Category Archives: Finance

EPIC Insurance Adds Philip Westphal in Sacramento, Calif.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that risk management and insurance professional Philip Westphal has joined the firm's commercial property/casualty team in Sacramento, Calif. as a Risk Advisor/Broker in EPIC's Healthcare Practice. Westphal will report to Managing Principal and Healthcare Practice Co-leader, Tom McCready.

Westphal will be responsible for new business development and the design and management of risk management and property casualty insurance programs for clients in a range of industries. In particular, Westphal will specialize in developing creative, result-oriented risk management and insurance solutions within the healthcare sector, specializing in hospitals, healthcare clinics, dental offices and senior living facilities.

Prior to joining EPIC, Westphal was Director, Employee Safety for BETA Healthcare Group where he was responsible for leading the employee safety team's delivery of loss prevention and safety services to BETA Healthcare Group's worker's compensation clients.

Westphal began his insurance career at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, where he held a number of positions providing loss control and marketing services to middle-market commercial insurance clients.

Westphal is a graduate of Pepperdine University where he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Sports Medicine. Professionally, he holds a designation as a Certified Ergonomic Evaluation Specialist (CEES)

Said EPIC's Tom McCready, "We are excited to further expand and enhance EPIC's operations in the Sacramento Region and across the West with the addition of Philip Westphal. Philip is well known in healthcare circles and highly respected for building strong, positive relationships and providing exceptional service, as well as for his aggressive client advocacy."

Philip Westphal can be reached at:
Email: philip.westphal@epicbrokers.com
Phone: (916) 576-1503 (direct).

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 ('EPIC') announced today that risk management and insurance professional Philip Westphal has joined the firm's commercial property/casualty team in Sacramento, Calif. as a Risk Advisor/Broker in EPIC's Healthcare Practice. Westphal will report to Managing Principal and Healthcare Practice Co-leader, Tom McCready.

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

FormFree Celebrates Its Tenth Year of Operations with Broader Investor Acceptance, New Products and Features for Lenders

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- The last 24 months have seen aggressive growth and milestone achievements for automated verification provider FormFree(R) - and now the fintech company is setting its sights on achieving even greater market penetration in 2018 thanks to broader investor acceptance and new products and features designed to meet lenders' unique needs.

In 2016, Fannie Mae named FormFree its first designated vendor for automated asset verification as part of the Day 1 Certainty(TM) initiative. Since then, FormFree has signed more than 800 lender clients, including 70% of the nation's top 40 mortgage originators, and accepted over 1.25 million orders for the company's flagship AccountChek(R) Asset Report. The company also increased its total number of technology integrations and reseller partnerships to over 100, making AccountChek available for more than 90% of mortgage transactions nationwide.

A recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) makes even more loans eligible for automated asset verification through AccountChek. On December 29, the VA published Circular 26-17-43 confirming that the VA permits the use of automated asset verification services like AccountChek.

According to company founder and CEO Brent Chandler, this broad investor acceptance combined with FormFree's launch of new features and products in early 2018 will reinforce AccountChek's position as the leading tool for determining borrower creditworthiness.

"Beginning in February, FormFree will supplement AccountChek Asset Reports with copies of borrowers' full bank statements at no additional cost, enabling lenders to use AccountChek for every loan in their pipelines," said Chandler. "And soon, they'll be able to use AccountChek to verify not just borrower assets, but income and employment data as well."

Officially launching later this year, AccountChek 3-in-1(TM) will allow lenders to verify borrower asset, employment and income information using data harvested in a single query and aggregated in a single report.

About FormFree(R):
FormFree is a fintech company whose market-leading AccountChek(R) Asset Reports are used by lenders nationwide to verify borrower assets, employment and income in minutes. To date, more than 1,000 U.S. lenders have ordered over a million AccountChek Asset Reports, delighting their customers with a paperless experience and reducing origination timelines by up to 20 days.

FormFree offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using a secure ReIssueKey(TM). A HousingWire TECH100(TM) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia.

For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

The last 24 months have seen aggressive growth and milestone achievements for automated verification provider FormFree -- and now the fintech company is setting its sights on achieving even greater market penetration in 2018 thanks to broader investor acceptance and new products and features designed to meet lenders' unique needs.

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

Kathy Gonzales Named Senior Vice President, Director of Branch Banking for Bank of Southern California N.A.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has appointed Kathy Gonzales as Senior Vice President, Director of Branch Banking. She will be responsible for supporting the Bank's commitment to the customer experience by deepening customer relationships, and identifying opportunities to increase the bank's market share.

She will provide leadership and training to the bank's branch network in San Diego County, Orange County and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County. Recently the bank expanded its presence into Orange County, and is actively looking to expand in other Southern California markets.

Mrs. Gonzales is a tenured commercial and retail banking professional with more than thirty years of experience, including twenty years serving in senior management roles at various Southern California banks. She has a proven track record implementing successful business development tactics while emphasizing the importance of delivering best in class customer service. Mrs. Gonzales attended St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, and completed the Master's Certificate Banking Program from Pacific Coast Banking School.

"Kathy brings a wealth of commercial and retail banking experience to Bank of Southern California, having held leadership positions at both national and regional area banks," said Pamela Isaacson, Executive Vice President, Chief Administration Officer. "Her depth of knowledge and proven track record in driving business development, delivering outstanding service and increasing deposit share will be an asset to the Bank and further support our efforts to expand our presence in Southern California," 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 seven branches in San Diego and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, and a production office in Orange County.

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

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Ticker: 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 appointed Kathy Gonzales as Senior Vice President, Director of Branch Banking. She will be responsible for supporting the Bank's commitment to the customer experience by deepening customer relationships, and identifying opportunities to increase the bank's market share.

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

MQMR Announces Internal Audit Services Compliant with Fannie Mae Seller/Servicer December 19 Update

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR), a leader in mortgage risk management and compliance services, today announced that its Internal Audit services offering meets or exceeds the requirements for Fannie Mae seller/servicers to be in compliance with the December 19, 2017 Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2017-10 update. The update describes mortgage lender internal audit requirements clearly with regard to independence and reporting lines, eliminating any perceived ambiguity from the current Selling Guide Eligibility requirements. Fannie Mae enforcement of the updated requirements begins July 1, 2018.

A trusted provider of mortgage lender and servicer internal audit services since 2011, MQMR has adapted its own policies and procedures to support the updated Fannie Mae requirements covering approved seller/servicers who "must have internal audit and management controls to evaluate and monitor the overall quality of their loan production and servicing."

"Fannie Mae has clarified beyond a shadow of a doubt that Internal Audit independence is an integral aspect of seller/servicer compliance," said MQMR President Michael Steer. "Given the costs and expertise needed to set up a fully functional internal audit program, outsourcing Internal Audit is probably the best solution, so the next step for mortgage lenders covered by this update is to begin evaluating Internal Audit providers immediately."

MQMR adheres to the very specific auditing standards established by The Institute of Internal Auditors, ensuring that every internal audit it conducts meets Fannie Mae requirements.

Further, MQMR Internal Audit services deliver the specific elements Fannie Mae requires, including:
* The risk assessment methodology used to identify the operational areas and functions to be audited and the frequency of those audits;
* The policies and procedures implemented to govern reporting to senior management and the remediation of findings; and
* The departmental and functional audit schedule for a minimum 12-month period, which should identify the areas subject to review during the current period and align with the risk assessment.

MQMR also helps its Internal Audit clients provide the following required documentation:

* A complete copy of the executed contract, or certified statement of work, between the vendor and Seller;
* The contract, or certified statement of work, which must include policies and procedures for auditing each function or department within the organization, and the reporting methodology and distribution;
* The procedures for how and when findings will be remediated and monitored; and,
* The departmental and functional audit schedule for the following 12-month period.

"We agree, as the Fannie Mae update highlights, that a key aspect of the independent Internal Audit is 'bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes,'" Steer said. "MQMR was founded on the belief that our industry does its best work with an unwavering eye on these principles."

For more information about MQMR Fannie Mae compliant Internal Audit services, go to: http://www.mqmresearch.com/services/internal-audit/ or send an email to: CompliantInternalAudit@MQMResearch.com.

For IMB Attendees:

MQMR executives are attending the MBA's 2018 Independent Mortgage Bankers (IMB) Conference, January 22 - 25 at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Fla. If you'd like to set up a meeting about our Internal Audit services, or other MQMR services, drop an email to Info@MQMResearch.com.

About Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR)

MQMR bridges the gap between risk and compliance through its suite of risk-related services. Since its inception, MQMR has launched multiple products and services to assist lenders in navigating regulatory requirements, providing mortgage compliance consulting throughout the origination process, servicing QC and subservicing oversight to master servicers, and filling the void of meeting vendor management oversight requirements.

With 1,500+ operational reviews of mortgage companies, subservicers, document custodians, and vendors annually, MQMR prides itself on being an industry leader throughout the entire life cycle of the loan.

MQMR is viewed as an industry leader in counterparty risk and compliance.

To learn more, visit http://www.mqmresearch.com/, http://subsequentqc.com/, and http://hqvendormanagement.com/.

Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR), a leader in mortgage risk management and compliance services, today announced that its Internal Audit services offering meets or exceeds the requirements for Fannie Mae seller/servicers to be in compliance with the December 19, 2017 Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2017-10 update.

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

Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor Shares How to Avoid Living in Your Kid’s Basement When You Retire

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- In his compact new book, "The Mindset of Retirement Success: 7 Winning Strategies to Change Your Life" (ISBN: 978-0999641408), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor Rodger Alan Friedman, delivers blunt advice to anyone who has been putting off retirement planning.

Friedman's new book is meant to provide the attitude change recalcitrant savers need to start saving now so they won't get caught short when their paychecks inevitably stop coming.

"There is a staggering amount of information available on preparing for retirement, so a lack of information is not the problem. Rather, it is putting that information to good use, and that is all about what you are willing to do and your mindset. This is what the book is all about," says Friedman.

"The Mindset of Retirement Success" consists of seven chapters each containing action steps. Chapters include: Retirement Issues You Will Face; Are You Willing To Do What Is Necessary?; Visualize Your Ideal Retirement; Hold Yourself Accountable; Don't Go It Alone, Assemble a Team; Set Higher Goals and Get Started Now.

In his book, Friedman writes: "Becoming aware of the potentially severe consequences if you do not make planning and investing for retirement a priority is a great first step. I doubt you would look forward to being a greeter at a big box store in your golden years. ... Most definitely, you do not want to end up in your sister's basement, or worse, your kids' basements because you failed to plan and then ran out of money. Explaining to your future granddaughter why you live in her basement is not a conversation you will eagerly anticipate. You will either have a plan for your future, or you will reluctantly be part of someone else's plans for you."

Friedman can talk about:
* Five major risks you face, as you get closer to retirement.
* The importance of paying yourself before you pay your credit card debt, bills or car loans.
* The advantages of having an accountability buddy and a team to have your back.
* Five actions to take to get started now.

The book is available at all major book sellers, including Amazon at: http://a.co/ecVzExo

About The Author:

Rodger Alan Friedman is a chartered retirement planning counselor and financial advisor with more than 30 years' experience in the industry. Friedman is a former senior vice president-wealth management and senior investment management consultant with Morgan Stanley. He is also the author of "Forging Bonds Of Steel: How to Build a Successful and Lasting Relationship with Your Financial Advisor" and "Fire Your Retirement Planner You: Concise Advice on How to Join the $100,000 Retirement Club."

Learn more at: http://www.rodgeronretirement.com/.

Praise for The Book:

"Rodger does a fabulous job pointing out that we, ultimately, are the ones who have to push ourselves to plan for our future or we only have ourselves to blame." - Mel Robbins, CNN commentator and internationally bestselling author.

"This practical book gives you a step-by-step process to help achieve financial independence and organize your life so you can enjoy your dream retirement." - Brian Tracy, bestselling author

Disclaimer: Raymond James, the book author's broker/dealer, is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the opinions of Mel Robbins or Brian Tracy.

The book is published by Rodger on Retirement Publishing, a division of Forging Bonds of Steel, LLC.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rodger Alan Friedman
(844) 3MY-PLAN
Rodger@RodgeronRetirement.com

AVAILABILITY: Washington, D.C. metro area, nationwide by arrangement and via telephone.

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*Photo Caption: Front cover, "The Mindset of Retirement Success: 7 Winning Strategies to Change Your Life" by Rodger Alan Friedman.

In his compact new book, "The Mindset of Retirement Success: 7 Winning Strategies to Change Your Life" (ISBN: 978-0999641408), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor Rodger Alan Friedman, delivers blunt advice to anyone who has been putting off retirement planning.

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

Mortgage Capital Trading COO Phil Rasori Scheduled to Speak at the Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that its COO, Phil Rasori, will be speaking on a panel session at the MBA's 2018 Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Session Title:
FINRA 4210: Developing Strategies and Finding Opportunities

About the Session:
The deadline for implementation of new FINRA margin requirements on mortgage bankers is fast approaching. And while there are numerous operational and legal hurdles to ensuring compliance, there also exist opportunities to improve efficiency and cash flow. In this session, participants can explore how the new margin rules will interact with their pipeline and MSR hedging strategies, as well as develop innovative responses to the rules that also improve their bottom line.

Time:
Wednesday, January 24
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Location:
Talbot Ballroom D
Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
4750 Amelia Island Pkwy
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Speakers:
Philip Rasori
COO and Principal
Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT).

Phil Rasori is the Chief Operating Officer and a Principal at Mortgage Capital Trading. Mr. Rasori has over fifteen years of experience in capital markets operations serving lenders in the residential mortgage banking industry. At MCT, he manages the company's day-to-day operations and a team of over 100 employees dedicated to providing hands on support and coaching to clients. Mr. Rasori is the principal architect and developer of MCT live, MCT's online capital markets platform which has been recognized as Mortgage Technology's Release of the Year and one of Housing Wire's Top 100 technology platforms.

Al Qureshi
Managing Director, Analytics
Incenter, LLC

Al Qureshi as Incenter's Managing Director of Analytics, Al Qureshi leads our MSR, securities and whole loan analytics and risk management platform. Al has broad and deep technical expertise including the design of sophisticated valuation, hedging and risk modeling to support client risk management and compliance objectives, capital commitment and enhanced economic outcomes. Al brings almost 20 years of experience in mortgage and capital markets to the Incenter senior management team. Immediately prior to joining the company he served as Head of Mortgage Servicing Hedging and Hedging Analytics at U.S. Bank. He has also held MSR, Analytic Hedging appointments at JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, and Diamondback Capital.

An archived webinar on MCT's along with additional information on MCT's website breaks down what the FINRA 4210 mark to market rule means for lenders. Visit: https://mct-trading.com/what-finra-4210-mark-to-market-rule-means-for-lenders/. The company will be holding meetings with interested companies at the conference. Contact MCT to arrange a discussion time at (619) 543-5111.

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, 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 capital markets experts and senior traders who continue to provide the boutique-style hands-on engagement clients love. For more information, visit https://mct-trading.com/ or call (619) 543-5111.

# # #
MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that its COO, Phil Rasori, will be speaking on a panel session at the MBA's 2018 Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

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

Record Year for Cloudvirga Closes with Customers of Its Digital Mortgage Platform Producing Over $100B in Loan Volume

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM) CEO Michael Schreck is on a mission to help mortgage lenders reinvent the mortgage factory. A developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale platforms, Cloudvirga gives consumers and loan officers a digital mortgage experience and helps lenders grow market share by automating the mortgage back office, saving them up to $1,500 a loan.

2017 was a banner year for Cloudvirga. In November, the company announced the addition of five top-30 lender customers to its digital mortgage platform, and it added a sixth top-30 lender in December. Together, these customers produced over $100B in loan volume in 2017.

"We are proud to have earned the support of the industry's leading lenders," said Schreck. "We believe their trust is indicative of Cloudvirga's unique mission to offer customers a response to Rocket Mortgage while also attacking the serious cost problems involved in producing a loan."

Also in 2017, Cloudvirga raised a $20M Series B led by Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) portfolio company Incenter. To date, the firm has raised over $27M in total funding to scale its enterprise-class technology and invest in vendor partnerships, including a recently announced integration with DocuTech, the industry's leading provider of document and compliance technology.

Cloudvirga hired Schreck, a veteran tech entrepreneur and former Altisource (NASDAQ: ASPS) senior executive, as its new CEO in June. The firm's previous CEO, co-founder Bill Dallas, continues to advise Cloudvirga as chairman of its board of directors.

Since then, Schreck has overseen several high-profile additions to Cloudvirga's leadership team, including the appointment of former ShiftPixy (NASDAQ: PIXY) CFO Stephen DeSantis as chief financial officer; former Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) and First American (NYSE: FAF) executive Jim Portner as chief product officer; and former Dell (NYSE: DVMT) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) executive Sean McEvoy as chief customer officer.

In December, Cloudvirga co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Kamrooz received top industry honors as one of HousingWire magazine's 2017 Vanguard Award winners. He was also recognized by National Mortgage Professional magazine as one of the mortgage industry's most influential professionals under 40.

About Cloudvirga(TM):

Cloudvirga's intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms uniquely combine a world-class borrower experience with a truly digital lender platform that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Founded by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's initial customer roster includes nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $27 million from some of the country's top lenders and venture capital firms.

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

Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck is on a mission to help mortgage lenders reinvent the mortgage factory. A developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale platforms, Cloudvirga gives consumers and loan officers a digital mortgage experience and helps lenders grow market share by automating the mortgage back office, saving them up to $1,500 a loan.

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

Smaller Originators Will Follow Top Lenders’ Lead in Making Homeowner’s Insurance Part of the Digital Mortgage, Says Matic CEO

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Integrating homeowner's insurance into the mortgage origination process is a relatively new idea - and one Matic CEO Aaron Schiff anticipates will gain traction in 2018. His firm expects small and mid-sized mortgage operations will follow the lead of several marquee lenders that added homeowner's insurance to their origination workflows last year. Wider availability of cutting-edge digital capabilities like online bind will also make integrated homeowner's insurance more attractive for lenders, Schiff says.

"Large lenders often set the pace for mortgage industry transformation, and 2017 saw several top players integrate homeowner's insurance into their digital mortgage strategy," said Schiff. "We expect to see lender adoption increase as originators of all sizes ask themselves what their digital mortgage experience should look like - and what tasks they could and should automate."

Matic's award-winning technology enables mortgage lenders to provide homebuyers with real-time homeowner's insurance quotes from top-rated national carriers as part of their mortgage origination process. Matic also works with mortgage servicers to help existing homeowners lower their escrow payments by switching homeowner's insurance. Because Matic technology pulls borrower and property data directly from the mortgage lender or servicer, home-buying consumers can avoid manually entering data or guessing how much coverage they need.

"Once shopping for homeowner's insurance has been embedded into the mortgage process, the next step is to offer online bind," Schiff said. "Until recently, binding a homeowner's policy required a phone call between the borrower and the carrier. Now, carriers are supporting online bind through API, allowing lenders to offer this value-add as part of their digital mortgage experience."

"Another key benefit of integrated homeowner's insurance is automated quote comparison between multiple carriers," Schiff added. "This lets borrowers come to the table with lower premiums and better debt-to-income ratios - which means lenders can close more loans. By creating both a distinctive borrower experience and a fuller book of business for loan officers, Matic delivers a competitive differentiator for lenders."

Matic's 2017 milestones included earning the business of major mortgage lenders and servicers such as Freedom Mortgage and Mr. Cooper (formerly Nationstar) and establishing partnerships with more than a dozen of the nation's top-rated insurance carriers, including Nationwide, Progressive and Safeco. Matic also completed significant integrations with premier providers of loan origination software (LOS) and self-service mortgage platforms like LendingQB, PCLender, Maxwell and Roostify.

The company's momentum also helped it attract considerable investor interest in 2017. In September, Matic was one of just six companies to advance to the final round of TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield, the world's pre-eminent startup showcase. Three months later, Matic closed a $7 million Series A funding round.

Matic enters its fourth year of operation as the market leader in lender and servicer distribution of homeowner's insurance. According to Schiff, the company will introduce new products in Q2 that will help lenders close more loans. Internally, Matic has set its sights on workplace inclusivity and is continuing to diversify its leadership team.

About Matic:
Matic is a technology-driven insurance agency focused on helping lenders and loan officers better integrate homeowner's insurance into the lending process. By using loan application information and first-of-its-kind technology, Matic provides homebuyers multiple policy options within seconds, helping loan officers close their loans faster. Matic delivers the most trusted, affordable insurance policies available thanks to its partnerships with a diverse network of insurance carriers. Today's borrowers expect a digital home-buying experience, and Matic gives them the digital insurance experience to match. For more information, visit http://matic.com or follow Matic on LinkedIn.

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Integrating homeowner's insurance into the mortgage origination process is a relatively new idea - and one Matic CEO Aaron Schiff anticipates will gain traction in 2018. His firm expects small and mid-sized mortgage operations will follow the lead of several marquee lenders that added homeowner's insurance to their origination workflows last year. Wider availability of cutting-edge digital capabilities like online bind will also make integrated homeowner's insurance more attractive for lenders, Schiff says.

Related link: https://maticinsurance.com/

JenCap Holdings LLC to Acquire Genesee General, a Specialty Insurance Business

ALPHARETTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- JenCap Holdings LLC (JCH), a specialty insurance business, announced today that it has agreed to acquire privately-held Genesee General, a managing general agency, program administrator and wholesale insurance broker based in Alpharetta, Georgia. The transaction is expected to close in January 2018. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"Genesee President Roger Ware has created a leading organization within our industry and we expect it to become a strategic part for our organization as we build a best-in-class distribution platform," said John F. Jennings, President and Chief Executive Officer of JCH. "Genesee and JenCap share a commitment to product development and superb client service."

Genesee General was founded in 1982 and has been led by Roger Ware since 1998.

JenCap Holdings (JCH) was formed in March 2016 by global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group and JCH management to consolidate specialty insurance distribution businesses, including managing general agents, program managers and transactional wholesale brokers. The acquisition of Genesee General is the seventh transaction by JCH since its founding, and places the company among the largest wholesale brokers in the U.S.

Roger Ware, President of Genesee, said, "We wanted a partner who felt the same way about our commitment to clients, employees and carriers and we realized early on that JenCap was the right fit. We are very enthusiastic about the JenCap partnership."

About JenCap Holdings Inc.:
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.

About Genesee General:
Founded in 1982, Genesee General is a full-service managing general agency and wholesale broker that specializes in commercial insurance products for the excess and surplus lines industry as well as servicing the catastrophe and program business markets.

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

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JenCap Holdings LLC (JCH), a specialty insurance business, announced today that it has agreed to acquire privately-held Genesee General, a managing general agency, program administrator and wholesale insurance broker based in Alpharetta, Georgia. The transaction is expected to close in January 2018. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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

Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS) Founder David Lykken Names Beth Ozenghar President and COO

AUSTIN, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Leading mortgage industry management consulting firm Austin, Texas-based Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS) today announced that it has named Beth Ozenghar its new president and COO. Ozenghar, whose mortgage career spans three decades, had been in the role of senior executive advisor with TMS since 2016. TMS Founder David Lykken will retain the title of founder and chief transformation officer, focusing on spearheading the firm's management consulting engagements.

While consulting with TMS for the last two years, Ozenghar also operated an independent mortgage advisory firm. Previously, she served more than a decade as vice president of correspondent lending for AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, where she was responsible for its correspondent division's operations, secondary marketing, underwriting, and servicing. Prior to that, she was vice president secondary marketing at Second National Bank of Warren, and secondary marketing manager at Signal Bank N.A.

"Beth Ozenghar's depth of mortgage expertise, as well as her consultative temperament, makes her ideal to serve as president and COO of TMS, both for operating our business and serving our treasured clients," said David Lykken. "In this era of unprecedented industry disruption and opportunity, mortgage lenders need experienced guidance from a trusted advisor like never before, and with Beth serving as president, TMS is ideally positioned to deliver on that need."

"I am thrilled with the opportunity to make a lasting difference in our industry as president and COO of Transformational Mortgage Solutions," said Beth Ozenghar. "David Lykken has built TMS into an amazing organization that helps mortgage businesses reach their highest potential by focusing on process improvement, people and profitability. Understandably, earning his trust and confidence has been no small accomplishment."

TMS consulting services focus on helping lenders improve processes to increase loan originations by performing operational "health checks" and executing efficiency assessments that help its clients fund more loans compliantly and accurately with the least amount of friction, and in the least amount of time. Specifically, lenders turn to TMS for services related to agency approval, warehouse line review/audits, policy and procedure assessment and creation.

Its executive coaching services' key objective is to increase net bottom-line earnings by creating a collaborative, cohesive, and consistent corporate culture in an environment where all employees feel valued, empowered, and become actively involved increasing the company's success.

Its communication services help its clients determine an ideal communications strategy by identifying, defining, and articulating their core go-to-market message, then help effectively, affordably, and efficiently communicate that message to their target audience.

For an appointment with Beth Ozenghar about TMS services during the 2018 Mortgage Bankers Association's Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference in Amelia Island, January 22 - 25, click here: https://app.hubspot.com/meetings/bozenghar.

About Transformational Mortgage Solutions:

Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS) is a management consulting firm providing a full range of advisory services to owners and executives of companies in the mortgage lending business. Our clients include banks, credit unions, and independent mortgage lenders, as well as companies providing financing/solutions/services to mortgage lenders. We are able to help companies regardless of size. We provide three main advisory services: consulting, coaching and communications.

Also, as a public service, TMS is dedicated to informing and educating industry professionals through the weekly "Lykken on Lending" podcast as well as providing speakers at conferences and other industry events and consumers through "Today's Mortgage Minute" and through appearances on national television networks such as the FOX Business Network.

More information: http://transformationalmortgagesolutions.com/.

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Leading mortgage industry management consulting firm Austin, Texas-based Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS) today announced that it has named Beth Ozenghar its new president and COO. Ozenghar, whose mortgage career spans three decades, had been in the role of senior executive advisor with TMS since 2016. TMS Founder David Lykken will retain the title of founder and chief transformation officer, focusing on spearheading the firm's management consulting engagements.

Mortgage Capital Trading Bolsters its Marketing Team with the Addition of Ian Miller as CMO

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that Ian Miller has joined the company as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In this newly created position, he is responsible for ensuring that MCT's marketing strategy effectively supports the company's business plan and helps drive growth.

MCT has traditionally been known in the mortgage industry as a pipeline hedge firm but over the years has developed into a fully-integrated provider of capital markets services and software. Mr. Miller is charged with developing and executing MCT's marketing plan and strategic initiatives. Since joing MCT, he has made significant strides in honing the company's messaging, positioning, branding and creating positive industry awareness for MCT's value proposition and extensive suite of secondary marketing focused products and services.

"We are elated to have been able to recruit Ian to join the MCT team and head the marketing strategy," said Curtis Richins, president of MCT. "We've grown our business considerably over the past several years and had a need to ensure that our brand accurately reflects the robust suite of products, services, and technology we now offer within company divisions. Ian has and will continue to play a key role in making sure MCT maintains a strong reputation in the mortgage industry."

Before MCT, Mr. Miller served as the Director of Client Services at Riverine, Inc., a full-service digital marketing firm catering to over 50 clients in a wide range of industries and capacities. At Riverine, he worked closely with MCT as a vendor partner where he was instrumental in streamlining the integration of its sales and marketing processes and enhancing the brand.

Prior to Riverine, Mr. Miller was a co-founder and partner at Tower Agency, a digital marketing firm offering end-to-end marketing capabilities. Mr. Miller eventually merged the company with Riverine, growing the client base exponentially. Before that, he was a freelance marketing agent providing professional services to an array of clients.

"Serving as MCT's marketing provider in recent years, I have been impressed by their culture, dedication to customer service, and continuous innovation," said Mr. Miller. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to help these qualities reach a wider audience, and support MCT's growth as the leading provider of capital markets services and software."

Mr. Miller is a through and through marketing professional who has a proven track record of successful execution with growing brands, capturing market share and increasing revenues. He is well-versed in all aspects of marketing communications ranging from strategic planning, branding, advertising, content marketing, and social media to trade shows, event production, sales support and client communication. He will leverage these competencies, along with support from a team of experienced professionals, to execute on a robust marketing strategy for MCT in 2018 and beyond.

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, 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 capital markets experts and senior traders who continue to provide the boutique-style hands-on engagement clients love.

For more information, visit https://mct-trading.com/ or call (619) 543-5111.

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###

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that Ian Miller has joined the company as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In this newly created position, he is responsible for ensuring that MCT's marketing strategy effectively supports the company's business plan and helps drive growth.

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

Digital Mortgage Point-of-Sale Pioneer Cloudvirga Hires Sean McEvoy as Chief Customer Officer

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, has appointed Sean McEvoy as its chief customer officer. As a member of the senior leadership team, McEvoy will be responsible for the firm's customer leadership, implementation and support functions. He has an extensive background in building world-class customer success organizations at FileNET, IBM, Quest and Dell. He will report to Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck.

McEvoy joins on the heels of Cloudvirga's recent addition of five top-30 lender customers to its digital mortgage platform. He brings a global skill set and a track record of success from roles that include vice president of global services and customer support for Dell Technologies (NYSE: DVMT). While there, McEvoy led a team of more than 900 global customer success, support and professional service engineers and contributed to hundreds of millions of dollars in software services and maintenance/renewals business growth.

McEvoy's other career accomplishments include establishing a $200 million renewal sales channel as a business unit executive for IBM (NYSE: IBM); overseeing six acquisitions and launching offshore delivery centers as vice president of support services for Quest Software (acquired by Dell in 2012); and serving as global director of technical consultancy services while vice president of technical operations for FileNET (acquired by IBM in 2006). He holds a master's degree in international business administration and a bachelor's degree in software engineering.

"Delighting our leading lending customers, which include five of the top eight non-bank originators, is core to Cloudvirga's mission in 2018," said Schreck. "We are bulking up our customer success organization to support a growing client base that produced over $100 billion in mortgages in 2017 and employs thousands of loan officers. Sean is a proven leader who can scale enterprise-class organizations to help ensure their success."

"As a software-as-a-service provider, Cloudvirga's long-term success hinges on our ability to help customers meet their desired outcomes," said McEvoy. "I look forward to helping Cloudvirga deliver on this mission."

About Cloudvirga(TM):

Cloudvirga's intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms uniquely combine a world-class borrower experience with a truly digital lender platform that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Founded by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's initial customer roster includes nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $25 million from some of the country's top lenders and venture capital firms.

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

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*Photo Caption: Cloudvirga Appoints Sean McEvoy as Its Chief Customer Officer.

Cloudvirga Inc., developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, has appointed Sean McEvoy as its chief customer officer. As a member of the senior leadership team, McEvoy will be responsible for the firm's customer leadership, implementation and support functions. He has an extensive background in building world-class customer success organizations at FileNET, IBM, Quest and Dell. He will report to Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck.

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

Philadelphia Commercial Capital Advisory CEO Discusses the Current State of the Commercial and Multifamily Finance Market

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- Rittenhouse Capital Advisors (RCA) is a commercial real estate finance advisor with over 60 years of combined banking experience. Currently in its fourth year of operation, Rittenhouse Capital has increased its loan production volume by a minimum of 30 percent year over year by delivering creative commercial financing solutions for their real estate investor clients.

Rittenhouse Capital CEO George Johnson believes that market conditions may be about to change and that now is the best time to take advantage of historically low interest rates.

"We are late in the game here," Johnson says. "Interest rates are still very favorable to borrowers, but we don't know how much longer that will last. The Fed is unwinding their quantitative easing, which will most definitely create upward pressure on treasury rates given the shift in that supply-demand fundamental. GDP growth was a very healthy 3.3 percent in the 3rd quarter, the fastest rate in 3 years, so inflationary pressure will start to build there as well.

"The new Tax Reform package will likely bring some economic stimulus with further inflationary pressure, so there is a lot of factors in play, all pointing to higher interest rates in the near term. When that happens, lenders may take a more conservative approach to underwriting, making it more difficult to obtain the level of loan proceeds real estate investors are looking for."

Many commercial and multifamily property owners would like to capitalize on today's low interest rates, but they have existing loans that do not mature for a while, and they do not want to pay a significant pre-payment penalty to get out of these loans.

"A lot of commercial borrowers are not aware of some of the financing options that are available out there," Johnson continues. "For example, we have a great balance sheet product where a borrower can lock in their interest rate today for a period of up to 12 months while they burn-off any remaining prepayment penalty. This approach saves our clients a substantial amount of money as they avoid paying their prepayment penalty while also taking interest rate risk off the table."

E-commerce Driving a Shift in Demand toward Multi-Unit Industrial Properties:

Another factor that is currently impacting the commercial lending market is E-commerce. Companies like Amazon and Wayfair are driving demand for warehousing space. And with thousands of other companies getting in on the Ecommerce craze, multi-unit industrial properties are at a premium.

"Beginning shortly after the 'great recession,' multi-family properties (e.g., apartment buildings) were very popular with buyers and the lending community, but this segment has peaked or is approaching its peak in most major markets. Supply has caught up to demand and lenders are becoming a bit more cautious.

"It is a far different story with multi-unit industrial properties. More and more online retailers need warehouse space to store their products, and demand is far outpacing supply in this sector. Lenders love these properties because they are usually at full occupancy, rents are continually going up, and cashflow is strong. For this reason, there are plenty of very competitive financing options for this asset type."

Healthcare Real Estate in Demand with Rapidly Aging Population:

In 1950, the population aged 65 and older represented 8.1 percent (or 13 million) out of the total U.S. population of 158 million. That percentage is projected to reach 13 percent (or 46 million) out of 355 million by 2030. This shift will place great demands on the nation's health-care system and spur considerable growth in the real estate segment of the healthcare industry.

This trend in the healthcare industry is already beginning to pick up steam now with the larger hospital systems building out or leasing real estate facilities focused on delivering specialized needs such as surgery centers, urgent care, and orthopedics, just to name a few.

Similar to the industrial-distribution space, the supply-demand fundamentals have swung heavily on the demand side in healthcare and the numbers would seem to indicate a good amount of runway in the current direction. As such, expect the lending community to compete aggressively to provide funding on healthcare projects as described above and also including senior living, assisted living, specialty care (nursing homes) and memory care, going forward.

Recent Rittenhouse Capital Transactions:

Rittenhouse has helped commercial property owners with purchases and refinances across a wide range of sectors. Here is a sampling of their recent transactions:
* Apartment Building Refinance: RCA arranged a $9,100,000 refinance for a 150-unit apartment building in Philadelphia. RCA delivered the lowest fixed rate in the market along with a non-recourse structure and capped transaction costs.
* Office Building Acquisition: RCA arranged a $54,250,000 acquisition loan for a 356,000 square-foot class "A" office building known as the Great Valley Commerce Center. Located in Malvern, Pa. this building is fully leased to credit tenants. The debt assignment for this property was highly sought-after and competitive. RCA was awarded the assignment by delivering maximum leverage and a strong long-term fixed rate.
* Single Tenant, Net Leased Retail Acquisition: RCA arranged a $4,000,000 acquisition loan for a commercial parcel that is being leased long-term by Royal Farms, a fresh food and gas station chain based in the Northeast. RCA delivered the most competitive rate amongst three other options the client was considering and the loan was closed in only 25 days in accordance with the borrowers agreement of sale.
* Mixed-Use Building Acquisition: RCA arranged a $3,000,000 acquisition loan for a mixed-use (apartment/commercial) building. The property has 9 apartments and 1 commercial unit (a 7-Eleven store). RCA delivered maximum leverage, 3 years of interest only, capped transaction costs and a non-recourse structure for their client.

"We have the expertise and lender relationships to deliver favorable financing for the full range of commercial real estate assets anywhere in the country."

For more information, go to https://www.rittenhousecapital.com/

About Rittenhouse Capital Advisors:

Rittenhouse Capital Advisors (RCA) is a comprehensive debt, equity, and advisory solutions provider specializing in placing debt and equity (either for acquisitions or refinances) for Rittenhouse Realty's clients and other commercial borrowers. RCA understands the complexities of the commercial real estate market, and that no two assets are exactly alike. As such, they take the time to thoroughly understand their clients' needs and goals, so they can negotiate and arrange the financing structure that works best for them. Leveraging its extensive network of lender relationships developed over the teams combined 60 years in the banking industry, RCA is able to speak "banker to banker" with the ultimate funding source, allowing them to deliver the most competitive terms in an efficient and professional manner.

Media Contact:
George Johnson - CEO
Rittenhouse Capital Advisors
107 S. 2nd Street 4th Floor
Philadelphia, Pa 19106

Phone: 215-989-4443
Email: George@rittenhousecapital.com
www.rittenhousecapital.com

Rittenhouse Capital Advisors is a commercial real estate finance advisor with over 60 years of combined banking experience. Currently in its fourth year of operation, Rittenhouse Capital has increased its loan production volume by a minimum of 30 percent year over year by delivering creative commercial financing solutions for their real estate investor clients.

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

TRK VP Colton Hansen Named a 2017 ’40 Under 40′ by National Mortgage Professional Magazine

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- TRK Connection (TRK), a leading provider of mortgage quality control and origination management solutions, announced today that Vice President of Business Development Colton Hansen has been named one of "The 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40" for 2017 by industry trade magazine National Mortgage Professional.

Hansen was recognized for leading TRK's new business strategy and managing existing client/vendor relationships. Through his efforts, TRK has helped lenders their improve loan quality and reduce overhead by as much as $50,000 using Insight Risk and Defect Management (RDM), the first cloud-based quality control (QC) audit platform that minimizes repurchase risk by delivering an easier, more intuitive and efficient QC process.

"TRK is deeply invested in helping lender improve their loan quality, which is why we built Insight RDM in conjunction with lenders to satisfy their real-world QC needs," Hansen said. "As the steward of our client relationships, I take a personal interest in ensuring that Insight is delivering value to our clients' organizations, which makes being recognized for those efforts by National Mortgage Professional even more rewarding and meaningful."

According to the magazine's December issue, those chosen for this year's list, "exemplify professionalism and top production in today's housing market. Despite the rough waters of the U.S. economy and the ever-shifting landscape known as the mortgage industry, these 40 professionals have persevered in a time of regulatory uncertainty."

To view the full list of winners, visit http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nmpmedia/nmp_201712/index.php#/32.

About National Mortgage Professional:
National Mortgage Professional Magazine 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 of original Webinars, along with a number of additional resources in the works.

About TRK Connection:
Founded in 2013, TRK Connection prides itself on its ability to develop technologies that allow businesses to surpass their organizational needs and meet their business objectives. As an innovator in the mortgage origination and quality assurance space, TRK continues to develop and refine solutions geared to promote and strengthen the loan origination process, pre/post-close loan audits and the defect remediation process.

Currently, TRK offers solutions that support Mortgage Audit & Quality Control (Insight Risk & Defect Management(TM)), Loan Origination Vendor Management (Core Connect(TM)), Complete LOS Connectivity Platforms and more. For more information, visit http://trkconnection.com.

TRK Connection, a leading provider of mortgage quality control and origination management solutions, announced today that Vice President of Business Development Colton Hansen has been named one of 'The 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40' for 2017 by industry trade magazine National Mortgage Professional.

Related link: http://trkconnection.com/

AccountChek by FormFree Automated Asset Report Now Accepted for VA Loans

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced that asset reports generated by its AccountChek(R) automated asset verification service meet all underwriting guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for loans guaranteed by its Loan Guaranty Service. The announcement follows the VA's December 29, 2017, release of Circular 26-17-43, which was issued in response to increasing lender interest in automated verification of borrower assets for VA loans.

AccountChek eliminates the burden of gathering asset documents for loans by letting consumers easily and securely transmit their online banking, retirement and investment account data for automated analysis. In just minutes, AccountChek delivers asset data to lenders in a standardized report along with a ReIssueKey(tm) that enables secure and streamlined sharing with the secondary market. The result is an easier, safer and more accurate process that closes loans up to 20 days faster, provides a better borrower experience and circumvents a host of common "hiccups" that plague manual asset verification.

"AccountChek completely eradicates lenders' need to track down missing statement pages, wait on deposits to clear or wait for new statement cycles to begin, which translates to substantial time and cost savings. Moreover, AccountChek greatly reduces compliance risk for all parties to the loan by removing the opportunity for human error and fraud," said FormFree CEO Brent Chandler. "Now, VA lenders and their investors can take advantage of the benefits of automated asset verification with confidence."

The circular clarifies that the VA permits lender use of third-party providers for automated asset, income and employment verification. As always, lenders bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of all information upon which credit underwriting decisions are based.

"This clarification should give lenders the confidence they need to extend a significant benefit to our nation's honored veterans," Chandler said. "As a veteran myself, I am proud to help make the lives of VA borrowers easier by giving them a faster, easier way to obtain a mortgage."

About FormFree(R):

FormFree is a fintech company whose market-leading AccountChek(R) reports are used by lenders nationwide to verify borrower assets, employment and income in minutes. To date, more than 1,000 U.S. lenders have ordered over a million AccountChek asset reports, delighting their customers with a paperless experience and reducing origination timelines by up to 20 days. FormFree offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using a secure ReIssueKey(tm). A HousingWire TECH100(tm) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

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FormFree today announced that asset reports generated by its AccountChek automated asset verification service meet all underwriting guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for loans guaranteed by its Loan Guaranty Service. The announcement follows the VA's December 29, 2017, release of Circular 26-17-43, which was issued in response to increasing lender interest in automated verification of borrower assets for VA loans.

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

Global DMS Valuation Management Platform is Now Integrated with Black Knight’s LoanSphere Exchange Technology

LANSDALE, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- Global DMS, a leading provider of cloud-based valuation management software, announced that it has integrated with Black Knight's LoanSphere Exchange platform, an online, collaborative technology that connects more than 25,000 mortgage industry service and solution providers.

This integration provides a gateway that helps support easy, secure lender access to Global DMS' comprehensive eTrac valuation management platform from their loan origination system (LOS), such as Black Knight's LoanSphere Empower and LoanSphere LendingSpace LOS, which are integrated with LoanSphere Exchange.

Global DMS' integration with LoanSphere Exchange enables lenders to order, check the status in real-time, review and upload completed appraisal files into the LOS. The bi-directional integration streamlines data exchange and facilitates ease of communication between the platforms. This eliminates the re-entry of data from initial ordering through review, thus reducing errors, ensuring compliance, cutting costs and dramatically speeding up the appraisal process.

Black Knight's Exchange technology provides integration, data management, decisioning support and workflow management to facilitate transactions between lenders and their service providers through a single, secure online platform.

"Through this integration, we significantly extend our reach to lenders that use Black Knight technology," said Vladimir Bien-Aime, president and CEO at Global DMS. "As a result of constantly changing legislation and higher origination costs, an increasing number of lenders are looking for an easy, cost-effective way to bring the appraisal function in-house. With Exchange, lenders essentially now have plug-and-play LOS integration to eTrac, which completely supports an in-house appraisal panel model, automates the entire valuation management process, and requires little-to-no IT resources to maintain."

"We are pleased to welcome Global DMS as one of Black Knight's Exchange integration partners in support of our commitment to reduce the time, cost and complexity to originate loans," said Tom Peterson, president, Lending Solutions division at Black Knight. "Mutual clients will be able to access a seamless integration to operate an in-house appraisal group on a national or regional level."

eTrac is a single-source valuation management platform that automates key aspects of the valuation process: vendor management, appraisal ordering, assigning orders, tracking status in real-time, handling accounting functions, appraisal delivery based on lender preferences, reviewing appraisals, and finally selling them via connectivity to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP) and Electronic Appraisal Delivery portal. eTrac's configurable workflow engine establishes a smooth, workflow-driven process that removes manual touchpoints. eTrac helps support lender compliance with changing state-based rules, federal laws, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Dodd-Frank Act.

About Global DMS:
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, Global DMS is a leading provider of commercial and residential real estate valuation solutions catering to lenders, servicers, AMCs, appraisers and other real estate entities. The company's solution set is cost effectively delivered on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) transactional basis that ensures compliance adherence, reduces costs, increases efficiencies and expedites the entire real estate appraisal process.

The company's solutions include its eTrac valuation management platform, eTrac WebForms, Global Kinex, AVMs, the MISMO Appraisal Review System (MARS), AMC State Regulations, ATOM (Appraisal Tracking on Mobile), and AMCmatch.com. For more information, visit the company's web site http://www.globaldms.com/ or call (877) 866-2747.

# # #

Media Contact:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com
(949) 378-9685

Global DMS, a leading provider of cloud-based valuation management software, announced that it has integrated with Black Knight's LoanSphere Exchange platform, an online, collaborative technology that connects more than 25,000 mortgage industry service and solution providers.

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

Bank of Southern California N.A. Opens Orange County Office

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 opening of a production office in Orange County in the city of Orange, Calif. In addition, the bank said it is actively looking to expand into other Southern California markets, as the company continues to grow the banks franchise throughout the Southern California region.

"The bank currently serves many clients who are based in Orange and Los Angeles counties, so our expansion into Orange County was the next, natural extension of our planned growth," said Nathan Rogge, president/CEO, Bank of Southern California. "The Orange County market is attractive, not only because of its proximity to the bank's existing footprint, but also because of the number of thriving and prosperous businesses in the region left unserved by larger regional and national banks."

Rogge said the new Orange County production office, staffed by business development officers and a few administrative employees will focus on originating business relationships with financing and cash management needs who desire the personal services of a dedicated Account Officer, but who are also comfortable managing their banking electronically through services such as online banking and bill payment, remote deposit capture, mobile banking, and electronic cash vault.

"The company's strategic vision is to become a leading community business bank serving the Southern California region, and grow into the bank's name as it implies," said Rogge. "Bank of Southern California has grown significantly in recent years through a combination of organic growth and acquisition, and we are continuing to pursue new market growth opportunities in 2018.

"Our clients recognize the value of our relationship-based, solutions driven approach, which combines the sophisticated financial expertise and tools of a large bank with the genuine, personalized service and local engagement of a community bank. We are pleased that we can now better serve Orange County businesses," concluded Rogge.

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, professional, 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 seven branches in San Diego and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, and a production office in Orange County.

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

Ticker: 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 opening of a production office in Orange County in the city of Orange, Calif. In addition, the bank said it is actively looking to expand into other Southern California markets, as the company continues to grow the banks franchise throughout the Southern California region.

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

EPIC and Qualified Plan Advisors Announce Collaboration Agreement for the Benefit of Ascende Wealth Advisor Retirement Plan Consulting Clients

HOUSTON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, the retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting subsidiary of EPIC Holdings, announced today a collaboration agreement between EPIC's Houston-based Ascende Wealth Advisors, Inc. (AWAI) and Qualified Plan Advisors (QPA), a division of Prime Capital Investment Advisors. QPA is a federally regulated investment advisor with more than 30 years of specialized expertise in 401k planning advisory services and private wealth management advisory services.

Due to changing and ever evolving regulations, the provision of retirement planning and consulting services has become increasingly more complex and challenging. To respond to these challenges, EPIC investigated a number of options, and felt that aligning themselves with a highly qualified specialty firm would best serve expanding client needs.

The result is a collaboration agreement and partnership with QPA that expands the resources available to both current and future EPIC clients. Under this agreement the AWAI team will become employees of QPA, who will now be utilized as a third party investment advisory partner for EPIC clients requiring these services.

QPA manages a very large retirement practice with offices and specialized resources around the country that will now be available to the retirement consulting team that has been serving Ascende/EPIC clients.

Under the agreement QPA will assume existing AWAI investment advisory contracts, so that clients will have the same service team.

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/.

About Qualified Plan Advisors:

Qualified Plan Advisors (QPA) is an independent, results driven advisory firm and fiduciary partner, comprised of a team of ERISA attorneys, over 70 advisors and more than 50 professional staff. QPA provides consulting services that are designed to deliver an à la carte experience to plan sponsors with either single or multiple needs. Please visit https://qualifiedplanadvisors.com/ to learn more.

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EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), the retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting subsidiary of EPIC Holdings, announced today a collaboration agreement between EPIC's Houston-based Ascende Wealth Advisors, Inc. (AWAI) and Qualified Plan Advisors (QPA), a division of Prime Capital Investment Advisors. QPA is a federally regulated investment advisor with more than 30 years of specialized expertise in 401k planning advisory services and private wealth management advisory services.

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

Supreme Lending Branch Partners with May We Give for Love

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Supreme Lending, a nationwide lender, has announced that its San Diego, California branch has partnered with May We Give for Love, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that provides financial contributions and volunteer support to several local charitable causes.

May We Give for Love was started by Supreme Lending loan officer May Nguyen (NMLS # 1058274), who works out of Supreme Lending's San Diego branch. Since the organization was founded earlier this year, it has raised upwards of $12,000 through events such as charity balls, bowling tournaments and golf tournaments.

May We Give for Love has donated to Corazon de Vida, a nonprofit organization providing support for orphaned and abandoned children in Baja California, Mexico; Friends of Downtown, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to San Diego City College students and donates holiday gift bags for homebound senior citizens; and Rancho de los Niños, an orphanage in Baja California, Mexico. Its board takes regular trips to the orphanages it supports and encourages volunteers to get involved by visiting the facilities.

"We wouldn't be able to accomplish what we have if it wasn't for companies like Supreme sponsoring our events and supporting our mission," said Nguyen. "I work at Supreme because the company embodies teamwork, accountability and support in everything they do from their charitable contributions to their business practices."

Nguyen has been in the mortgage industry for 12 years, three of which have been with Supreme Lending. She assists first time, FHA and veteran homeowners with the full range of mortgage products, and has established a niche in condominium financing in downtown San Diego.

"Purchasing a condo in downtown San Diego can be extremely difficult for getting a mortgage - a lot of deals fall through because loan officers can't get past the red tape due to defect litigation, which effects 50 to 60 percent of condo products in downtown," said Nguyen. "I've been able to close these deals because I am used to doing what others think you can't. That's what we do through May We Give for Love. We see the change we want to make and we find a way to do it."

About Supreme Lending:
Established by founder Scott Everett in 1999, Supreme Lending is a full-service mortgage lender licensed in 50 states with branches throughout the U.S, adding more branches each month. The growing company employs hundreds of employees and has been ranked among the "Best Places to Work" by American City Business Journals for the past five years. Supreme Lending has established relationships with all major investors, is a Fannie Mae seller/servicer, and offers a full range of mortgage programs, including conforming and non-conforming loans and FHA/VA loans. The corporate culture is based on a customer-comes-first approach, which helps homebuyers realize their dreams of homeownership.

Supreme Lending has been recognized for five consecutive years as an Inc. 500/5000 company and in 2013, 2014 and 2015, was named one of the Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America by Mortgage Executive Magazine. Supreme Lending is a licensed mortgage lender, and branch 741 (Branch NMLS 1455391) is licensed in California (California Residential Mortgage Lending Act License 4130655).

For further information, please visit http://www.supremelending.com/ or call (888) 392-0250.

EVERETT FINANCIAL, INC. D/B/A SUPREME LENDING NMLS ID #2129 (www.nmlsconsumeracces.org).

Supreme Lending, a nationwide lender, has announced that its San Diego, California branch has partnered with May We Give for Love, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that provides financial contributions and volunteer support to several local charitable causes.

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

Michael Cooksey Named One of National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s ’40 Under 40′

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- The Cooksey Team, a top producing retail branch of Mid America Mortgage, Inc., announced today that its founder Michael Cooksey has been named one of "The 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40" for 2017 by industry trade magazine National Mortgage Professional.

In selecting Cooksey for this honor, the magazine noted his accomplishments as founder of The Cooksey Team, specifically citing the success his loan originators (LOs) have enjoyed under his tutelage and leadership. While the Mortgage Bankers Association reports that LOs, on average, achieve 2.4 closings per month, Cooksey Team LOs average nearly three times that, achieving six closings per month, while also earning at least $250,000 annually.

"My philosophy has always been that helping the people around me grow to become the best versions of themselves is how I will achieve success," Cooksey said. "Individual awards like these are always gratifying, but I would be remiss if I didn't note the role my staff plays in helping me achieve these honors. This is just as much their award as it is mine, and I'm deeply grateful for the team I have working with me."

According to the magazine's December issue, this year's class, "exemplif[ies] professionalism and top production in today's housing market. Despite the rough waters of the U.S. economy and the ever-shifting landscape known as the mortgage industry, these 40 professionals have persevered in a time of regulatory uncertainty."

To view the full list of winners, visit:
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nmpmedia/nmp_201712/index.php#/32

About National Mortgage Professional:
National Mortgage Professional Magazine 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 of original Webinars, along with a number of additional resources in the works.

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 nearly $1 billion in funded loans over the last five 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. 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 $300 million in volume in 2017. For more information on The Cooksey Team, visit http://cookseyteam.com.

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

In operation since 1940, Mid America has thrived by retaining its entrepreneurial spirit and leading the market in innovation, including its adoption of eClosings eNotes. Click n' Close, the Official Mortgage Provider of NASCAR(R), is Mid America's ultra-secure, digital mortgage approval and closing process that delivers an eight-minute application process, getting home buyers from application to closing within two weeks. With just a few clicks at closing, Click n' Close puts keys in the home buyer's hand in 15 minutes or less. Apply online at https://clicknclose.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.midamericacareer.com/.

Twitter: @midamericamtge

The Cooksey Team, a top producing retail branch of Mid America Mortgage, Inc., announced today that its founder Michael Cooksey has been named one of The 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40 for 2017 by industry trade magazine National Mortgage Professional.

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

Cloudvirga Co-founder Kyle Kamrooz Named One of National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, today announced that its co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Kamrooz has been named one of National Mortgage Professional magazine's 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40.

Now in its eighth year, the "40 Under 40" recognition will be featured in National Mortgage Professional's December issue. The honor is presented to top mortgage professionals under the age of 40 who exemplify professionalism, innovation and results in today's housing market. The award is based on merit and peer voting and recognizes those who have persevered in a time of regulatory uncertainty.

"It's a sincere honor to be included in this list of highly-respected mortgage professionals," Kamrooz said. "I started in residential mortgage lending nearly two decades ago, and I have devoted my career to improving the mortgage process. Cloudvirga embodies that goal by providing lenders technology that we believe will reset the bar for the entire industry."

Kamrooz was also recently named a 2017 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner for his company leadership and substantial contributions to the mortgage industry at large. In the past year, he has helped Cloudvirga raised more than $25 million in capital funding, forge technology partnerships with some of the industry's most innovative service providers and process more than $15 billion in loans for many of the nation's top non-bank mortgage originators.

"Visionaries such as Kyle Kamrooz should be applauded for their foresight and ability to remain ahead of an ever-changing technological curve in the mortgage marketplace," said Eric C. Peck, Editor-in-Chief for National Mortgage Professional. "We commend Kyle and his team at Cloudvirga for making the transition to new technologies a smooth one for so many in the industry. Congratulations for earning the distinction of being named one of our 40 most influential mortgage professionals under 40."

About Cloudvirga(TM):

Cloudvirga's intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms uniquely combine a world-class borrower experience with a truly digital lender platform that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Founded by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's initial customer roster includes nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $25 million from some of the country's top lenders and venture capital firms. For more information, visit http://www.cloudvirga.com/ or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

About National Mortgage Professional Magazine:

National Mortgage Professional Magazine has become "The Source for Top Originators" that connects the mortgage professional community under various media formats. It's committed to ensuring that today's industry is equipped with the most comprehensive understanding of mortgage news available.

Cloudvirga, developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, today announced that its co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Kamrooz has been named one of National Mortgage Professional magazine's 2017 '40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40.'

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

Matic COO Named One of National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Matic, a digital insurance agency whose technology enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the mortgage transaction, announced today that company co-founder and COO Benjamin Madick has been named one of National Mortgage Professional magazine's "40 most influential mortgage professionals under 40."

According to the publication, this honor goes to top mortgage professionals under the age of 40 who exemplify professionalism, innovation and top production in today's housing market. Based on merit and peer voting, the list recognizes those who have persevered in a time of regulatory uncertainty. Now in its eighth year, this list will appear in the magazine's December issue.

"It is gratifying and humbling to be recognized by my peers in the mortgage industry," Madick said. "As a digital insurance agency whose roots are in mortgage banking, Matic strives to deliver real value not just for borrowers, but also for lenders and the loan officers that drive their success."

"Benjamin Madick and his team at Matic help lenders take the stress out of the entire home-buying process, right down to homeowner's insurance," said National Mortgage Professional Editor-in-Chief Eric C. Peck. "Being honored as one of the 40 most influential mortgage professionals under 40 is a fitting recognition by his peers for his work in today's marketplace, and a testament to the work of Ben and the Matic crew in helping realize the American Dream of homeownership."

This is not the first time Madick has been identified as a mortgage industry leader. Most recently, he was named a 2017 HousingWire Vanguard winner for guiding Matic's impressive growth over the last year.

About Matic:

Matic is a technology-driven insurance agency focused on helping lenders and loan officers better integrate homeowner's insurance into the lending process. By using loan application information and first-of-its-kind technology, Matic provides homebuyers multiple policy options within seconds, helping loan officers close their loans faster. Matic delivers the most trusted, affordable insurance policies available thanks to its partnerships with a diverse network of insurance carriers. Today's borrowers expect a digital home-buying experience, and Matic gives them the digital insurance experience to match. For more information, visit http://matic.com or follow Matic on LinkedIn.

About National Mortgage Professional Magazine:

National Mortgage Professional Magazine has become "The Source for Top Originators" that connects the mortgage professional community under various media formats. It's committed to ensuring that today's industry is equipped with the most comprehensive understanding of mortgage news available.

Matic Insurance Services, a digital insurance agency whose technology enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the mortgage transaction, announced today that company co-founder and COO Benjamin Madick has been named one of National Mortgage Professional magazine's 2017 '40 most influential mortgage professionals under 40.'

Related link: https://maticinsurance.com/

The Mortgage Collaborative Adds FullCircle Placements to Preferred Partner Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of FullCircle Placements to its Preferred Partner network. FullCircle will be the first mortgage-centric recruiting and placement service provider within TMC's network.

"Our members have long indicated a need to have a provider in the mortgage placement and recruitment space, so we couldn't be happier to add FullCircle to our Preferred Partner network," said Chief Operating Officer of The Mortgage Collaborative Rich Swerbinsky. "FullCircle's high-touch service commitment to their clients provides our members a partner that can be highly flexible to their staffing needs in direct placement, contract or temporary staffing, and loan officer recruitment."

FullCircle's primary goal is to help small and mid-sized mortgage lenders throughout the United States find great candidates for a wide spectrum of positions within the mortgage industry. With multiple recruitment service offerings and solutions, FullCircle takes pride in filling client openings quickly while keeping hiring costs at a minimum. FullCircle works directly with their clients to obtain a deep understanding of their culture and staffing needs to identify the right candidates and go above and beyond your typical job posting.

"FullCircle is extremely excited to plug into such an amazing network of lender members and preferred partners. I believe the growth of the network speaks volumes of the people who have built The Mortgage Collaborative into what it is today," said President and Founder of FullCircle Placements Daniel Greiner. "TMC is providing immense value to small and mid-sized organizations in the mortgage industry and we look forward to providing even more value to their members in the recruiting space."

The Mortgage Collaborative network is more than 120 lenders strong, with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The lender network is supported by a preferred partner network of organizations that specialize within each facet of the mortgage life cycle. The Mortgage Collaborative is rewriting the playbook on the cooperative model and their network caters to lenders of all sizes, with a strong mix of independent mortgage brokers and community banks and depositories.

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, 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: www.mortgagecollaborative.com.

About FullCircle Placements:

Based in St. Louis, Mo., FullCircle Placements is dedicated to delivering for their clients. FullCircle Placements is a full-service recruitment firm that specializes in finding top talent in the mortgage industry through their Direct Placement Services, Hourly Contract Recruitment, Loan Officer Recruiting and Temporary & Contract Staffing. FullCircle's professional network includes over 13,000 mortgage professionals who are potential candidates for their clients.

For more information, visit: www.fullcircleplacements.com

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of FullCircle Placements to its Preferred Partner network. FullCircle will be the first mortgage-centric recruiting and placement service provider within TMC's network.

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

ReverseVision Names New CTO and VP of Operations to Senior Management Team

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, today announced it has added new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jim Magner and Vice President of Operations Stacey Lund to its senior management team.

Magner brings more than 20 years' technology leadership experience across such diverse verticals as banking, enterprise security, travel and leisure, lifestyle products and automotive. As CTO of ReverseVision, he will guide the firm's product development, platform operations and internal IT teams.

Prior to joining ReverseVision, Magner was president and chief operating officer of San-Diego based Eturi, a market leader in mobile parental control software. Magner has also held executive and senior management positions at Mitek Systems, Symantec, MGM Mirage Resorts and Wynn | Encore Las Vegas.

Lund has over 25 years' experience driving operational improvements and leading customer service and support teams for companies in a variety of industries. As VP of operations, Lund will oversee ReverseVision's training, professional services, education and document operations departments.

She joins ReverseVision from Affinity Development Group, where she served as vice president of member services and was responsible for managing the performance of Costco's Auto Program contact center. She has also served in executive roles at Mitchell International and Inetcam. Lund holds a master's degree in communication management from the University of Southern California.

"We are pleased to welcome two highly experienced leaders to our senior management team," said ReverseVision President and CEO John Button. "Through their respective roles in technology and operations oversight, Jim and Stacey will each play a significant role in helping ReverseVision achieve our operational goals, drive positive customer experiences and lead the business into the future."

"In today's economy, every company needs to be customer-focused," said Lund. "I believe my intensely customer-centric background in enterprise-level SaaS support, partnered with ReverseVision's strong strategic and data analytics, will help us transform our client experience and propel the company forward. I am excited to join the ReverseVision team!"

About ReverseVision:
ReverseVision, Inc. is the leading provider of technology and training for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) origination. With nearly 10,000 active users, ReverseVision technology is used by 10 of the top-ten reverse mortgage lenders and supports more HECM transactions than all other systems combined. The company's comprehensive product suite also includes HECM sales and education tools and a dedicated professional services team. ReverseVision partners with some of the finest and fastest-growing banks, credit unions and lending organizations in the United States to provide its HECM technology to brokers, correspondents, lenders and investors.

A 2017 HousingWire TECH100(tm) company, ReverseVision has also been recognized in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500(tm) listing. ReverseVision's annual user conference, the only event of its kind in the industry, brings together more than 200 lenders, vendors and educators each year to advance HECM lending. The company continues to build on its technology's pioneering capabilities with frequent enhancements aimed at boosting users' HECM volume, workflow efficiency and data analysis capabilities.

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

*IMAGES FOR MEDIA:
(1) Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1219s2p-Jim-Magner-300dpi.jpg
(2) Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1219s2p-Stacey-Lund-300dpi.jpg

ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, today announced it has added new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jim Magner and Vice President of Operations Stacey Lund to its senior management team.

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

Mortgage Automation Trailblazer Cloudvirga Hires Jim Portner as Chief Product Officer

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, has hired Jim Portner as chief product officer. Portner will report to Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck and will oversee product strategy, development and marketing for the company's digital mortgage automation platforms.

The addition to Cloudvirga's executive leadership team comes on the heels of the company's recent announcement that it added five top-30 lenders to its digital mortgage platform in the last 100 days.

Before joining Cloudvirga, Portner was senior vice president of products and strategy for First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF). In that role, Portner oversaw strategy, management and marketing for the firm's Database Solutions products, including Data Trace and DataTree. Portner has also held senior management roles at Interthinx, a mortgage fraud solutions provider acquired by First American in 2014, and CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX).

Portner has made a career focus of innovation and disruption in the financial space. For more than two decades he drove product strategy within the professional accounting products division of Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU). Following Intuit, he served as product line general manager over enterprise resource planning and accounting product lines for Sage (LON: SGE).

"Jim has a remarkable pedigree developing and leading product lines for some of the world's largest financial services and SaaS firms," said Schreck. "He is the perfect fit to lead Cloudvirga's talented product team and take our market-disruptive digital mortgage platforms to the next level."

"Cloudvirga combines a unique approach to mortgage automation with powerful data insights to deliver a perfect loan every time," said Portner. "I look forward to shaping the future of our product line that lets borrowers and loan officers take the guesswork out of selecting the best available loan option."

Portner holds a master's degree in business administration from Emory University; a master's degree in business taxation from the University of Southern California; and a real estate finance degree from California State University, Long Beach.

About Cloudvirga(TM):

Cloudvirga's intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms uniquely combine a world-class borrower experience with a truly digital lender platform that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Founded by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's initial customer roster includes eight of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $25 million from some of the country's top lenders and venture capital firms. For more information, visit http://www.cloudvirga.com/ or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

*PHOTO for Media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1214s2p-portner-300dpi.jpg
*Photo Caption: Jim Portner Joins Digital Mortgage Automation Trailblazer Cloudvirga as Chief Product Officer.

Cloudvirga, developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, has hired Jim Portner as chief product officer. Portner will report to Cloudvirga CEO Michael Schreck and will oversee product strategy, development and marketing for the company's digital mortgage automation platforms.

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

OpenClose Adds AFR’s Flood Services to its LOS via Seamless Interface

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- OpenClose(R), a multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) and mortgage software solutions provider, announced that it partnered with AFR Services (AFR) to enable customers to access the company's complete suite of flood services. Using the interface makes it quick and easy to order AFR's various flood services directly from within OpenClose's LenderAssist(TM) LOS.

AFR is a nationwide full-service risk management company serving mortgage lenders, insurance agencies as well as consumers. The company has expertise in hazard and flood insurance solutions - tracking and notification systems, lender placed insurance, commercial flood insurance, residential flood insurance, and flood zone determination services. AFR is also a Lloyd's cover holder for private flood insurance.

By way of this seamless integration, all data needed to obtain flood certificates is auto populated from AFR into LenderAssist. This eliminates the need to leave the application, place orders on AFR's website and then re-key information back into the loan file. As a result, time is saved, errors are reduced, accuracy is enhanced and the overall ordering process becomes more efficient.

"AFR has a strong reputation for accuracy and personal service so we are pleased that our partnership will make the process of ordering their flood services simple and easy for our customers," commented JP Kelly, president of OpenClose. "Our interface with them keeps the details, documentation and flood certificate completely within LenderAssist, centralizing moving parts and ensuring compliance."

LenderAssist is an end-to-end LOS that is completely web-based and automates all business channels and workflows from a single lending automation platform. System implementations are configured to flex with lenders' unique business process, which is managed by OpenClose along with post implementation maintenance and ongoing customer support.

About OpenClose:
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, OpenClose(R) is a leading enterprise-class, multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) mortgage software solutions provider that cost effectively delivers its platform on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis. The company provides a variety of 100 percent web-based solutions for lenders, banks, credit unions, and conduit aggregators. OpenClose's core solution, LenderAssist(TM), is comprehensive loan origination software that is completely engineered by OpenClose using the same code base from the ground up, thus avoiding the problems that often accompany assembling best-of-breed applications or acquiring disparate technologies in an effort to create an end-to-end platform. The company provides lending organizations with full control of their data and creates a truly seamless workflow for complete automation and compliance adherence. For more information, visit https://www.openclose.com/ or call (561) 655-6418.

About AFR Services:
AFR Services, headquartered in Plano, Texas, is a risk management company utilizing leading edge technology and dedicated personnel to deliver services to financial institutions, insurance agencies, and individual consumers nationwide. Since 1992, the mission of AFR has been one of commitment - a commitment to provide innovative and cost effective solutions for our valuable clients. Regardless of the need, AFR's team of dedicated professionals utilize their vast experience, coupled with cutting edge technology, to develop targeted solutions that enhance efficiency and increase productivity. Satisfaction and success of our clients builds the pathway to the future and AFR is committed to continue leading in the development and provision of risk management tools and solutions for its clients. For more information, visit https://www.afrservices.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

OpenClose, a multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) and mortgage software solutions provider, announced that it partnered with AFR Services to enable customers to access the company's complete suite of flood services. Using the interface makes it quick and easy to order AFR's various flood services directly from within OpenClose's LenderAssist LOS.

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

The Mortgage Collaborative Adds United Capital Markets to Preferred Partner Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of United Capital Markets, Inc. (UCM), the mortgage industry's leading outsource provider of dynamic MSR hedging. UCM will provide TMC Lender Members strategic advice to bank-owned and private mortgage companies focusing on MSR investment strategies, balance sheet optimization and the capital stack.

"Having Austin and UCM agree to join our quality group of Preferred Partners caps an extraordinary year for the Collaborative," said David G. Kittle, TMC Vice Chairman. "Offering our lender members real opportunities to increase their margins and protect against balance sheet volatility is why TMC will continue to achieve exceptional growth in 2018!"

"We are thrilled to join The Mortgage Collaborative and share our expertise with the members," said Austin Tilghman, CEO. "Most importantly, we are looking forward to getting to know each member company, learning about their unique challenges and offering innovative solutions designed to deliver a quantifiable difference."

The Mortgage Collaborative network is more than 120 lenders strong, with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The lender network is supported by a preferred partner network of organizations that specialize within each facet of the mortgage life cycle. The Mortgage Collaborative is rewriting the playbook on the cooperative model and their network caters to lenders of all sizes, with a strong mix of independent mortgage brokers and community banks and depositories.

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, 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: http://www.mortgagecollaborative.com/.

About United Capital Markets, Inc.:

United Capital Markets, Inc. (UCM) is the leading outsource provider for innovative risk management services primarily focusing on hedging mortgage servicing rights (MSRs). As a trusted advisor, UCM has deep experience with mortgage origination and servicing operations, mortgage banking accounting, regulatory examinations, capital formation and, of course, hedging MSRs. For hedge clients, UCM serves as a trusted advisor, rather than a counter-party, managing hedge instruments that typically generate income while minimizing volatility.

For more information, visit: https://ucm-inc.com.

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of United Capital Markets, Inc. (UCM), the mortgage industry's leading outsource provider of dynamic MSR hedging. UCM will provide TMC Lender Members strategic advice to bank-owned and private mortgage companies focusing on MSR investment strategies, balance sheet optimization and the capital stack.

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

ARMCO Announces New Loan Data Validation Tools

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software ACES Audit Technology(TM), has announced the release of a new technology for mortgage lenders and servicers that improves data validation in the QC process.

ARMCO's new data validation tool is available through the most recent ACES upgrade, which was released on December 9, 2017. This upgrade's principal enhancement is advanced process automation functionality that enables ACES to automatically identify missing data within the loan file. Data integrity issues are one of the top causes of critical defects, according to research released in the most recent ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report. With the system's new advanced automation functionality, ACES now fulfills an essential function for avoiding data validation errors.

Introducing this upgraded level of process automation is part of ARMCO's strategy to continue exploiting and maximizing process automation to turn one of the most labor intensive and time-consuming tasks into an entirely automated process within the ACES platform, and impart the highest levels of thoroughness, reliability and efficiency in the QC process.

"We created this feature to help our clients relieve a critical pain point of validating system data. Data integrity issues compromise loan quality, create extra work, and most importantly, increase lenders' risk when they're not caught and corrected," said Phil McCall, president of ARMCO. "Manually searching for data related errors can be extremely difficult given the amount of data contained in a loan file. That's why automation stands to make a major difference in lenders' success in identifying and correcting one of the most frequent causes of critical defects."

About ARMCO:
ARMCO - ACES Risk Management delivers web-based audit technology solutions, as well as powerful data and analytics, to the nation's top mortgage lenders, servicers, investors and outsourcing professionals. A trusted partner devoted to client relationships, ARMCO offers best-in-class quality control and compliance software that provides U.S. banks, mortgage companies and service providers the technology and data needed to support loan integrity, meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk and drive positive business decisions.

ARMCO's flagship product, ACES Audit Technology(TM), is available at any point in the mortgage loan lifecycle, to any size lender, and is user-definable. ACES standardizes audit requirements, ties pre-funding reviews to post-closing quality control audits, enables seamless trend analysis, identifies credit, compliance and process deficiencies and helps create manageable action plans.

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

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software ACES Audit Technology(TM), has announced the release of a new technology for mortgage lenders and servicers that improves data validation in the QC process.

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

The Mortgage Collaborative Adds FundingShield to Preferred Partner Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of FundingShield to its Preferred Partner network. FundingShield offers TMC members a pair of loan level verification services to protect lenders by assuring closing funds go to verified bank accounts belonging to licensed and authorized parties. FundingShield provides actionable intelligence to lenders while other services may provide data that you have to interpret.

"We're thrilled to add an organization like FundingShield that is so highly regarded by our Lender Members that currently utilize their products and services," said Jim Park, Chief Executive Officer of The Mortgage Collaborative. "FundingShield's sophisticated verification products will offer our members peace of mind when executing the closing process and transfer of funds at the end of a mortgage loan transaction."

FundingShield services to TMC members include, WAVs or Wire Account Verification Services, which customers can leverage wire verifications instantly from the FundingShield proprietary dataset of over 40,000 verified settlement party wire accounts. Also offered is The Guardian Service, a loan closing transaction level monitoring system that provides a loan level certificate of assurance confirming good settlement, valid CPL coverage and forms, wire account confirmation, approved and authorized closing parties, licensing of agents and more on every closing.

"We are excited to partner with TMC to provide their members with industry leading solutions to manage risk and fraud in funding their mortgage closings," said Ike Suri, Chairman & CEO of FundingShield. "With an increase in fraudulent activities including social engineering, phishing, hacks and other fraud schemes deployed in the market we hope to assist TMC members to minimize their risk while achieving the highest standard in closing and funding process oversight from a regulatory & fraud perspective. We look forward to meeting and presenting to the TMC members at the upcoming TMC events."

The Mortgage Collaborative network is more than 120 lenders strong, with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The lender network is supported by a preferred partner network of organizations that specialize within each facet of the mortgage life cycle. The Mortgage Collaborative is rewriting the playbook on the cooperative model and their network caters to lenders of all sizes, with a strong mix of independent mortgage brokers and community banks and depositories.

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, 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: http://www.mortgagecollaborative.com/.

About FundingShield:

FundingShield is an industry leading financial technology firm that protects the mortgage, real estate, title and legal services industries from wire fraud, social engineering attempts, cyber based and settlement agent based wire fraud. FundingShield's cost and time effective solutions deliver the highest level of control and risk mitigation to our clients at the loan transaction level. FundingShield has proven products with hundreds of billions of dollars of transaction history from its existing clients such as major banks, asset managers and independent mortgage banks of all sizes in the residential and commercial mortgage industry.

For more information, visit: http://www.fundingshield.com/.

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of FundingShield to its Preferred Partner network. FundingShield offers TMC members a pair of loan level verification services to protect lenders by assuring closing funds go to verified bank accounts belonging to licensed and authorized parties. FundingShield provides actionable intelligence to lenders while other services may provide data that you have to interpret.

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

Docutech and Cloudvirga Partner to Help Loan Officers Work More Efficiently

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, today announced a partnership with Docutech that will enable Cloudvirga's lender customers to work more efficiently, reduce the cost of document compliance and make the home loan experience more convenient for borrowers.

Docutech is the leading provider of document and compliance technology for mortgage, home equity and consumer lending. Its flagship ConformX(TM) dynamic document generation engine will integrate seamlessly with Cloudvirga's digital mortgage platform, pulling data directly from the POS and leveraging rules-based intelligence to automate the creation of accurate and compliant loan disclosures for all 50 states. The combination of Cloudvirga's comprehensive loan data and Docutech's built-in compliance checks will give loan officers confidence that loan packages are accurate and compliant from the start.

Cloudvirga will also offer Docutech's Solex(TM) eSign and eDelivery functionality. Solex enables borrowers to compliantly review and sign documents using any web-enabled device. When paper delivery of the loan package is required, ConformX print and mail fulfillment service will ensure documents are delivered in the required timeframes.

"By seamlessly combining Cloudvirga's automated workflow, comprehensive guidelines and calculations for all loan products with Docutech's comprehensive suite of document and compliance solutions, we're empowering loan officers to generate disclosures with ease - and to get it right the first time, every time," said Cloudvirga Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Kamrooz.

"Our integration with Cloudvirga enables us to help more loan originators transition away from paper processes that are manual, time-intensive and inflexible in favor of dynamic, technology-enabled processes that streamline operations, improve processing speed and accuracy, reduce cost and delight customers," said Amy Brandt, president and COO of Docutech.

Eight of the top 40 non-bank lenders have chosen Cloudvirga because it re-engineers the mortgage workflow to give consumers greater control over the loan application process and accelerate the mortgage sales funnel for loan officers. The company's digital mortgage technology delivers underwriter-ready loan applications with unmatched speed and quality, resulting in massively reduced costs to produce.

About Cloudvirga(TM):

Cloudvirga's intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms uniquely combine a world-class borrower experience with a truly digital lender platform that radically cuts overall loan costs, increases transparency and reduces the time to close a loan. Founded by top fintech veterans with a track record of building successful mortgage technologies, Cloudvirga's initial customer roster includes eight of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators. To date, Cloudvirga has raised over $25 million from some of the country's top lenders and venture capital firms. For more information, visit http://www.cloudvirga.com/ or follow Cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

About Docutech

Founded in 1991, Idaho Falls, Idaho and Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Docutech offers a wide range of document technology solutions for mortgage, home equity, and consumer lending from document generation to eDelivery, eSign, eClose, and print fulfillment. The company sets the standard in providing market-proven technology and unrivaled customer service to the financial industry. Docutech's knowledge and solutions empower lending professionals to efficiently produce accurate loan packages in all 50 states to ensure compliance with constantly changing laws and regulations. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.docutech.com or follow them on social media at LinkedIn or Twitter @Docutech.

Cloudvirga, developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, today announced a partnership with Docutech that will enable Cloudvirga's lender customers to work more efficiently, reduce the cost of document compliance and make the home loan experience more convenient for borrowers.

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

Waterstone Mortgage to Manage QC Audits Using TRK’s Insight RDM

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- TRK Connection (TRK), a leading provider of mortgage quality control and origination management solutions, announced today that Wisconsin-based Waterstone Mortgage Corporation has chosen the Insight Risk & Defect Management (RDM) platform to conduct its internal quality control (QC) audits.

"After carefully considering our Quality Control department's current process, we determined that our existing QC audit platform was not meeting our expectations and would be incapable of handling additional loan volume," said Indar Ramadhar, vice president of loan delivery and quality control at Waterstone Mortgage. "Insight RDM has the functionality we need to maintain our standards of loan quality and is scalable enough to accommodate our growth for years to come. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with TRK."

Insight RDM is the mortgage industry's first cloud-based QC audit platform that was designed in direct collaboration with lenders to deliver the features and functionality needed to reduce repurchase risk and elevate loan quality. Built to be device-agnostic, Insight's intuitive interface and sophisticated QC auditing tools streamline the loan defect management and remediation process. In addition, integrated action planning and business intelligence reporting from Tableau empower lenders to more effectively track, report and trend loan defects and proactively mitigate future risk.

"Digital innovation must extend to mortgage QC if lenders hope to maintain and improve loan quality while accelerating the origination process through the pursuit of the eMortgage," said Teri Sundh, CEO of TRK Connection. "Insight RDM is the engine lenders need to drive loan quality throughout their organization."

About Waterstone Mortgage Corporation:
Headquartered in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Waterstone Mortgage is a wholly owned subsidiary of WaterStone Bank SSB (NASDAQ:WSBF) with assets of more than $1.8 billion. Founded in 2000, the company now originates loans in 43 states. In 2016, it surpassed $2.5 billion in annual mortgage origination volume.

To learn more about Waterstone Mortgage, visit https://www.waterstonemortgage.com.

About TRK Connection:
Founded in 2013, TRK Connection prides itself on its ability to develop technologies that allow businesses to surpass their organizational needs and meet their business objectives. As an innovator in the mortgage origination and quality assurance space, TRK continues to develop and refine solutions geared to promote and strengthen the loan origination process, pre/post-close loan audits and the defect remediation process.

Currently, TRK offers solutions that support Mortgage Audit & Quality Control (Insight Risk & Defect Management(TM)), Loan Origination Vendor Management (Core Connect(TM)), Complete LOS Connectivity Platforms and more. For more information, visit http://trkconnection.com.

(REF: NASDAQ:WSBF / NQ: WSBF)

TRK Connection, a leading provider of mortgage quality control and origination management solutions, announced today that Wisconsin-based Waterstone Mortgage Corporation has chosen the Insight Risk and Defect Management (RDM) platform to conduct its internal quality control (QC) audits.

Related link: http://trkconnection.com/

Maxwell Closes New $3M Funding Round to Accelerate Pace of Mortgage Innovation

DENVER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- Maxwell Financial Labs, Inc., a leading provider of B2B digital mortgage cloud software, announced today a new funding round of $3 million, led by the investment arm of Anthemis Group, a company committed to cultivating change in financial services, with participation from Route66 Ventures and Assurant Inc., along with its existing investors. The funding will enable Maxwell to capitalize on its accelerating growth and further increase its pace of innovation. The new round brings the total capital raised to date by the company to $5 million.

"Our latest funding round shows strong investor confidence in Maxwell's mission to power people in the mortgage industry with technology," said John Paasonen, Maxwell's co-founder and CEO. "Our commitment is to elevate growing mortgage lenders with unique technology to maximize the output from their teams, putting relationships at the center of their business strategy, ultimately creating experiences that their homebuyers and referral partners love."

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the costs to originate a mortgage have skyrocketed 80% in the last 7 years. The national average days to close a loan is now 51 days, up from an average of just 30 days just 7 years ago, as the burden of paperwork and broader requirements to vet borrowers weigh on lenders. Now, as the market shifts to purchase-driven retail sales, the lending industry realizes that efficiency is critical to profitability.

Mortgage lenders powered by Maxwell collaborate with their homebuyers in a modern digital workspace, on any device, with connectivity to over 15,000 financial institutions to automate documents and signatures, and integrations into other leading mortgage technology providers. Maxwell's proprietary algorithms, built on its network of data aggregated across loans, enable its lenders to move efficiently by accelerating processing and underwriting. Since launch in mid-2016, Maxwell's platform has facilitated over $6 billion of mortgage volume - equivalent to the volume of a Top 25 Lender - for tens of thousands of homebuyers across the United States.

"It was clear to us that Maxwell is defining this category with their technology and their thought leadership," said Sean Park, founder and managing partner of the Anthemis Group. "As mortgage lenders invest in customer experience, Maxwell has become the backbone of some of the best mortgage experiences and is now an essential platform for mortgage lenders that want to harness both their people and their technology to compete in the changing mortgage market."

About Maxwell:
Maxwell empowers mortgage lenders to be more connected, productive and successful by intelligently automating their workflow with homebuyers and real estate agents. The platform is used by hundreds of mortgage lenders nationwide to serve their customers. Maxwell is proud to be built in Denver, Colorado, and is a 2016 graduate of Techstars, the leading global technology accelerator.

Learn more at: https://himaxwell.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Maxwell press office
888-256-6067
meetmax@himaxwell.com

Maxwell Financial Labs, Inc., a leading provider of B2B digital mortgage cloud software, announced today a new funding round of $3 million, led by the investment arm of Anthemis Group, a company committed to cultivating change in financial services, with participation from Route66 Ventures and Assurant Inc., along with its existing investors.

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

FormFree Provides Industry’s Most Complete Analysis of Borrower Ability to Pay with Data from Envestnet | Yodlee Risk Insight Solutions

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced its expanded partnership with Envestnet(R) | Yodlee(R) (NYSE:ENV), a leading data aggregation and data analytics platform powering dynamic, cloud-based innovation for digital financial services. By leveraging Envestnet | Yodlee Risk Insight Solutions, FormFree will have access to new data points that help to reinforce its position as provider of the most complete and reliable asset, employment and income verification reports in the mortgage industry.

The Envestnet | Yodlee Risk Insight Solutions deliver reports designed to provide insight into a consumer's holistic financial picture, utilizing aggregated data from over 16,000 sources, including banking, investment, loan and credit card information. This comprehensive data allows FormFree to enhance its AccountChek(TM) reports with bank statement copies that meet Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements. The data will also enable FormFree to fine-tune its analysis of borrower ability to pay with thousands of new rules.

FormFree was the first asset verification provider approved for participation in Fannie Mae's Day 1 Certainty(TM) initiative, which gives lenders who use the Desktop Underwriter(R) (DU(R)) Validation Service reps and warrants relief for validated loan components while delivering a faster and simplified borrower experience. FormFree is also a key participant in Fannie Mae's ongoing Single Source Validation pilot, which will allow mortgage lenders to validate borrower income, asset and employment data through a single report as early as 2018.

"We believe the breadth of Envestnet | Yodlee's financial data across banking and wealth management from tens of millions of consumers far surpasses the competition," said FormFree Founder and CEO Brent Chandler. "By combining Envestnet | Yodlee's track record of secure and accurate financial account aggregation with FormFree's decade of mortgage industry experience, we are bringing lenders unparalleled insight into their borrowers' ability to pay. Based on the research we conducted, the other options in the marketplace don't even compare."

"FormFree's partnership with Envestnet | Yodlee leverages our established platform and extensive data relationships to build better asset, income and employment analytics for lenders," said Michael Burger, vice president of product management for Envestnet | Yodlee. "Lenders participating with us in Fannie Mae's Single Source Validation pilot are already experiencing the powerful combination of Envestnet | Yodlee's Risk Insight Solutions and FormFree's AccountChek verification report."

About FormFree:
FormFree(R) is a fintech company whose market-leading AccountChek(R) reports are used by hundreds of lenders nationwide to verify borrower assets, employment and income in minutes. With FormFree, lenders can delight customers with a paperless experience and reduce origination timelines by up to 20 days. FormFree offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using a secure ReIssueKey(TM). To date, AccountChek has securely placed more than one million asset reports for over 1,000 U.S. lenders. A HousingWire TECH100(TM) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

About Envestnet:
Envestnet, Inc. (NYSE:ENV) is a leading provider of intelligent systems for wealth management and financial wellness. Envestnet's unified technology enhances advisor productivity and strengthens the wealth management process. Envestnet empowers enterprises and advisors to more fully understand their clients and deliver better outcomes.

Envestnet enables financial advisors to better manage client outcomes and strengthen their practices. Institutional-quality research and advanced portfolio solutions are provided through Envestnet | PMC, our Portfolio Management Consultants group. Envestnet | Yodlee is a leading data aggregation and data analytics platform powering dynamic, cloud-based innovation for digital financial services. Envestnet | Tamarac provides leading rebalancing, reporting, and practice management software for advisors. Envestnet | Retirement Solutions provides retirement advisors with an integrated platform that combines leading practice management technology, research and due diligence, data aggregation, compliance tools, fiduciary solutions and intelligent managed account solutions.

More than 59,000 advisors and 2,900 companies including: 16 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 39 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, over 500 of the largest Registered Investment Advisers, and hundreds of Internet services companies, leverage Envestnet technology and services. Envestnet solutions enhance knowledge of the client, accelerate client on-boarding, improve client digital experiences, and help drive better outcomes for enterprises, advisors, and their clients.

For more information on Envestnet, please visit http://www.envestnet.com and follow @ENVintel.

IMAGES FOR MEDIA:
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Twitter: #FormFree @ENVintel

FormFree(R) today announced its expanded partnership with Envestnet | Yodlee (NYSE:ENV), a leading data aggregation and data analytics platform powering dynamic, cloud-based innovation for digital financial services. By leveraging Envestnet | Yodlee Risk Insight Solutions, FormFree will have access to new data points that help to reinforce its position as provider of the most complete and reliable asset, employment and income verification reports in the mortgage industry.

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

DocMagic Opens High-Tech Print Fulfillment Supercenter to Support Growth

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that it has opened a 12,000 square foot print fulfillment center minutes from its Torrance, California headquarters. DocMagic added the high tech "supercenter" to support lenders' growing need for secure, compliant paper documents as the mortgage industry transitions to a 100 percent digital mortgage process.

"Ironically, DocMagic's increasing need to produce paper documents results from the growing number of lenders using our technologies to transact paperless mortgages," said Dominic Iannitti, president and CEO of DocMagic, who explained that even lenders employing 100 percent digital processes need to produce paper documents due to paper "fallout."

Paper fallout, which is normal and can be expected with any digital process, is usually caused when borrowers do not respond to email requests for eSigning within required timeframes or because they specifically ask their lenders to revert to paper documents. When this happens, lenders' risk of compliance violations increases. The process of printing, preparing and delivering paper documents is traditionally an intensely manual and time-consuming process, which increases lenders' risk of missed disclosure deadlines, errors and compromised data.

"Simply creating a print fulfillment center wouldn't have been an adequate solution because high risk is inherent in handling paper fallout," said Iannitti. "We needed a fulfillment center based on technology that eclipses any process-manual or automated-currently being used to process paper documents. Fortunately, this is where DocMagic excels. We created a fulfillment supercenter that operates at the height of automation in the mortgage equivalent of a sterile environment. We're very proud of what we've built."

The new fulfillment center uses biometric authentication and video monitoring to provide auditable assurance that only authorized individuals access the building and specific areas within the structure. Inside, advanced technology automates nearly every step of the paper process. Once the documents are ordered, a printer automatically feeds the paper documents directly into an automated system that scans and reads the barcodes to assure that all documents are present. The documents are then inserted into envelopes, sealed and stamped-all without human intervention. The system logs and stores all actions, so lenders can review them and produce detailed information about any document's activity, at any time. The result of this high-tech process for handling paper is a drastic reduction in the risk of errors, omissions and compromised data.

"UETA [Uniform Electronic Transactions Act] requires that consumers be allowed to opt out of electronic processes at any time, but that's just one compliance issue lenders need to address," said Iannitti. "The key difference between DocMagic and a basic software provider is DocMagic's core focus on providing a legal and compliant process. Unlike other providers, we've automated and integrated that opt out option within our workflow so lenders can avert risks that arise when transitioning to another system or vendor."

DocMagic plans to open additional regional print centers across the US over the next several years to support its expansion into other types of consumer loan programs. While there will always be some degree of fallout, as borrowers embrace the eSigning of all documents as the new norm, opting out to a paper process will become less common as well as the need to support additional fulfillment centers.

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 1988 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/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

*LOGO for Media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1205s2p-docmagic-300dpi.jpg

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that it has opened a 12,000 square foot print fulfillment center minutes from its Torrance, California headquarters. DocMagic added the high tech "supercenter" to support lenders' growing need for secure, compliant paper documents as the mortgage industry transitions to a 100 percent digital mortgage process.

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

HousingWire Honors Matic Founder Benjamin Madick with Vanguard Award for Outstanding Industry Contributions

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Matic, a digital insurance agency whose technology enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the mortgage transaction, announced today that company co-founder and COO Ben Madick is a 2017 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner. Madick was recognized for guiding the company's phenomenal growth over the last 12 months as well as for his career-long contributions to the mortgage industry as co-founder of both Matic and risk management services provider Mortgage Quality Management and Research.

During Madick's tenure, Matic has become the market leader in lender and servicer distribution of homeowner's insurance. In the 12 months, Matic has earned the business of such industry powerhouses as Freedom Mortgage and Mr. Cooper and forged partnerships with more than a dozen of the nation's top-rated insurance carriers, including household names Nationwide, Progressive, National General Insurance and Safeco. The company also announced integrations with mortgage technology providers LendingQB, PCLender, BeSmartee, Maxwell and Roostify during the last year.

Madick's award is the capstone achievement to a year full of milestones for Matic. In September, Matic competed in TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield, the world's pre-eminent startup competition. Matic was one of just six startups to advance to the final round of the competition. Earlier this month, Matic announced the close of a $7 million Series A funding round led by Mr. Cooper (formerly NationStar), one of the nation's largest mortgage originators and servicers.

"Our Vanguard winners represent an incredible cross-section of the industry - the cream of the crop in lending, servicing, investing and real estate," Magazine Editor Sarah Wheeler said. "This group of leaders exemplifies the remarkable depth of talent and expertise in the world of mortgage finance."

"It's an honor to be named to such a selective list of mortgage industry influencers," said Madick. "We founded Matic because we believe you can't have a truly digital mortgage without modernizing the homeowner's insurance process for both borrowers and lenders. This recognition is an encouraging indicator that the industry also views homeowner's insurance as a mortgage process long overdue for innovation."

This is the third year HousingWire has recognized executives in the housing finance industry for their outstanding leadership in the space. Winners were selected by HousingWire's editorial board and evaluated based on their company and industry contributions.

About HousingWire:
HousingWire is the nation's most influential source of news and information for U.S. mortgage markets, boasting a readership that spans lending, servicing, investments and real estate market participants as well as financial market professionals. Winner of numerous awards, including a 2012 Eddie Award for national editorial excellence in the B-to-B Banking/Business/Finance, HousingWire has been recognized for excellence in journalism by the Society of Business Editors and Writers, the American Society of Business Press Editors, the National Association of Real Estate Editors, and Trade Association Business Publications International.

About Matic:
Matic is a technology-driven insurance agency focused on helping lenders and loan officers better integrate homeowner's insurance into the lending process. By using loan application information and first-of-its-kind technology, Matic provides homebuyers multiple policy options within seconds, helping loan officers close their loans faster. Matic delivers the most trusted, affordable insurance policies available thanks to its partnerships with a diverse network of insurance carriers. Today's borrowers expect a digital home-buying experience, and Matic gives them the digital insurance experience to match.

For more information, visit https://maticinsurance.com or follow Matic on LinkedIn.

Matic, a digital insurance agency whose technology enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the mortgage transaction, announced today that company co-founder and COO Ben Madick is a 2017 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner. Madick was recognized for guiding the company's phenomenal growth over the last 12 months as well as for his career-long contributions to the mortgage industry as co-founder of both Matic and risk management services provider Mortgage Quality Management and Research.

Related link: https://maticinsurance.com/