokers.com or 415-356-3916.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

With run rate revenues of more than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that risk management and insurance professional Blake Kirk has joined the firm's operations in Northern California as a Senior Vice President and Principal.

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

Ohio’s Largest Title Agent Selects SafeWire by SafeChain

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Ohio Real Title, the largest title agent in the state, has selected its technology solution, SafeWire(TM), to securely facilitate real estate wire transactions for the firm's eight offices throughout Ohio.

"Wire fraud is one of the biggest threats to the homebuying process today. We believe it's our job to protect consumers in what is one of the largest financial transactions they'll ever undertake," said Ryan Marrie, president of Ohio Real Title. "Partnering with SafeChain provides Ohio Real Title's real estate agent partners the confidence in knowing we care about their clients' funds from the minute they begin the homebuying process."

SafeWire protects real estate wire transactions by verifying the identity of both the buyer and seller and authenticating ownership of the accounts involved in the transaction. Backed by blockchain technology, SafeWire also provides a secure portal to transmit and store wiring instructions, ensuring that this information cannot be tampered with or intercepted by unauthorized parties. As an added layer of security, SafeChain is also integrating the national ALTA Registry into SafeWire so that lenders can verify the identity of title insurance agents and settlement companies involved in the transaction.

"According to the FBI, wire fraud attempts have increased more than 11,000 percent over the last two years. By using SafeWire, Ohio Real Title has demonstrated its commitment to combating this growing risk and safeguarding consumers' funds," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Ohio Real Title is one of the more progressive title agents in the country, and as a fellow Ohio-based company, SafeChain is especially eager to help our state's largest title agent neutralize this threat for homebuyers in our own backyard."

About Ohio Real Title:

Ohio Real Title was founded in 2005 and is an independent title agent servicing all of Ohio. With more than 100 employees and eight offices, Ohio Real Title processes more purchase transactions than any other independent title agent in Ohio. For more information visit: http://www.ohiorealtitle.com.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers.

Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io/.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Ohio Real Title, the largest title agent in the state, has selected its technology solution, SafeWire(TM), to securely facilitate real estate wire transactions for the firm's eight offices throughout Ohio.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Randy Pizer Joins EPIC in Orange County, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that risk management and insurance professional Randy Pizer has joined the firm's operations in California as Vice President/Account Executive.

While Pizer will be based in EPIC's Irvine, Calif. office, he will be a part of EPIC's Pacific North Region and work closely with EPIC San Francisco Principal Joe Vineis and others on a number of key risk management, business development and client service initiatives, largely related to the Healthcare industry - an area of specialty for Pizer across his entire career. Pizer will report to Deepa Neupane, EPIC's VP of Operations, based in Concord, Calif.

Pizer joins EPIC from broker Beecher Carlson in Orange County, where he spent more than 13 years, most recently as a vice president working with large, complex risk management accounts, primarily in the healthcare industry.

Previously, Pizer served as an Account Executive in Aon's healthcare practice where he managed a diverse group of accounts ranging from local medical groups to large multi-state health plans. Using both traditional and alternative risk approaches, Pizer's specialty is helping healthcare providers manage the risk associated with capitation.

Pizer received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of California, San Diego. Professionally, he has earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

"We are excited to further expand and enhance EPIC's operations in California and across the country with Randy's addition," said Curt Perata, EPIC's Pacific North Region President. "He is well known for his expertise, particularly in the Healthcare industry, and is highly regarded for building strong, positive relationships and providing exceptional service and support to his clients. He is another top tier addition to our EPIC team."

Randy Pizer can be reached at randy.pizer@epicbrokers.com or 949-417-9119.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has nearly 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 40,000 clients

With run rate revenues approaching $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants ('EPIC') announced today that risk management and insurance professional Randy Pizer has joined the firm's operations in California as Vice President/Account Executive.

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

MCT’s Danyel Shipley Honored as one of Mortgage Banking’s Most Powerful Women for 2018 by NMP Magazine

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that long-time employee Danyel Shipley was name to National Mortgage Professional Magazine's (NMP) 2018 list of Mortgage Banking's Most Powerful Women.

NMP says that the honorees were selected based on their accomplishments where they were instrumental to a major industry innovation, overcoming some seemingly insurmountable obstacle in their career to rise to the top, blaze new trails, the extent of their background and experience in the industry, and how connected they are. In addition, officials at the magazine stated that when compiling the inaugural list, they took three key words into consideration: "Pioneer, Leader and Innovator."

"I am honored to be recognized by NMP magazine for this prestigious award and flattered by all of the support from my peers," said Shipley. "My career in the mortgage industry has been dynamic, fun and challenging. But more than anything, my time spent in helping MCT grow its business and launching new, innovative products and services for the secondary market to leverage has been the most rewarding to date, and I look forward to my future with the firm."

Danyel Shipley has extensive experience in mortgage lending with an emphasis in capital markets. In her current role at MCT, she has demonstrated exceptional expertise in capital markets consulting. She has been in the mortgage industry since the very beginning of her career, possessing nearly 14 years of experience. Throughout her career, Danyel has worked her way up the ladder as a Loan Officer, Team Lead & Trainer, Branch Manager, Secondary Marketing Trading Analyst, Sales Executive, and is currently MCT's Regional Sales Director for the West.

At MCT, she has been a key contributor in expanding the company's West Coast territory by bringing on new lender clients. Other highlights of Danyel's contributions include providing hedging strategies training, working internally to promote process improvement in the client onboarding process, supporting the development of strategic industry alliances, and effectively communicating

MCT's extensive offering of integrated hedging advisory services, secondary marketing software, business intelligence, MSR services, and more to clients and vendor partners. She plays an instrumental role in coordinating the annual MCT Exchange conference, which is highly regarded for its caliber of prominent attendees and renowned industry keynote speakers. She is known for her high-energy persona, passion, dedication, and willingness to mentor and help her peers be as successful as possible.

"We are excited than Danyel has earned a spot on NMP's list of Mortgage Banking's Most Powerful Women for 2018," stated Tom Farmer, Managing Director and SVP of National Sales at MCT. "Danyel has worked diligently over the years to provide second-to-none support for MCT's clients and partners, and has played an important role in introducing multiple service offerings, business solutions and software applications to the marketplace. She is a huge asset to the sales and marketing team here at MCT and an industry-leading professional in capital markets."

Danyel is very active in her local community, while additionally serving on the Board of Directors for Cortez Racing Association where she coordinates 12 regattas annually and Co-Chairs a 10 week regatta series. She consistently attends Mortgage Bankers Association conferences (MBA) and events, as well as state-based MBA shows and regional events. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands.

About MCT:

Founded in 2001, Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT) has grown from a boutique mortgage pipeline hedging firm into the industry's leading provider of fully-integrated capital markets services and technology. MCT offers an array of best-in-class services and software covering mortgage pipeline hedging, best execution loan sales, outsourced lock desk solutions, MSR portfolio valuations,business intelligence analytics, mark to market services, rate sheet generation services, and an award-winning comprehensive capital markets software platform called MCTlive! MCT supports independent mortgage bankers, depositories, credit unions, warehouse lenders, and correspondent investors of all sizes.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, MCT also has offices in Philadelphia, Santa Rosa, Los Angeles and Dallas. MCT is well known for its team of decorated capital markets experts and senior traders who continue to provide the boutique-style hands-on engagements clients love. For more information, visit https://mct-trading.com/ or call (619) 543-5111.

About NMP:

National Mortgage Professional Magazine (NMP) has become "The Source for Top Originators" - that connects the mortgage professional community under various media formats. Our exceptional team of industry-seasoned monthly contributors combined with our knowledgeable editorial staff, all with meaningful expertise in their respectful disciplines, provide the most up-to-date news, insight and advice for today's mortgage professional. We are committed to ensuring that today's industry is equipped with the most comprehensive understanding of mortgage news available through our many resources, including, but not limited to, articles in the print edition of National Mortgage Professional Magazine and 38 state-specific e-editions, the NMP Daily and NMP Ticker email newsletters, the exclusive daily news stories and postings on our website https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com, and our regular series.

The publication also owns and operates the Mortgage News Network (MNN), a video news source that provides mortgage firms with a resource for news and information as well as a platform for telling their story and sharing their views directly, and in person. https://mortgagenewsnetwork.com/.

Twitter: @mcttrading @NatlMortgagePro

Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that long-time employee Danyel Shipley was name to National Mortgage Professional Magazine's (NMP) 2018 list of Mortgage Banking's Most Powerful Women.

Related link: https://mct-trading.com/

Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors: In Memoriam – Frederick A. Klingenstein

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Members of Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA) mourn the passing of Fred Klingenstein, a founding member of the firm and Chairman Emeritus. Together with his brother, John Klingenstein, and colleague, Kenneth H. Fields, Fred established the firm in 1989 to provide investment advice and guidance to high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to KFWA, Fred was CEO of Wertheim & Company and Co-Chairman of Wertheim-Schroder & Company.

Fred also served as Director of several investment funds and publicly held companies. He was also dedicated to giving back to the community, particularly in the areas of education and medical research. He was a Member and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Sinai Medical Center, a Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History and a former Chairman of its Investment Committee. At Mount Sinai, he established the Klingenstein Institute for Medical Science and a scholarship fund honoring his late father Joseph Klingenstein.

Fred and his wife, Sharon, were recipients of the Mount Sinai Noble Deeds Society Honorary award, recognizing their generous long-term commitment to Mount Sinai. In addition, Fred was a former trustee for St. Lawrence University, past President and Chairman Emeritus of Rye Country Day School and past Chairman of the Finance Committee of UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.

Beyond his many accomplishments and strong leadership that was widely admired, at KFWA, his "second family," we appreciated his passion for investing, for serving clients with the utmost integrity and the warm relationships he had with all. Fred loved KFWA, loved being at work and always led by example. An unassuming man, he could often be found running out to pick up his own lunch from the sandwich place nearby. He was interested in everyone at KFWA, both personally and professionally.

He will be truly missed by all who knew him.

Mr. Klingenstein graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Yale. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 59 years, Sharon. We extend our deepest sympathy to his children Kathy, Susan, Amy and Lucy, to his eleven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and to the entire family.

Company Information: http://www.klingenstein.com/.

The Members of Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA) mourn the passing of Fred Klingenstein, a founding member of the firm and Chairman Emeritus. Together with his brother, John Klingenstein, and colleague, Kenneth H. Fields, Fred established the firm in 1989 to provide investment advice and guidance to high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to KFWA, Fred was CEO of Wertheim & Company and Co-Chairman of Wertheim-Schroder & Company.

Related link: http://www.klingenstein.com

Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC Acquires Argo Landscapers Program

AVON, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC, a national multi-line specialty program manager, today announced it has contracted with Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. to assume MGA responsibilities for Argo's Landscape Contracting program, effective January 1, 2019.

"The Landscapers program aligns well with our other growth businesses," said Ron Ganiats, CEO of Paragon Insurance. "We look forward to expanding the program through additional resources and investment."

Steve Hartman ran the program at Argo and with the sale, he has joined Paragon. Hartman is located in Fresno, California. The business will be managed as part of Paragon's western states operations reporting into San Diego. The addition of the program and Hartman are part of a larger strategy that will see Paragon launch new programs and underwriting facilities from the company's expanding San Diego operations.

The sale of the program enables Argo to simplify operations and focus efforts on other strategic growth opportunities within its U.S. business.

Any inquiries can be directed to Andrew Petersen at Paragon Insurance Holdings in San Diego: Email apetersen@paragoninsgroup.com or Cell 415-317-4978

About Paragon:

A broadly diversified MGA and Specialty Program Manager, Paragon provides unique opportunities and solutions to retail agents, insurance carriers, reinsurers and vendor partners. Please visit https://www.paragoninsgroup.com/ for additional information.

About Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd.:

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO) is an international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty market. Argo Group offers a full line of products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims handling needs of businesses in two primary segments: U.S. Operations and International Operations. Argo Group's insurance subsidiaries are A.M. Best-rated 'A' (Excellent) (third highest rating out of 16 rating classifications) with a stable outlook, and Argo Group's U.S. insurance subsidiaries are Standard and Poor's-rated 'A-' (Strong) with a positive outlook. More information on Argo Group and its subsidiaries is available at https://www.argolimited.com/.

REF: ( NYSE:ARGO )

Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC, a national multi-line specialty program manager, today announced it has contracted with Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. to assume MGA responsibilities for Argo's Landscape Contracting program, effective January 1, 2019.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers adds Joffrey Clark in Dallas TX

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that Joffrey Clark has joined the firm's Property & Casualty practice as a Principal and Charter School Practice Leader, reporting to EPIC Managing Principal and Director of the Southwest Region, KJ Wagner.

Joffrey, based in Dallas, will be responsible for new business development and building EPIC's Charter School Practice. In this role, he will also be responsible for the design, placement and management of property/casualty insurance programs, providing risk management strategies and solutions for mid-market and large clients within the Charter School Industry.

Joffrey joins EPIC from McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc. (a subsidiary of BB&T Insurance Holdings, Inc.) as a result of McGriff's merger with Clark's prior employer, Regions Insurance Group, where he was a Senior Vice President. With a strong risk management background and specialization in charter schools, Joffrey brings over 20 years of industry experience to the EPIC team.

"We are thrilled to continue the growth of our Property & Casualty team in the Southwest region with Joffrey's addition," said KJ Wagner. "He brings a strong risk management background that adds tremendous value to our clients and our organization as a whole. Joffrey will be a terrific addition to EPIC."

Joffrey Clark can be reached at joffrey.clark@epicbrokers.com or 501-779-5039.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that Joffrey Clark has joined the firm's Property & Casualty practice as a Principal and Charter School Practice Leader, reporting to EPIC Managing Principal and Director of the Southwest Region, KJ Wagner.

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

Deal-closing tool, heymate, adds new board member and two strategic advisors

ZUG, Switzerland /ScoopCloud/ -- heymate, the portable deal-closing tool, which allows workers in the gig economy to create, negotiate and settle offer-for-work contracts in under 20 seconds on any non-transactional marketplace, proudly announced the appointment of a new board member and two strategic advisors.

The new strategic advisors and the board member, who are also investors, will help guide heymate through its public launch, provide connections with their wide and diverse equity investor networks and support the scalability of the platform as it reaches a global audience over the next two years.

"To prepare for heymate's next stage of growth, we needed intellectual firepower that would help us in tech-ops, business scaling, international go-to-market initiatives, and corporate governance," said heymate's CEO and founder, Philipp Toth.

Heymate's new Board of Directors member:

Dr. Matteo Maccio
Dr. Matteo Maccio is the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Committee member of Falcon Private Bank, a leading Swiss wealth manager and the first private bank in Switzerland to provide institutional crypto-asset management solutions. Besides being an experienced angel investor, Matteo has held various senior management positions at several Swiss banks, such as CFO, Chief Risk Officer, and Chief Accountant.

"I personally admire his deep understanding of accounting, tax and capital market rules - a very important value-add to the corporate governance of a Swiss AG with significant growth ambitions," Toth said, when welcoming Dr. Matteo Maccio to his Board of Directors.

Heymate's new strategic advisors:

Alain Kunz
Alain Kunz is the CEO and founder of the Swiss Crypto Valley embedded TokenSuisse AG, a leading European provider for crypto asset investment solutions. He is an expert in blockchain venture investing and has international clients, including institutional asset advisors, family offices, commercial and private banks, as well as Ultra High Net Worth individuals.

"With his vast network as well as his passion for deep-tech businesses Kunz will have a high impact on our joint venture ambitions and equity placement activities," Toth said.

Saeed Gouda
Saeed Gouda, the managing partner at Berlin- and Zug-based ZEOS CAPITAL, is a serial entrepreneur with international success in scaling tech companies, specializing in e-commerce, m-commerce, and blockchain. Two mobile marketplace companies that he founded were acquired by Rocket Internet and Carousell. He also led DeliveryHero's international pre-IPO growth.

"Gouda's tremendous company building experience and global network in the digital marketplace sector will be highly instrumental to heymate's growth," Toth said.

About heymate:
Heymate aims at bringing gig-economy micro-entrepreneurs the flexibility they want while securing their revenue. The heymate platform helps to simplify and formalize deal terms and conditions, manage escrow payment and resolving disputes, all while offering an ecosystem of services such as getting short-term and on-demand insurance, micro-loans, etc., to support micro-entrepreneurs as they grow.

Website: https://heymate.works

Saeed Gouda - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saeedgouda/
Alain Kunz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainkunz/
Dr. Matteo Maccio - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmaccio/

Editorial note: "heymate" is spelled with a lower-case "h" unless at the start of a sentence.

heymate, the portable deal-closing tool, which allows workers in the gig economy to create, negotiate and settle offer-for-work contracts in under 20 seconds on any non-transactional marketplace, proudly announced the appointment of a new board member and two strategic advisors.

Related link: https://heymate.works

The Mortgage Collaborative Adds 44 New Lender Members in 2018, Now Growing Staff to Serve Expansion

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the mortgage industry's only independent cooperative, today announced it added 44 new lender member companies in 2018, its strongest year ever for new member growth. To help support the significant growth of their network, TMC has also added Sarah Oldani and Jennifer Haning to their staff.

Oldani joins TMC as a Member Benefits Advocate and will be responsible for helping manage TMC's quickly growing roster of mortgage lender members and the cooperative network's creative expansion of membership benefits. She previously spent six years with Lenders One in a variety of key roles. Haning joins TMC as their Business Development Coordinator and will help support TMC's network of preferred partners as well as key technology initiatives. She spent the past six years as the Banking Officer, Mortgage Compliance Specialist for Happy State Bank.

"We're so happy to add Sarah and Jennifer to our team," said The Collaborative's Chief Operating Officer Rich Swerbinsky. "They're both perfect fits for the intimate culture of our network and have a deep understanding of TMC's value proposition that will enhance our continued growth in 2019."

TMC also announced the dates and locations for their next two Lender Member Conferences. Their Winter Conference will be held February 17-19 in Austin, Texas and their Summer Conference on August 18-20 in Nashville, Tenn. TMC's conferences provide The Collaborative's lender members a unique opportunity to interact with top industry leaders. Members participate in compelling and interactive sessions led by their peers focused on growth initiatives, business best practices, and experiences with third party providers.

About The Mortgage Collaborative

Based in San Diego, Calif., The Mortgage Collaborative was founded in 2013 to empower mortgage lenders across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise and improved compliance and to help its members access the dynamic and changing consumer base in America. The association is managed by its founding members: John Robbins, CMB; David Kittle, CMB; Gary Acosta, CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP); and Jim Park, former chair of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). Robbins and Kittle are former chairmen of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (MBA).

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

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the mortgage industry's only independent cooperative, today announced it added 44 new lender member companies in 2018, its strongest year ever for new member growth. To help support the significant growth of their network, TMC has also added Sarah Oldani and Jennifer Haning to their staff.

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

Former Houzz and Drip leader joins Cloudvirga as vice president of talent

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), a leading provider of digital mortgage software, today announced the appointment of Ashley Lundquist as vice president of talent. Lundquist will oversee the firm's initiatives to attract, develop and retain top technology talent as Cloudvirga rapidly expands its team.

Lundquist brings to Cloudvirga a decade of expertise in talent acquisition and employer brand development at leading firms including multi-billion-dollar home-design platform Houzz and e-commerce platform Drip.

"Cloudvirga's ambition is to be the employer of choice in Orange County," said Lundquist. "Our team members value the opportunity to work every day with innovative technology that is disrupting the fintech world - and we value our team members, which is why we are building a culture that empowers individuals at every level."

"Cloudvirga's early and remarkable success is directly attributable to our most strategic asset - our human capital," said Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck. "Ashley's experience attracting and developing talent for high-growth tech companies will be essential as we continue to expand our team."

Lundquist joins three other recent additions to the Cloudvirga leadership team: former loanDepot executive Tim Von Kaenel as chief product officer; former Roostify executive Jesse Decker as chief customer success officer; and former Altisource CTO James Vinci as executive vice president of technology.

Cloudvirga offers competitive benefits ranging from individual growth and recognition programs to flexible working arrangements and an open vacation policy. For a list of current job opportunities available at Cloudvirga, visit https://www.cloudvirga.com/company/careers.

About Cloudvirga(TM)

Cloudvirga's digital mortgage point-of-sale (POS) software, powered by the intelligent Mortgage Platform(R), uniquely combines a world-class borrower experience with a truly automated lender workflow that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Led by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's customer base includes nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $77 million from some of the country's top lenders and private-equity firms.

For more information, visit https://www.cloudvirga.com or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

Twitter: @Cloudvirga #digitalmortgage #peoplemovers

Cloudvirga(TM), a leading provider of digital mortgage software, today announced the appointment of Ashley Lundquist as vice president of talent. Lundquist will oversee the firm's initiatives to attract, develop and retain top technology talent as Cloudvirga rapidly expands its team.

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

Bank of Southern California, N.A. Names Lori Boucher Vice President Branch Manager in La Quinta

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has named Lori Boucher Vice President, Branch Manager. She will be responsible for sales and service of both consumer and business relationships at Bank of Southern California's La Quinta branch in Coachella Valley.

Mrs. Boucher is a results-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance, bringing 38 years of banking experience, including fifteen years as a Branch Manager. Prior to joining Bank of Southern California, she served as the Branch Manager of One West Bank's Indian Wells Branch.

"Lori is an outstanding addition to our dynamic Coachella Valley banking team," said Pam Isaacson, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. "Her strong sales and results-driven experience, along with her extensive industry knowledge and commitment to delivering superior service, will play a key role in growing Bank of Southern California's regional presence," concluded Isaacson.

About Bank of Southern California

A growing community bank, established in 2001, Bank of Southern California, N.A., with headquarters in San Diego, Calif., is locally owned and managed, and offers a range of financial products to individuals, professionals and small-to-medium sized businesses.

The Bank's solution-driven, relationship-based approach to banking provides accessibility to decision makers and enhances value through strong partnerships with its clients. The Bank currently operates ten branches in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, as well as production offices in Orange County and West Los Angeles.

For more information, please visit https://www.banksocal.com/ or call (858) 847-4780.

*PHOTO link for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0102s2p-boucher-300dpi.jpg
*Photo Caption: Bank of Southern California names Lori Boucher Vice President, Branch Manager.

Tickers: OTC Pink:BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS: BCAL / OP: BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has named Lori Boucher Vice President, Branch Manager. She will be responsible for sales and service of both consumer and business relationships at Bank of Southern California's La Quinta branch in Coachella Valley.

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

DocMagic Teams with the Art To Grow On Children’s Art Center to Provide 100 Customized Holiday Art Boxes for Patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., a comprehensive eMortgage software solutions provider, announced that it has purchased 100 custom designed Art Boxes to Art To Grow On Children's Art Center Inc., which delivered the Art Boxes to patients being treated at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a non-profit, pediatric academic medical center that provides patient care, education, and leading-edge research to help children in need.

Each Art Box contains a master artist lesson inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, a holiday frame, a journal, a sketchbook, colorful markers, wooden cars, hearts or animals for coloring and decorating, and foam snowflakes or snowman with holiday stickers.

"We are grateful to DocMagic for realizing the immense value that our Art Boxes provide children who are being cared for at Children's Hospital Los Angeles," said Lauren Dennis-Perelmuter, founder and president at Art To Grow On Children's Art Center, Inc. "These Art Boxes accomplish something that other gifts such as one-time use toys and electronic devices are unable to do. They give children a respite from the daily realities of staying in a hospital, inspiring and allowing their imagination to soar, their critical thinking skills to be exercised and refined, and their self-esteem and self-confidence to be elevated. These essential life skills are critical not only in the healing process, but brings joy and relief to them directly during their stay at the hospital."

Notable is that the Children's Art Center worked tirelessly for more than a year prior to creating and packaging the Art Boxes, going through an extensive vetting process to ensure that they were non-toxic and environmentally safe for patients residing in a medicinal setting. The Girl Scouts and other community volunteers joined forces to assemble to boxes, which was a very hands-on and involved group effort. Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUhMt1MNDMI&feature=youtu.be

Perelmuter says that the Art Boxes become a one-of-a-kind, very rewarding memory not only for the children, but for their families trying to bring a sense of normalcy to their lives while in a hospital. She adds that the right kind of exposure to art not only gives children opportunities to invent, create, innovate and discover, but also allows them to become optimal, independent thinkers and problem solvers who possess strengthened imaginations.

"We are honored to participate and happy to help with this noble and highly creative cause that Art To Grow On Children's Art Center is providing kids at Children's Hospital Los Angeles," stated Dominic Iannitti, president and CEO of DocMagic. "DocMagic is proud to be a part of having a very unique and positive impact on the lives of these children, opening up a new world of creativity and imagination that they themselves construct."

DocMagic is an award-winning Southern California-based software firm that automates key parts of the mortgage lending process, ensuring compliance, increasing efficiencies, making what can a confusing and complex undertaking for borrowers much easier, while at the same time removing enormous amounts of paper that lenders and borrowers traditionally deal with. The company is known for its charity work and philanthropy efforts both locally and nationally.

Perelmuter says that the art boxes will be delivered through January 1 for the holiday season but they can also be purchased anytime throughout the year. They are ideal for a myriad of different occasions. Anyone can order the boxes from individuals, to families, schools, Girls Scouts, Boys Scouts, organizations, companies, and other entities.

About DocMagic:

DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, compliance, eSign and eDelivery solutions for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops software, mobile apps, processes and web- based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. 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.

About Art To Grow On Children's Art Center, Inc.:

Art To Grow On Children's Art Center, Inc. is a mobile Art Enrichment Company who opened its doors to the Los Angeles and South Bay communities in 2000. With a humble start of 6 students enrolled on the first day of class, they saw a huge opportunity to allow children to invent, create, innovate and discover. These Essential Life Skills - critical thinking, problem solving, independent learning and strengthened imagination are life skills that each and every child needs in today's world. Art To Grow On Inc. believes not only in giving children opportunities to create but also to become optimal thinkers. To learn more, visit http://art2growon.com/.

Twitter: @Art2GrowOn @DocMagic

VIDEO (YouTube): https://youtu.be/rUhMt1MNDMI

DocMagic, Inc., a comprehensive eMortgage software solutions provider, announced that it has purchased 100 custom designed Art Boxes to Art To Grow On Children's Art Center Inc., which delivered the Art Boxes to patients being treated at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a non-profit, pediatric academic medical center that provides patient care, education, and leading-edge research to help children in need.

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

ARMCO QC Trends Report: Defect Trends Indicate Continued Lender Downsizing

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk management solutions, announced the release of the quarterly ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report. The latest report provides loan quality findings for mortgages reviewed by ACES Audit Technology(tm) during the second quarter (Q2) of 2018.

The report's noteworthy findings for Q2 2018 include:
* Continuation of several defect trends:
o A significant quarter-over-quarter increase (23.8% over Q1 2018) in defects related to Loan Package Documentation, which are often associated with downsizing and understaffing, a trend that began in the previous quarter, Q1 2018
o The majority of defects were attributed to the Income/Employment category, a trend that began in the previous quarter, Q1 2018
o Core underwriting and eligibility issues were the most frequent cause of critical defects, a trend that has continued since the Q1 2017
* The critical defect rate decreased slightly, from 1.72% in Q1 2018 to 1.71%.
* Defects attributed to Borrower and Mortgage Eligibility increased by roughly 70%, from 6.57% in Q1 2018 to 11.36%

"In Q2 2018, we saw continued increases in defects typically resulting from downsizing and understaffing," said Phil McCall, president and COO of ARMCO. "This seems to indicate that many lenders are still responding to the reduction in business and compressed margins with personnel changes, even in a purchase-dominated market."

Although defects associated with loan package documentation do not usually result in non-saleable loans, they can still have a detrimental impact on profitability. They often result in investors and insurers suspending loan purchases, which can reduce warehouse line capacity and result in price adjustments.

"The market's current fluctuation demonstrates the financial reasons lenders need QC technologies that are dynamic and adaptable enough to respond quickly when the market shifts," said McCall. "Sacrificing quality is a costly but unnecessary consequence of revenue reductions. In reality, no lender needs to accept less than the highest quality, regardless of contracting volumes or margins."

The Q2 2018 ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report is based on nationwide post-closing quality control loan data from over 90,000 unique loans selected for random full-file reviews, as was captured by the company's ACES Analytics benchmarking software. Defects listed in the report are categorized using the Fannie Mae loan defect taxonomy. Each ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends report includes easy-to-read charts and graphs, a summary that outlines ARMCO's overall findings, a breakdown of defect rates for each Fannie Mae loan defect category, and a short conclusion. ARMCO issues a one-year analysis for the calendar year with each fourth quarter Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report.

ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Reports are available for download, free of charge, at https://www.armco.us/learn/reports/.

About ARMCO
Over half of the top 20 mortgage lenders in the U.S. choose ARMCO as their provider of risk management software. ARMCO's product line includes loan quality enterprise software, services, data and analytics. Its flagship product, ACES Audit Technology(tm), has set the bar for user definability in its category. It is used at virtually every point in the mortgage lifecycle, as well as for a wide range of risk-prone business operations outside traditional mortgage origination and servicing.

ARMCO's consultative approach to customer relationships leverages 25 years of mortgage risk intel, assuring that its clients are using the most effective risk mitigation strategies, and are using the fastest, most reliable, most efficient means for preventing risk-related loss. ARMCO distributes the ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report, a free quarterly analysis of industry-wide mortgage loan quality.

For more information, visit https://www.armco.us/ or call 1-800-858-1598.

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk management solutions, announced the release of the quarterly ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report. The latest report provides loan quality findings for mortgages reviewed by ACES Audit Technology(tm) during the second quarter (Q2) of 2018.

Related link: http://www.armco.us/

United Community Bank Picks LBA Ware’s CompenSafe for Efficient, Flexible Automation of Loan Originator and Processor Commissions

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), provider of the leading automated incentive compensation and sales performance management platform for mortgage lenders, announced today that Georgia-based United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) ("United") has deployed CompenSafe(TM) to automate loan originator (LO) and processor commissions.

The FDIC-insured community bank has been using CompenSafe to efficiently and compliantly automate commissions for its 80 LOs and supporting loan processors since August. CompenSafe's built-in integrations with the bank's payroll provider and Ellie Mae(R) Encompass(R) loan origination system (LOS) helped make the bank's transition away from spreadsheets a smooth one.

"Before CompenSafe, our commissions process was arduous and ate up a lot of man-hours," said Mike Davies, president of United Community Bank Mortgage Services, the mortgage lending division of United. "Our outdated process required several steps with manual input that we knew would not be sustainable as our company continues to grow."

"We wanted a more efficient process - something that would stand up to audits and that could be monitored, managed and scaled for growth," Davies continued. "CompenSafe was a brilliant choice for us because of its out-of-the-box integrations with our payroll and origination systems. It's greatly simplified the commissions process and given our HR, accounting and audit departments a high degree of confidence that everything is done with exactness and thoroughly documented."

CompenSafe gives United much-needed flexibility to control its own compensation schedules, including the ability to specify multiple KPIs and payout tiers. For example, while the bank's LOs earn commissions based on the number and volume of loans closed, its processors are bonused based on performance metrics like speed and quality. Commission projections are updated automatically in CompenSafe as loans close and are available to LOs and processors on-demand to help motivate performance.

"We're proud to offer United Community Bank a flexible solution for automating not just LO commissions, but also performance-based bonus payouts for loan processors, whose quality and speed of work is essential to delivering an exceptional borrower experience," said LBA Founder and CEO Lori Brewer. "CompenSafe helps producers stay motivated and lets banks say goodbye to manual, spreadsheet-driven processes without missing a beat when it comes to maintaining a compliant audit trail."

About United Community Banks, Inc.:

United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) is a bank holding company headquartered in Blairsville, Georgia with $12.4 billion in assets. The company's banking subsidiary, United Community Bank, is one of the southeast region's largest full-service banks, operating 150 offices in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee at the end of the most recent quarter. The bank specializes in personalized community banking services for individuals, small businesses and corporations. Services include a full range of consumer and commercial banking products including mortgage, advisory, and treasury management. Respected national research firms consistently recognize United Community Bank for outstanding customer service.

For the last five years, J.D. Power has ranked United Community Bank first in customer satisfaction in the Southeast. In 2018, for the fifth consecutive year, Forbes magazine included United on its list of the 100 Best Banks in America. Additional information about the company and the bank's full range of products and services can be found at https://www.ucbi.com/.

About LBA Ware:

Founded in 2008, LBA Ware's mission is to inspire opportunity by delivering solutions that are essential to the way mortgage companies operate. We are a trusted partner and play a key role in our clients' success by enabling them to motivate, incentivize and better leverage the human potential within their organization. Our applications automate traditionally manual business processes for which an existing software solution does not exist, empowering lenders to create an integrated software environment that maximizes their productivity and operational efficiency. For more information about LBA Ware and our software solutions, visit https://lbaware.com.

Twitter: @LBAWare @ucbi #CompenSafe

LBA Ware, provider of the leading automated incentive compensation and sales performance management platform for mortgage lenders, announced today that Georgia-based United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) ("United") has deployed CompenSafe to automate loan originator (LO) and processor commissions.

Related link: https://lbaware.com/

SecurityNational Mortgage Implements a Fully Paperless Closing Process Using DocMagic’s Total eClose Platform

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant and document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, and SecurityNational Mortgage Corporation (SNMC), an independent national mortgage banker, jointly announced that they successfully rolled out DocMagic's comprehensive Total eClose(TM) platform.

Since rolling out Total eClose in September, SNMC has reduced borrower time at the closing table to as little as 15 minutes, and become one of the first national lenders to offer a true eClosing solution that involves no paper whatsoever. It has dramatically sped up the closing process, ensuring accuracy and loan quality, and delivering newfound efficiencies for borrowers, notaries and settlement providers. Total eClose enables SNMC's customers to preview documents prior to closing, eSign all documents, and complete both remote and in-person eNotarizations. As a result, SNMC is now positioned to capture more market share, reduce operational costs, expedite closing times and elevate the borrower experience.

"Our goal was to perfect a completely digital eClosing process, not to be just another lender offering a basic hybrid closing," said Steve Johnson, president of SNMC. "Achieving our goal required a powerful end-to-end technology, a perfectly executed seamless implementation, and an intuitive interface that everyone-staff, settlement service providers and borrowers-could use immediately, without a steep learning curve. We got that and more with DocMagic. Plus, the DocMagic implementation team was with us all the way. We never had to worry about a thing."

The two companies approached the project as partners to ensure swift adoption and a quick understanding of the new workflow-driven eClosing process for both SNMC's staff and customers. DocMagic worked hand-in-hand with the lender, leveraging its vast eMortgage expertise to help sculpt a unique strategy and a successful go-to-market launch. Unlike other document and eClosing solution providers, DocMagic takes an ultra hands-on approach to implementations, from developing the project roadmap, to training all parties-such as staff, title agents and notaries-to synchronized testing of each facet of the Total eClose platform.

"Our implementation teams function like expert consultants-we work very closely with each client, guiding them literally every step of the way," said Dominic Iannitti, president and CEO of DocMagic. "There is a huge number of moving pieces in an eClosing solution. As a single source solution, we have intricate knowledge of every one of them, so there are none of the issues that plague other providers-not only immediately after the implementation, but over the long haul as well. In contrast, lenders who choose incomplete or cobbled-together eClosing technologies may have to hit the restart button within 12 to 18 months and search for a comprehensive solution."

DocMagic is a recognized eClosing pioneer, and has been a part of virtually every state-first eClosing in the U.S.

"We're pleased to work with companies like SecurityNational Mortgage that truly understand the value of implementing a 100 percent paperless eClosing process," said Iannitti. "They have taken a leadership position in facilitating eClosings and are ready for an inflow of new business that will be conducted very efficiently."

DocMagic's comprehensive suite of eSolutions and eServices also includes SMARTDocs, eNotes capability, eVault technology, eWarehouse lending, and even loan servicing.

About DocMagic:

DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, compliance, eSign and eDelivery solutions for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops software, mobile apps, processes and web-based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. 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.

About SecurityNational Mortgage Company:

SecurityNational Mortgage Company (SNMC) is an award-winning retail mortgage lender. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company has 102 offices across the nation and is currently licensed in 44 states. SNMC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Security National Financial Corporation, a publicly traded company (SNFCA - NASDAQ(R)). Founded in 1993, SNMC is celebrating its 25th year in business and is proud to have helped thousands of homeowners each year with their home purchases and refinances. SecurityNational Mortgage Company is an Equal Housing Lender (NMLS 3116). For more information, visit https://snmc.com/.

REF: NASDAQ:SNFCA

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant and document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, and SecurityNational Mortgage Corporation (SNMC), an independent national mortgage banker, jointly announced that they successfully rolled out DocMagic's comprehensive Total eClose(TM) platform.

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

2019 Predictions: Key Travel Trends That Will Drive Growth of the Travel Insurance Market

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- With almost all travel insurance providers reporting strong growth in 2018, TravelInsurance.com expects this momentum to continue into 2019, and has identified five key drivers. In recent years travel for many has become less about simply taking a break and more about connecting with loved ones, immersing ourselves into what we are passionate about and exploring places that surprise, delight and challenge our views of the world.

As the way we travel evolves, costs are increasing and itineraries are becoming more personalized to fit individual interests, needs and schedules. As a result, travel insurance is a more critical component in travel planning than ever before.

"In the last few years, travel insurance has become one of the most popular travel products available," said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com. "It can be indispensable in today's travel environment, and it is cost-effective for almost all types of travel. Travel insurance can give travelers more than just peace of mind - it can assist you in times of need when unexpected, costly events occur before or during a trip."

The following are the trends that TravelInsurance.com expects will be the key drivers of growth in travel insurance purchases in 2019:

An increased awareness of comparison shopping for travel insurance - While today's online shoppers use comparison shopping sites for almost every e-commerce purchase, shoppers using online travel sites - such as direct airline sites and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) - aren't given the same opportunity when it comes to travel insurance. The OTAs and direct airline sites typically offer limited options from a single company at checkout, with little transparency to give a consumer confidence in what they're buying. The failures of this "take-it-or-leave-it" approach took center stage in 2018 when the Hon. Senator Ed Markey released a report warning that consumers might not be getting the protection they think they've paid for. As consumer awareness continues to grow, more travel shoppers will seek out comparison shopping sites like TravelInsurance.com, which offer a way to compare from multiple travel insurance companies in an easy and transparent way, usually resulting in better and more affordable coverage. TravelInsurance.com expects online comparison sites to be the fastest growing sales channel for travel insurance in 2019.

More travelers to hit the high seas in 2019 - Cruise vacations will continue to be a top travel trend in 2019, with at least nine new cruise ships being launched in 2019. And with the introduction of ships across a wide range of travel categories, from affordable to luxury, there really will be something for everyone. In addition to the baby boomers and senior market, who represent the most active cruise travel group, new cruise offerings are expected to bring young families and millennials into the market in 2019. Growth in the cruise industry in 2019 will translate to growth in travel insurance purchases, as cruises come with a unique set of travel risks that travel insurance can address - from missed ports of call to illnesses on board.

Growth in highly curated travel experiences for groups - Genealogy-driven travel, undertourism, experiential learning, volunteerism, and agritourism are all expected to grow in 2019 as travelers pursue their passions. TravelInsurance.com saw strong growth in its group travel business in 2018 and expects the trend to continue in 2019. More travelers are seeking out travel companionship with those who share common interests to enhance their travel experience. Group travel insurance is an ideal way to provide coverage for a group and makes the administration of travel insurance plans streamlined and easy.

Millennial nomads more likely to purchase annual plans - Extensive travel by millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z has become more prevalent as young travelers prioritize exploring the world as digital nomads. Whether to seek out the most remote islands in the South Pacific or to claim the ultimate selfie, young travelers are hitting the road with their social media followers in tow - both on their own and with friends. As the desire and commitment to traveling the world increases, TravelInsurance.com forecasts growth in annual plans which are designed for travelers who take multiple trips per year. Annual plans provide a convenience and can be cost effective for frequent travelers.

Uncertainty over health insurance coverage when traveling abroad - With the future of ACA health plans uncertain and the general lack of understanding of one's health insurance coverage, more consumers will purchase travel insurance with travel medical and emergency evacuation coverage when traveling in 2019. A recent survey conducted by TravelInsurance.com showed that about half (47 percent) of respondents don't know whether or not their health insurance provided coverage while traveling, especially when traveling abroad. And most standard Medicare plans do not provide coverage when traveling internationally. TravelInsurance.com also expects more countries to require incoming travelers to show proof of health coverage as a requirement to obtain a visa. These trends will be key drivers of growth in travel insurance plans that offer travel medical coverage.

A travel insurance policy can protect travelers from a variety of unexpected circumstances while they are traveling. Whether you're looking for trip cancellation coverage to reimburse you for the costs of hotels, flights and other pre-paid and non-refundable trip expenses or if you need medical expense coverage to protect you from the extensive costs of overseas treatment and hospitalization, a travel insurance policy can drastically decrease your risks.

For more information, or to search for a travel insurance plan, visit https://www.travelinsurance.com.

About TravelInsurance.com:
TravelInsurance.com helps simplify the complicated world of travel insurance by providing consumers with the easiest way to compare and buy trip insurance coverage online. A member company of the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, owned and operated by DigiVentures Holdings, LLC, a licensed agency that works with some of the largest travel insurers in the industry. Purchases can be made directly through the website, with policies sent via email within minutes. Learn more at https://www.travelinsurance.com.

With almost all travel insurance providers reporting strong growth in 2018, TravelInsurance.com expects this momentum to continue into 2019, and has identified five key drivers. In recent years travel for many has become less about simply taking a break and more about connecting with loved ones, immersing ourselves into what we are passionate about and exploring places that surprise, delight and challenge our views of the world.

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

Bank of Southern California, N.A. Names Joshua Mello Managing Director in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Joshua Mello as Managing Director. He will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of commercial clients in the greater San Diego region.

Mr. Mello brings more than 11 years of banking experience, covering business lending, small business client acquisition and branch management. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Relationship Manager of Commercial Banking for Banc of California in La Jolla.

Active in the community, Mr. Mello volunteers as a Board Member for Junior Achievement's Young Executive Society. He holds a bachelor's degree from Johnson & Wales University.

"Joshua is a deeply rooted and experienced banker with a reputation for excellence," said Tony DiVita, Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer. "The addition of Joshua to our business banking team is an important step for strengthening and growing Bank of Southern California's presence in San Diego," concluded DiVita.

About Bank of Southern California:

A growing community bank, established in 2001, Bank of Southern California, N.A., with headquarters in San Diego, Calif., is locally owned and managed, and offers a range of financial products to individuals, professionals and small-to-medium sized businesses. The Bank's solution-driven, relationship-based approach to banking provides accessibility to decision makers and enhances value through strong partnerships with its clients.

The Bank currently operates eleven branches in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, as well as production offices in West Los Angeles and Orange County.

For more information, please visit https://www.banksocal.com/ or call (858) 847-4780.

Tickers: OTC Pink:BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS: BCAL / OP: BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Joshua Mello as Managing Director. He will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of commercial clients in the greater San Diego region.

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

EPIC Holdings Inc. to Acquire Integro USA

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Holdings, Inc. today announced an agreement to acquire Integro Holdings Inc., which houses substantially all of the U.S. operations of Integro Group Holdings, LP. Founded in 2005, Integro has built a highly successful specialty insurance brokerage and consulting business in the U.S. with revenue in excess of $150 million. Financial terms of the proposed transaction have not been disclosed.

Integro USA brings to EPIC expertise that is well aligned with EPIC's diverse insurance distribution platform. Areas of emphasis include:

Entertainment & Sports: focus in music & events; theatre & venues; film, TV & media; sports associations & amateur sports; and racing & motor sport.

Specialty: leading provider of insurance brokerage services to Professional Services Firms (accountants, lawyers, hedge funds, asset managers, architects & engineers) and Transportation & Logistics businesses.

Risk Management/Complex Accounts: deep technical services for the Fortune 500 and complex risk accounts.

Middle Market Accounts: property/casualty, employee benefits, and private client services for small to medium sized companies and individuals

Employee Benefits Consulting: expertise for mid to large employer groups as well as unique services for the private equity sector.

Integro USA is led by Marc Kunney, President of North America Operations. The acquisition will add over 400 team members working across 22 U.S. locations.

Kunney commented on the transaction, "Joining forces with EPIC allows us to continue offering our clients the highest level of service and expertise, while providing depth and scale to further invest in our combined capabilities."

Pete Garvey, EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants CEO and a founder and former CEO of Integro Ltd., noted, "I know firsthand what a high quality group Integro is. We can't be more delighted to have their US team join forces with EPIC."

Steve Denton, President of EPIC Holdings Inc. added, "EPIC and Integro USA fit together perfectly with common themes including a passion for client service and delivering specialty capabilities supported by actionable analytics."

The transaction is expected to close in January 2019.

The financial advisor for EPIC was Rob Giammarco at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and their legal advisor was Chris Machera at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP. The financial advisor for Integro was Stuart Britton at Evercore and their legal advisor was Paul Kukish at Latham & Watkins, LLP.

About EPIC

EPIC Holdings, Inc. is the corporate parent overseeing investments across the entire EPIC platform. EPIC currently has nearly 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S. and annual revenues over $440 million.

EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence. EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

About Integro

Integro is an international insurance brokerage and risk management firm. Clients credit Integro's superior technical abilities and creative, collaborative work style for securing superior program results and pricing. The firm's acknowledged capabilities in brokerage, risk analytics and claims are rewriting industry standards for service and quality.

Launched in 2005, Integro and its family of specialty insurance and reinsurance companies, some having served clients for more than 150 years, operate from offices in the United States, Bermuda, and the United Kingdom.

Its U.S. headquarter office is located at 1 State Street Plaza, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10004. 1-877-688-8701. Information: https://integrogroup.com/.

EPIC Holdings, Inc. today announced an agreement to acquire Integro Holdings Inc., which houses substantially all of the U.S. operations of Integro Group Holdings, LP. Founded in 2005, Integro has built a highly successful specialty insurance brokerage and consulting business in the U.S. with revenue in excess of $150 million.

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

Brian Barrilleaux Joins JenCap Holdings’ M.J. Kelly Company

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. /ScoopCloud/ -- JenCap Holdings LLC (JCH), a specialty insurance business, announced today that Brian Barrilleaux has joined its M.J. Kelly (MJK) division as President. MJK is a managing general agency and wholesale insurance brokerage based in Springfield, Missouri with offices in nine states throughout the Midwest and Southeast.

Barrilleaux will be responsible for the day to day operations and executing the growth plans for the company. He has 30 years of insurance industry experience, with extensive time spent in both the wholesale distribution space as well as underwriting. He joins MJK from CNA Insurance where he was the Commercial Lines Manager in the Little Rock branch. Prior to CNA he ran the Workers Compensation Division of Market Scout and was also the Branch Manager/Sales Leader of Swett and Crawford's, Little Rock office.

Barrilleaux will report to Roger Ware, the President of JenCap's Genesee General division, who will be expanding his role as the leader of both Genesee General and MJK. Ware stated, "We are pleased to have found someone with Brian's insurance experience and history as a leader."

Barrilleaux remarked, "MJK has built a strong reputation on delivering innovative and specialized competitive products for retail agents for over 30 years. I am excited about this incredible opportunity to take over the leadership role and to work alongside the committed employees of the company. I also look forward to continuing to work with agency partners throughout the Midwest and Southeast."

"MJK and Genesee General have strong footprints and top-notch talent in the southeast and bringing these two entities closer together will make us a stronger company for our retail clients as well as our carrier partners," commented John F. Jennings, President and Chief Executive Officer of JCH.

Barrilleaux will be located in MJK's Little Rock office.

About JenCap Holdings LLC:

JenCap Holdings is a premier national specialty insurance distribution platform that includes program management businesses, managing general agencies, specialty program underwriters and transactional wholesale brokers. JenCap Holdings has assembled a management team with the sector insight and experience to drive organic growth and strategic acquisitions leveraging technology and advanced data analytics. JenCap Holdings is headquartered in New York.

For more information on JenCap, visit: http://jencapholdings.com/

JenCap Holdings LLC (JCH), a specialty insurance business, announced today that Brian Barrilleaux has joined its M.J. Kelly (MJK) division as President. MJK is a managing general agency and wholesale insurance brokerage based in Springfield, Missouri with offices in nine states throughout the Midwest and Southeast.

Related link: http://www.jencapholdings.com/

NotaryCam, Stewart Title Execute First Complete Purchase and Sale Mortgage Transaction via Remote Online Closing in Virginia

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- NotaryCam(R), the leader in online notarization and the original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced it has completed the first remote online closing (ROC) for a purchase and sale transaction in Virginia in conjunction with Stewart Title(R). Using NotaryCam's eClose360(R) platform, Stewart Title facilitated both sides of the eClose transaction between the buyer and seller, marking the first time that both parties to one transaction completed their portion of the closing remotely.

"Virginia was a pioneer in the adoption of remote online notarization legislation, which serves as a key component to the ROC process," said NotaryCam Founder Rick Triola. "NotaryCam foresaw the need for home buyers and seller to be able to complete the closing process remotely years ago, and in working with forward-thinking industry partners like Stewart Title, we've been able to steadily increase the number of ROC transactions under our belt since our first in 2012, now exceeding 130,000 transactions."

eClose360 by NotaryCam provides lenders and title/closing agents with a secure, online closing room for remote online closings. Users can upload closing documents, meet with signers and return fully executed and compliant documents within an hour. The platform also records the entire transaction, providing closing agents and lender with verifiable proof that the transaction was completed in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations and with the signers' full understanding and intent.

"Stewart continues to innovate and leverage technology to simplify the complex closing process, allowing customers to now close faster and more securely, anywhere, at any time," said Scott Gillen, Senior Vice President, Industry Relations, Stewart Title. "NotaryCam gives us an added advantage to meet our customer needs by providing a fully digital closing solution that saves everyone time and money, and ultimately enhancing the customer experience."

About Stewart:

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) is a global real estate services company, offering products and services through our direct operations, network of Stewart Trusted Providers(TM) and family of companies. From residential and commercial title insurance and closing and settlement services to specialized offerings for the mortgage industry, we offer the comprehensive service, deep expertise and solutions our customers need for any real estate transaction.

At Stewart, we believe in building strong relationships - and these partnerships are the cornerstone of every closing, every transaction and every deal. Stewart. Real partners. Real possibilities.(TM) More information is available at https://www.stewart.com/, subscribe to the Stewart blog at blog.stewart.com, or follow Stewart on Twitter(R) @stewarttitleco. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About NotaryCam:

After pioneering the world's first remote online notarization (RON), career real estate executive Rick Triola founded NotaryCam in 2012, and shortly thereafter, the company completed the first mortgage remote online closing (ROC) in 2014. Today, NotaryCam is the leader in online notarization and mortgage eClosing solutions, having notarized documents worldwide for hundreds of thousands of customers in all 50 states.

The company's patented eClose360(R) platform delivers the "perfect" online mortgage closing in every jurisdiction with a flexible workflow for document recording and unparalleled identity verification, security and customer convenience. NotaryCam also proudly maintains an industry-leading 99.8 percent customer satisfaction rating.

Visit https://www.notarycam.com for additional information or to get a document notarized today.

Twitter: @NotaryCam @stewarttitleco

NotaryCam(R), the leader in online notarization and the original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced it has completed the first remote online closing (ROC) for a purchase and sale transaction in Virginia in conjunction with Stewart Title(R).

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

TeamSnap Appoints New Leader to Expand its Fast-Growing Payments Platform

BOULDER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- TeamSnap confirmed today the company will be expanding its popular payments solutions platform to better serve the growing demand from sports and recreation clubs, leagues and teams. Effective immediately, TeamSnap Payments will be a core pillar on the leading sports management platform.

To manage the expansion, finance executive, Becky Kopplin, has been appointed as the company's Vice President of Payments. In the newly created role, Kopplin will lead TeamSnap Payments with a mission to drive new partner relationships and expand the platform in all capacities to better serve new clients across all sports.

Since launching earlier this year, there has been an overwhelming response to TeamSnap Payments within the TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues platform. Users have turned to TeamSnap to streamline invoicing and day-to-day transactions throughout the season. Regardless of how big or small the organization is, TeamSnap is effectively managing payments for everything from mid-season dues and tournament fees to uniforms and extra facility time.

The expanded functionality of TeamSnap Payments is set to be rolled out to coaches and team managers this month. Teams will be able to access the new feature directly within the popular TeamSnap iOS and Android app.

"Being able to leverage TeamSnap for payments has been a huge differentiator for amateur and youth sports teams," said TeamSnap co-founder and CEO Dave DuPont. "As we make a strategic push to expand TeamSnap Payments, we are thrilled to have a passionate leader like Becky with extensive expertise in this field to lead the way in making Payments a pillar of the platform for years to come."

An accomplished payments executive, Kopplin brings to TeamSnap more than 15 years of payment processing expertise. She has managed over $8 billion in annual payments processing across more than 20 integrated SaaS platforms.

"There was obviously a need for a simple turnkey solution for teams, clubs and leagues to collect money and make payments," said Kopplin. "TeamSnap's commitment to making life easier for youth and amateur sports administrators and coaches is unmatched, and I can't wait to lead the effort in expanding our platform and making the stress of payments a thing of the past."

About TeamSnap:

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, TeamSnap has taken the organization of youth, recreational and competitive sports into the 21st century. Nearly 20 million coaches, administrators, players and parents use TeamSnap to sign up, schedule, communicate and coordinate everything for the team, the club and the season. TeamSnap makes organizing sports as simple as click, tap and go.

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

TeamSnap confirmed today the company will be expanding its popular payments solutions platform to better serve the growing demand from sports and recreation clubs, leagues and teams. Effective immediately, TeamSnap Payments will be a core pillar on the leading sports management platform.

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

Former loanDepot executive joins Cloudvirga as chief product officer

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), a leading provider of digital mortgage software, announced it has appointed Tim Von Kaenel to the role of chief product officer. In this role, Von Kaenel will oversee product strategy, design and go-to-market planning for Cloudvirga's growing suite of digital mortgage point-of-sale products. Von Kaenel will report to Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck.

Von Kaenel has been driving product success at tech start-ups and Fortune 500 companies for more than 20 years. Immediately before joining Cloudvirga, Von Kaenel served as chief product officer at loanDepot, the nation's fifth-largest retail lender, where he drove technology strategy for the company's digital mortgage lending platform, mello.

Prior to his tenure at loanDepot, Von Kaenel led startups in the financial services, software and wireless broadcast sectors to several successful spin-outs and acquisitions as well as two initial public offerings. Von Kaenel co-developed and holds the patents for more than a dozen wireless broadcasting, RFID and information services tools.

"In today's competitive mortgage market, it is critical that lenders leverage technology that produces a tangible and lasting return on investment," said Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck. "I can think of no one better than Tim to fulfill Cloudvirga's commitment of 'delivering on the promise of tomorrow's digital mortgage today'."

"After working inside one of the nation's largest mortgage lenders, I know first-hand how much our industry needs a digital mortgage solution like Cloudvirga that turbocharges efficiency and delivers a first-class borrower experience," said Von Kaenel. "I'm excited to expand on the success of our Enterprise POS with the launch of a first-of-its-kind Broker POS in partnership with ARIVE."

Von Kaenel joins an award-winning executive team at Cloudvirga. In December, CEO Michael Schreck was honored with HousingWire's HW Vanguard Award. Company Co-founder Kyle Kamrooz was named 2018's Innovator of the Year by the Orange County Business Journal, and SVP of Product Management Josephine Yen was recently named a HousingWire Woman of Influence.

For a list of current job opportunities available at Cloudvirga, visit https://www.cloudvirga.com/company/careers/.

About Cloudvirga(TM):

Cloudvirga's digital mortgage point-of-sale (POS) software, powered by the intelligent Mortgage Platform(r), uniquely combines a world-class borrower experience with a truly automated lender workflow that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Led by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's customer base includes nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $77 million from some of the country's top lenders and private-equity firms.

For more information, visit https://www.cloudvirga.com/ or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

Twitter: @Cloudvirga #digitalmortgage #peoplemovers

Cloudvirga(TM), a leading provider of digital mortgage software, announced it has appointed Tim Von Kaenel to the role of chief product officer. In this role, Von Kaenel will oversee product strategy, design and go-to-market planning for Cloudvirga's growing suite of digital mortgage point-of-sale products. Von Kaenel will report to Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck.

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

Reaching New Heights: Aclaro adds AI Loan Repayment Risk Management Product to its Relationship-Building Tech Solutions

MIAMI, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Aclaro, the leading provider and developer of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain-based technology solutions, announces the launch of their newest Fintech App in conjunction with the opening of a new office in San Francisco, California.

The Aclaro Loan Repayment Risk Artificial Intelligence (AI) System was developed to predict the probability of payment default of a subprime loan and was officially released on December 10, 2018. The increase in demand for artificial intelligence/actionable solutions is transforming many facets of the day-to-day business and consumer activities and processes. Aclaro is at the forefront of helping the lending industry shift gears in order to adapt to these trends.

"Aclaro has provided us a lucid and a deeper understanding of the risks associated with our loan portfolio. The Aclaro Loan Repayment Risk System allows us to look at repayment risk on a daily basis. We now have the accuracy needed to make decisions based on timely facts and identify risks faster. Looking at risks such as loans that have a 90% of default with a 90%+ confidence level on a daily basis is a game changer for us and the industry!" said Ben Stefanovski, President of Tracir Financial Services.

Today's top companies are remaining profitable by finding new and innovative methods of optimizing their most valuable asset: Data. Aclaro Risk Management uses machine learning algorithms to analyze a lender's loan portfolio. The risk management system optimizes Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in order to calculate a risk score for each borrower in the portfolio. Key components include a full Web based Business Intelligence Front End solution and subsecond decisioning of an active loan.

It's based on a combination of 100+ individual variables associated with borrower, loan terms, insurance coverage, employment, and vehicle data, but Aclaro never utilizes information such as name, income, social security numbers or credit scores from a Credit Bureau in any of its processes.

Aclaro allows businesses to maximize their goldmine of customer data to make smarter decisions. It specifically helps lenders determine which borrowers are at risk of default.

"With the launch of this new risk management solution, Aclaro is disrupting the status quo of the market by providing lenders the high-level technological tools they need to compete in today's modern marketplace," said Farshad Fatouhi PhD, CTO of Aclaro, Inc.

Carlos Galarce, CEO of Aclaro added: "We're excited about adding this product to our 'Know Your Customer' Relationship Building Solutions Portfolio, and the opening of our third office in the San Francisco Bay area to keep up with the growing demand in the Fintech industry."

About Aclaro:

Based in Miami, Florida, Aclaro specializes in providing small and medium-sized businesses with Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Technology. With these tools, companies can better optimize their customer experience, make better decisions, and make improvements in efficiency and cost savings.

Visit aclaro.io to learn more about the company and their innovative business solutions. If you would like to see their products in use, contact the sales team at +1-833-2ACLARO or visit: https://hubs.ly/H0fSK9G0

Aclaro, Inc., 78 SW 7th St., Suite 500, Miami, FL 33130, USA. Web: https://aclaro.io/

VIDEO (Vimeo):
https://vimeo.com/305801201

Aclaro, the leading provider and developer of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain-based technology solutions, announces the launch of their newest Fintech App in conjunction with the opening of a new office in San Francisco, California.

Related link: https://aclaro.io/