Category Archives: Finance

IDS Updates Borrower Data Collection Fields, Supports MISMO v 3.4 for HMDA Compliance

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage document preparation vendor International Document Services, Inc. (IDS), announced it has updated its flagship mortgage doc prep platform idsDoc to include new borrower data collection fields that support compliance with the 2018 changes to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) reporting.

"Although lenders are not required to collect expanded HMDA data until 2018, they can begin gathering this information in 2017," said Mark Mackey, vice president of IDS. "As such, IDS chose to update idsDoc to include the new data fields and support early collection of revised HMDA data a full year before it was required."

"This gives our clients the opportunity to familiarize themselves with how these changes may affect the loan application process and adjust accordingly to be ready for the January 2018 implementation date," Mackey said.

To further aid clients' efforts in complying with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) changes to HMDA, IDS has also updated its system to include the most recent reference model from the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO). Known as MISMO Version 3.4, this set of standards was designed to support the changes to HMDA, along with the forthcoming Uniform Loan Application Dataset (ULAD) from the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures (TRID) regulations. IDS currently supports MISMO v 3.3.0, 3.3.1 and 3.4 and will support Version 3.5, which is in development.

"IDS has fully supported the GSEs' and MISMO's common goal of enhancing data quality and bringing standardization to the mortgage industry from day one," Mackey said. "The benefits of operating from a shared data standard cannot be overstated, and we have made a considerable investment to ensure our clients have the ability to deliver loan data in accordance with GSE requirements using the latest MISMO standards."

About IDS, Inc.:

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

Mortgage document preparation vendor International Document Services, Inc. (IDS), announced it has updated its flagship mortgage doc prep platform idsDoc to include new borrower data collection fields that support compliance with the 2018 changes to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) reporting.

EPIC’s Thomas E. O’Neil Returns to New York as President of EPIC’s Northeast Region

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Thomas E. O'Neil has been appointed Northeast Region President, relocating to New York City from EPIC's headquarters in San Francisco, where he has served as President of EPIC's West Region since January 2014.

O'Neil spent most of his nearly 30 year insurance industry career based in the northeast and his relocation and reassignment reflect EPIC's priority to grow aggressively in the region - both by expanding existing northeast operations organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

Earlier in his career, O'Neil held the positions of CEO of USI New York, CEO of USI's Northeast Region and ultimately Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for USI Holdings, Inc. He was a key member of the management and leadership teams that took USI's revenues from $50 million in 1996 to almost $500 million in 2005.

Immediately prior to joining EPIC, O'Neil was the President and CEO of privately-held SafeHarbor Risk Management - a Property & Casualty Insurance Brokerage and Employee Benefit Consulting firm with locations in New York and Boston, Mass. - which he founded in 2009.

"We are excited that Tom has accepted the responsibility and the challenge of leading our growth initiatives in the northeast," said EPIC President Peter Garvey. "His strong background and past success in agency operations and M&A, along with his extensive network and strong, positive relationships in the region will be huge assets in helping EPIC to grow and succeed across the northeast."

As one of the nation's fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms, EPIC has been on an aggressive national growth trajectory, successfully competing against the large institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model. Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has added multiple locations and new team members across the country, growing revenues from roughly $80 million to estimated run rate revenues of almost $250 million - a 212% increase.

Said O'Neil, "While I have enjoyed my time in California, successfully building out EPIC's footprint across the west region, I am truly excited to return to my 'roots' in the northeast. We are off to a strong start in the east region, driven by existing operations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, but there is so much opportunity for a firm like EPIC and I see many exciting developments ahead."

Tom O'Neil can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
295 Madison Avenue - 38th Floor, New York, NY 10017
tom.oneil [at] epicbrokers.com
914-740-1620.

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0216s2p-TEoneil-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Thomas E. O'Neil has been appointed Northeast Region President, relocating to New York City from EPIC's headquarters in San Francisco.

Quandis Integrates its Court Case Search Solution, QCC, with KMCIS’ CaseAware Case Management System

GRAPEVINE, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- MBA National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Exposition -- Quandis, Inc., a leading default management mortgage technology provider, announced at the MBA's yearly servicing conference being held at the Gaylord Texas Hotel that it has seamlessly integrated its court case search solution, dubbed Quandis Court Connect (QCC), with KMC Information Systems, L.C.'s (KMCIS) CaseAware(R) case management system (CMS) for law firms.

QCC is a sophisticated data service that automates the monitoring of state courts for desired case activity and immediately notifies users when any activity occurs. Often, users at law firms manually visit court websites on a one by one basis in order to locate cases of interest, which is onerous, labor intensive, and prone to errors and missed cases.

The new integration allows CaseAware(R) users to easily initiate searches for any type of court case across the country directly from within CaseAware(R), which is a leading CMS that is widely utilized by law firms. Detailed case information is located and seamlessly populated back into CaseAware(R). This eliminates manual intervention, data re-entry, saves time, and delivers newfound efficiencies.

"There is a rampant problem whereby law firms regularly perform manual searches on court websites, which accompanies many issues, inefficiencies and risks," said Scott Stoddard, CEO of Quandis. "QCC completely eliminates this problem and now that our service is integrated with CaseAware(R), the processes and workflows are fully streamlined for law firms."

Key components of QCC include:
* Docket monitoring that quickly locates the desired type of case and feeds any docket changes back into CaseAware(R).

* Docket classifications that efficiently categorize dockets according to desired criteria and preferences, enabling users to focus only on items that matter.

* Party searches that check for party names and other case filings is also planned to be integrated with CaseAware(R). QCC performs very granular party searches for any name permutation, preventing users from either missing a case or locating one that does not pertain to the individual being searched.

With the simple click of a button, CaseAware(R) users can obtain any and all cases for parties on a state-wide basis in just minutes with an unmatched level of accuracy, complete with name permutations. The law firm's process remains the same, allowing CaseAware(R) users to sail effortlessly through their normal workflow. Detailed reporting is provided that can be accessed and a PDF copy of the court's website docket page is stored for audit purposes.

Quandis will be attending the MBA's Servicing Convention and Exposition from Feb. 14 - 17, 2017 in Grapeview, Texas at the Gaylord Texas Hotel. The company can be contact at 949-525-9005, via email at jbittick@quandis.com for a demo of QCC and the CaseAware(R) integration.

About Quandis:
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Quandis is a leading default management software provider specializing in Web-based solutions for the mortgage industry. Quandis' solutions include foreclosure process automation, short sale portals, skip tracing systems, a valuations hub, military search services, bankruptcy status searches, collection solutions, vendor solutions, as well custom application development. The company's clients range from servicers, to foreclosure attorneys, lenders, banks, GSEs outsourced service providers, and agents and brokers. For more information, please visit http://www.quandis.com/ or call (949) 525-9000.

About KMCIS
KMC Information Systems, L.C. ("KMCIS") is a St. Louis Missouri-based partnership founded in 2004 and dedicated to implementing quality solutions for the Legal, Mortgage, and Title industries. The CaseAware(R) product suite offered by KMCIS is the leading case management software for the default servicing industry. CaseAware(R) Manage is a complete and extremely configurable legal case management system developed specifically for default services law practices and foreclosure trustee firms. The system includes a dynamic workflow engine, automated fees and costs, and an integrated document generation, storage and retrieval system. CaseAware(R) Integrate provides automated, two-way transmission of data between a trustee or law firm's case management/accounting systems and the prevalent default services industry systems. For more information, please visit http://www.caseaware.com/.

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

MBA National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Exposition -- Quandis, Inc., a leading default management mortgage technology provider, announced at the MBA's yearly servicing conference being held at the Gaylord Texas Hotel that it has seamlessly integrated its court case search solution, dubbed Quandis Court Connect (QCC), with KMC Information Systems, L.C.'s (KMCIS) CaseAware(R) case management system (CMS) for law firms.

Chris Kiley Joins Wholesale Trading in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Wholesale Trading Insurance Services, LLC (WTIS) announced today that industry veteran Chris Kiley has joined the firm as Managing Director/Property Broker.

"With over 20 years of property broking and underwriting in N.Y., Chicago and San Francisco, Chris brings WTIS and its retail broker-clients significant experience and knowledge of all facets of complex property brokerage. In addition, his expertise in real estate and specialty property are recognized nationally by the key carriers that participate in those sectors," said Kristopher Bauer, President of WTIS.

Kiley joins WTIS from AmWins Group, Inc. where he was an Executive Vice President and served in various other capacities, including National Property Practice Leader for several years.

"The addition of someone with Chris Kiley's depth of talent, professionalism and customer focus underscores the ongoing commitment to excellence and service to our clients not only at WTIS, but throughout the JenCap distribution network," commented John Jennings, President and CEO of WTIS parent organization JenCap Holdings, LLC.

WTIS is a privately-held wholesale insurance broker created and managed by industry veterans whose goal is to better align the business interests of the retail broker, the wholesaler and insurance carriers for the benefit of the buyer. WTIS has substantial expertise in Property, Casualty and Professional/Management Liability.

For more information about WTIS, visit: http://wtisllc.com/.

About JenCap Holdings, LLC:

JenCap Holdings is a consolidator of specialty insurance distribution and program management businesses, including managing general agencies, specialty program underwriters, transactional wholesale brokers and captive managers. 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.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Les Ross, of WTIS
415-442-8502
lross@wtisllc.com
Nicole Conley
650-422-3156
nicole.conley@taniscomm.com

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0215s2p-wtis-300dpi.jpg

Wholesale Trading Insurance Services, LLC (WTIS) announced today that industry veteran Chris Kiley has joined the firm as Managing Director/Property Broker. WTIS is a privately-held wholesale insurance broker created and managed by industry veterans whose goal is to better align the business interests of the retail broker, the wholesaler and insurance carriers.

ARMCO Adds New Capabilities to its ACES Audit Technology, Empowering Organizations to Swiftly Adhere to Changing Servicing Compliance Rules

GRAPEVINE, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- MBA National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Exposition - ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software, announced at the MBA's annual servicing conference being held at the Gaylord Texan Hotel, that it has added to and enhanced business user-friendly configuration functionality to its award-winning ACES Audit Technology(TM) solution.

The additions enable servicers to standardize and easily modify compliance-critical questionnaires to follow when interfacing with borrowers amid the introduction of changing rules that are specific to servicing entities.

When interacting with borrowers, there are a myriad of rules that servicers must follow on both state and federal levels throughout the lifecycle of the servicing process. The new additions made to ARMCO's ACES Audit Technology puts the ability to create and make changes to compliance questionnaires directly in the hands of business people. Updated questionnaires can quickly be incorporated into the servicer's internal policies and procedures that guide staff with how and when to communicate with borrowers and proceed accordingly.

"Now more than ever, servicers face an influx of new compliance rules and regulations from federal, state and GSE requirements that they must adhere to," said Phil McCall, COO of ARMCO. "Due to an increasing spotlight placed on servicers, we enhanced the ease of configuration and self-sufficient change management capability to our platform, which now provides servicers with complete control to make changes in real-time to comply with the complexity of new rules."

Some examples that ACES Audit Technology helps with include general servicing functions (correspondence/complaints, credit reporting, fees, etc.); specialty servicing functions (adjustable rate mortgages, assumptions, bankruptcy, specialty HUD products, etc.); and default servicing functions (collections, loss mitigation, foreclosures, claims, etc.).

ARMCO's ACES questionnaires are completely customizable and can leverage and modify existing template questionnaires that ARMCO has in its library of forms for servicers. ARMCO maintains all relevant state and Federal compliance rules for clients, and then empowers them with the interface to makes changes to their own rules and policies.

A comprehensive suite of new USDA program specific questions were also added to the servicing questionnaires. There is a wide array of requirements covered; including, but not limited to escrow administration of the annual fee, construction processing/repair escrows, and default processing. Clients can easily review and analyze question content additions and/or changes, discuss implementation needs with QC and business staff, and maintain questionnaire versioning records that can be provided on demand in the event of an external regulatory audit.

ARMCO will be unveiling the added functionality to its ACES Audit Technology at the MBA Servicing Conference from Feb. 14 - 17, 2017 in Grapeview, Texas at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in booth number 1010. The company can be contacted at sales@armco.us for a demo.

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.

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

MBA National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Exposition - ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software, announced at the MBA's annual servicing conference being held at the Gaylord Texan Hotel, that it has added to and enhanced business user-friendly configuration functionality to its award-winning ACES Audit Technology(TM) solution.

Simplifile E-recording Network Gains 43 New Counties in South, Midwest U.S.

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, announced it has added 43 counties and parishes across the Southern and Midwestern United States to its e-recording network. All of the counties, which span 18 states, joined Simplifile's network in the last quarter of 2016 or first quarter of 2017, with most signing on in just the last two months.

"E-recording saves counties and settlement service providers time and money while increasing borrower and lender satisfaction," said Paul Clifford, president of Simplifile. "It is our pleasure to support these new jurisdictions as they transition from manual recording to an electronic process that is more efficient and beneficial for everyone involved."

Aurora, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jones, Lawrence, Moody, and Union counties are the latest South Dakota jurisdictions to begin accepting electronically submitted documents following the state's legislative authorization of e-recording last October.

Other new counties across the South and Midwest include:
* Clark County, Ark.
* Howard County, Ark.
* Butts County, Ga.
* Carroll County, Ga.
* Cook County, Ga.
* Long County, Ga.
* Montgomery County, Ga.
* Paulding County, Ga.
* Wilcox County, Ga.
* Marion County, Ill.
* Williamson County, Ill.
* Pike County, Ind.
* Putnam County, Ind.
* Scott County, Ind.
* Plaquemines Parish, La.
* Washington County, Md.
* Jackson County, Miss.
* Rankin County, Miss.
* Holt County, Mo.
* Maries County, Mo.
* Ste. Genevieve County, Mo.
* Lee County, N.C.
* Renville County, N.D.
* Scotland County, N.C.
* Huron County, Ohio
* Ross County, Ohio
* Jackson County, Okla.
* Aiken County, S.C.
* Anderson County, S.C.
* Clarendon County, S.C.
* Dorchester County, S.C.
* Carroll County, Tenn.
* Montgomery County, Tenn.
* Waller County, Texas
* Isle of Wight County, Va.
* Washburn County, Wis.

Effective immediately, settlement agents in these jurisdictions can scan and submit documents directly to the county recording office using Simplifile's secure, web-based e-recording service. In just minutes, the county recorder can review, stamp, record, and return documents to the settlement agent using the same electronic system. Settlement agents can also pay recording fees and associated payments securely through the Simplifile service, reducing payment errors and eliminating check-writing costs.

More than 1,579 county recording offices throughout the United States now record deeds, mortgages, and other documents electronically using Simplifile. For an up-to-date list of all jurisdictions currently e-recording with Simplifile, visit https://simplifile.com/e-recording-counties.

About Simplifile:

Simplifile, the nation's largest e-recording network, was founded in 2000 to connect settlement agents and county recorders via its e-recording service. Today Simplifile has broadened its services to include collaboration tools and post-closing visibility for mortgage lenders and settlement agents working together on real estate documents. Through Simplifile, users can securely record, share, and track documents, data, and fees with ease.

To learn more, visit https://simplifile.com or call 800-460-5657.

Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, announced it has added 43 counties and parishes across the Southern and Midwestern United States to its e-recording network. All of the counties, which span 18 states, joined Simplifile's network in the last quarter of 2016 or first quarter of 2017, with most signing on in just the last two months.

EPIC’s Bill Cosgrove to Lead Panel Discussion at Advisen’s Cyber Risk Insights Conference

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Bill Cosgrove, Managing Principal & Practice Leader, EPIC Financial Risk Solutions, will moderate a panel on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) exposures at Advisen's Cyber Risk Insights Conference on Wed., Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, Calif.

The Cyber Risk Insights Conference will focus on the new vulnerabilities caused by an increasingly connected world and how the insurance market is responding to cyber risk and security threats through creative solutions. An expert faculty comprised of leading security, regulatory, risk management and cyber insurance authorities will provide their insights into the critical privacy, network security and insurance coverage issues now facing organizations and their insurers.

Cosgrove will moderate a panel discussing where SME's are most vulnerable, alongside Winston Krone, managing director at Kivu and Jordan Rankell, assistant vice president and West Coast Regional Underwriting Manager at NAS. This panel will look at SME claims, cyber security protocols, and ask how the insurance market can grow in this sector.

Click here to view the full agenda: http://www.advisenltd.com/events/conferences/02/14/2017-cyber-risk-insights-conference-san-francisco/agenda/.

About Bill Cosgrove, Managing Principal & Practice Leader, Financial Risk Solutions, EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants:

Bill Cosgrove is a managing principal and practice leader for the Financial Risk Solutions Practice, based in New York. Cosgrove brings 30 years of insurance industry underwriting, production, marketing, client service, management and executive leadership experience to the firm.

Cosgrove is a specialist in the areas of cyber risk, fiduciary liability, directors and officers liability, employment practices risk, crime insurance, transactional risk, as well as trade and structured credit.

Cosgrove and his team have created several bespoke products for EPIC clients across the product mix, including EPICyber(tm) - a proprietary Cyber Risk and Insurance Platform, tailored to the unique needs of small and mid-sized businesses that are increasingly the most desirable targets of Cyber-attacks. Ref: http://www.epicbrokers.com/press/epic-launches-cyber-risk-insurance-platform-for-small-and-mid-sized-businesses/.

Prior to joining EPIC, Bill spent eight years with Willis Group Holdings, where he held various leadership roles in their Financial Institutions practice, most recently as executive vice president, Financial Institutions Group.

Bill also served in director and practice leader positions at Frank Crystal & Company and USI Insurance Holdings, Inc. for six years. Earlier in his career, he was regional underwriting manager at ACE USA (formerly CIGNA Corporation), where he was responsible for specialty risk products throughout a sixteen-state region on the East Coast.

About Cyber Risk Insight Conference:

Advisen will present a full day and a half of learning and networking for risk managers, CISOs, CROs, insurance brokers, insurance underwriters, reinsurers and other risk professionals. Day 1 of this day-and-a-half program will focus on the new vulnerabilities caused by an increasingly connected world and devices. Panelists will discuss the Internet of Things and its relevance to Cyber and beyond.

On Day 2, the sessions will focus on Cyber Risk and Security Threats and how the insurance market is responding and working with the InfoTech sector to develop creative solutions. An expert faculty comprised of leading security, regulatory, risk management, and cyber insurance authorities will provide their insights into the critical privacy, network security and insurance coverage now issues facing organizations and their insurers.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Bill Cosgrove, Managing Principal & Practice Leader, EPIC Financial Risk Solutions, will moderate a panel on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) exposures at Advisen's Cyber Risk Insights Conference on Wed., Feb. 15 in San Francisco.

Qualia Partners with Stewart to Enhance Title Agent Experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Qualia, the fastest growing provider of title settlement software, announced it has completed an integration with Stewart, a leading provider of title insurance. Through the integration with Stewart Access, title agents will be able to obtain Stewart rate information, create title policy jackets and issue Closing Protection Letters (CPLs) directly within Qualia.

"Qualia is dedicated to providing title agents with a cohesive and seamless solution for working with all of their business partners," said Nate Baker, CEO of Qualia. "By integrating directly with Stewart Access, our mutual agents can efficiently and accurately complete all of their title work without ever leaving the Qualia system."

"This integration helps our Stewart Trusted Providers(TM) streamline their transactions and simplify the accounting process," said Tara Smith, Senior Vice President and Director of Stewart's agency services. "Stewart Access and Qualia enable agents to spend more time focusing on their customers and less time on manual processes."

About Stewart:

Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) is a global real estate services company, offering products and services through our direct operations, network of Stewart Trusted Providers(TM) and family of companies. From residential and commercial title insurance and closing and settlement services to specialized offerings for the mortgage industry, we offer the comprehensive service, deep expertise and solutions our customers need for any real estate transaction. At Stewart, we believe in building strong relationships - and these partnerships are the cornerstone of every closing, every transaction and every deal. Stewart. Real partners. Real possibilities.(TM) More information is available at stewart.com, subscribe to the Stewart blog at blog.stewart.com, or follow Stewart on Twitter(R) @StewartTitleCo.

Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Qualia:

For title settlement professionals, Qualia provides an all-in-one solution for more efficient and seamless closings. The fastest growing software on the market, Qualia's automated task management, real-time reporting, and best-in-class integrations save title companies thousands of dollars in labor and software costs every year. Qualia's incredible ease-of-use and industry-leading support allows new users to learn Qualia in virtually no time.

To learn more about how Qualia can save you time and money, sign up here: https://www.qualia.com/demo/ - or call 855-441-5498.

*IMAGE for Media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0124s2p-qualia-reporting-300dpi.jpg

Qualia, the fastest growing provider of title settlement software, announced it has completed an integration with Stewart, a leading provider of title insurance. Through the integration with Stewart Access, title agents will be able to obtain Stewart rate information, create title policy jackets and issue Closing Protection Letters (CPLs) directly within Qualia.

Global DMS and OpenClose Jointly Announce Integration of Their Platforms

LANSDALE, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- Global DMS, a leading provider of cloud-based compliant valuation management solutions, and OpenClose, a comprehensive mortgage software solutions provider, jointly announced that they completed a seamless, bi-directional interface between Global DMS' eTrac Enterprise valuation management platform and OpenClose's LenderAssist(TM) loan origination system (LOS). The new integration eliminates manual touch points, reduces costs and ensures appraisal compliance.

"Directly from within OpenClose's LenderAssist LOS, this integration allows users to tap key functionality in our eTrac Enterprise platform," said Vladimir Bien-Aime, president and CEO of Global DMS. "Unlike appraisal ordering systems that just place orders, Global DMS has a completely workflow-driven, robust valuation management platform that automates all of the intricacies involved in the appraisal process from start to finish, which OpenClose customers can now leverage in a seamless fashion."

Using the integration, lenders are able to efficiently order appraisals, check real-time status, receive appraisal files back into OpenClose's LOS, and compliantly submit them to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP) or Electronic Appraisal Delivery (EAD) portal. This completely streamlines data exchange and communication between the two platforms and speeds up the entire process. Global DMS provides OpenClose customers with detailed reports for audit tracking and visibility over their appraisal processes.

"We want our customers to benefit greatly from the integrations we establish, so we are very discerning when selecting new technology vendors to integrate with," said Jason Regalbuto, CEO and CTO of OpenClose. "Global DMS' solution is one of the leading single-source valuation management platforms in the mortgage industry and we are extremely pleased to have them as a new integration partner."

There are numerous appraisal management companies (AMC) that already leverage Global DMS' eTrac platform to support their lender customers. Those lenders can now work with their AMCs via OpenClose's LOS. Or, lenders that manage their appraisal panel in-house can use the direct system-to-stem integration to fully automate their unique processes.

Global DMS and OpenClose both have web-based platforms and provide them on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis along with the flexibility to easily configure the solutions to meet their customers' specific requirements. As a result, implementations are quicker, easier and more cost effective.

About Global DMS(R):
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 product line-up includes its eTrac(R) valuation management platform, eTrac Web Forms, Global Kinex, AVMs and data analytics products, BPO management platform, the MISMO Appraisal Review System (MARS), ATOM (Appraisal Tracking On Mobile) and AMCmatch.com.

For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.globaldms.com/ or call (877) 866-2747.

Global DMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/globaldms

About OpenClose(R):
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, OpenClose(R) is a leading multi-channel mortgage software solution provider that cost effectively delivers its platform on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis. The company provides a variety of 100 percent browser-based solutions for lenders, banks and credit unions. OpenClose's core solution, its LenderAssist(TM) LOS, 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 comprehensive automation and compliance adherence.

For more information, visit http://www.openclose.com/ or call (561) 655-6418.

OpenClose Twitter: https://twitter.com/openclosesocial

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

Global DMS, a leading provider of cloud-based compliant valuation management solutions, and OpenClose, a comprehensive mortgage software solutions provider, jointly announced that they completed a seamless, bi-directional interface between Global DMS' eTrac Enterprise valuation management platform and OpenClose's LenderAssist(TM) loan origination system (LOS). The new integration eliminates manual touch points, reduces costs and ensures appraisal compliance.

EPIC adds Doug Bull to Construction and Design Solutions Practice in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that risk management and insurance professional Doug Bull has joined the firm's Construction and Design Solutions team in San Francisco as a vice president.

Bull will be responsible for new business development, program design and management, marketing and coverage placement, and will oversee EPIC's delivery of products, services and solutions to clients in the construction, design and real estate industries.

An industry veteran whose career spans nearly 30 years, Bull joins EPIC from Aon Risk Insurance Services West, Inc. in San Francisco, where he was an Account Executive/Broker in Aon's Construction Services Group. There Bull was responsible for production, marketing, placement, client relationships, and contract review for mid to large size construction and real estate accounts.

Prior to this Bull was with commercial insurance broker ABD Insurance and Financial Services in Redwood City, Calif. where he was an Account Executive responsible for producing, serving and retaining a large book of commercial and residential construction accounts. Bull spent the first 10 years of his career on the insurance company side of the business, in a range of underwriting and underwriting management positions.

"We are very excited to have a broker of Doug's caliber join our Construction and Design Solutions team," said Curt Perata, EPIC Regional Director of Property & Casualty Operations. "His background and experience, construction industry risk management expertise and strong consulting skills will materially contribute to our growth plans and the service excellence we deliver daily to EPIC clients, here in California and across the country."

As one of the nation's fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms, EPIC has been on an aggressive national growth trajectory, successfully competing against the large, institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model. Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has added multiple locations and new team members across the country, growing revenues from roughly $80 million to estimated run rate revenues of almost $250 million - a 212 percent increase.

Bull is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Political Science.

Doug Bull can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
135 Main Street - 21st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
doug.bull [at] epicbrokers.com
415-356-3919 - office.

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0207s2p-EPIC-Doug-Bull-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that risk management and insurance professional Doug Bull has joined the firm's Construction and Design Solutions team in San Francisco as a vice president.

Taxpayers Ask Tax Pros to Bid to Solve Their IRS Problems

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- It's a common problem. In fact, approximately 13 million taxpayers are haunted by IRS issues that they want to solve, but are too bombarded with information to know where to turn. In short, they're overwhelmed. FeeAuction.com helps to alleviate that stress. It's a user-friendly website and new marketing technology that connects concerned taxpayers anonymously with multiple, licensed tax professionals.

"FeeAuction is like Uber for the tax resolution industry," Jaime S. Buchwald, CPA and CEO of Negotiation Technologies LLC, creators of FeeAuction.com, says. "Our service is two-fold. It helps taxpayers with IRS problems to anonymously find a tax professional and it helps qualified tax professionals expand their practice."

Here's how it works: Taxpayers visit FeeAuction.com and answer a few simple questions that give insight into their specific problem. For example, perhaps they've failed to file their taxes for the past several years, can't pay what's owed or maybe they're being audited. Whatever the case, having told their story only once, this information reaches multiple credentialed tax resolution professionals who will carefully review and evaluate the details, and bid on the case if they're confident it's something they can resolve.

In turn, the taxpayer anonymously reviews the fee bids and solutions. They can read the bidder's profiles, visit their websites and really get a feel for who has the best solution and fee that makes the most sense to them. It's not until the taxpayer has decided on a bid that their contact information will be shared with that specific tax professional. However, the taxpayer is under no obligation to choose any of them.

"Taxpayers love it because they only have to tell their story once," Buchwald says. "They don't have to make multiple phone calls or in-person visits to numerous tax pros and repeat their story over and over again."

FeeAuction.com is all about transparency. Troubled taxpayers already have enough stress; constantly worrying about a wage garnishment, bank levy, a tax lien and general embarrassment about their IRS issues. This unique service puts them in control and ensures that they get the right solution, connected with the right professional, and without worrying about paying too much in fees.

So, for taxpayers who want to start sleeping at night again and for tax professionals who want to build their client base, FeeAuction.com provides the perfect platform for both.

The founders of FeeAuction.com, Negotiation Technologies LLC, are no strangers to the tax resolution industry. They also own PitBullTax.com, the industry leader in tax resolution software for attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents.

For more information, visit: https://feeauction.com/. There are two videos that clearly explain how FeeAuction works for the taxpayer and the tax professional.

*Logo 300dpi: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0207s2p-FeeAuction-300dpi.jpg

*VIDEO (YouTube): https://youtu.be/KE6F_OTT-o0

It's a common problem. In fact, approximately 13 million taxpayers are haunted by IRS issues that they want to solve, but are too bombarded with information to know where to turn. In short, they're overwhelmed. FeeAuction.com helps to alleviate that stress. It's a user-friendly website and new marketing technology that connects concerned taxpayers anonymously with multiple, licensed tax professionals.

Bank of Southern California NA Announces Promotion of Tony DiVita to Chief Banking Officer

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL) announced that Tony DiVita has been promoted to the role of Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer. In his expanded role, he will continue to oversee new business origination and customer retention efforts, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Group, and bank marketing.

In addition, he is now responsible for the coordination and management of the entire loan process from sourcing to funding.

"Tony's leadership style and goal-oriented approach have had a tremendous impact on the success of our bank. This promotion acknowledges his many contributions," said President and CEO, Nathan Rogge. "He has consistently delivered results in a way that balances the needs of our customers, employees, and the bank," concluded Rogge.

DiVita joined Bank of Southern California in 2011 as Senior Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing, and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2015. He is a seasoned native San Diego banker with over 30 years of local banking experience.

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-mid 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.

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

*PHOTO for Media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0203s2p-Tony-DiVita-300dpi.jpg

OTC:BCAL / BCAL.PK

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL) announced that Tony DiVita has been promoted to the role of Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer. In his expanded role, he will continue to oversee new business origination and customer retention efforts, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Group, and bank marketing.

EPIC Strengthens Southern California Benefits Team with the Acquisition of Benefit Compass

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property & casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today it has acquired Benefit Compass Insurance Services, LLC, a specialist in employee benefits brokerage and consulting services.

Based in Irvine, Calif., Benefit Compass provides employee benefit solutions, human resource consulting and employee engagement strategies, with a particular specialty focus on the unique needs of auto dealers.

Benefit Compass will further broaden the specialized benefits and HR consulting services available to EPIC clients, particularly new car auto dealers - a long time area of expertise and focus for EPIC, the broker providing Workers' Compensation Insurance and Employee Benefits Programs to members of the California New Car Dealers Association since 2011.

"The addition of the Benefit Compass team is an exciting development in the continuing growth of EPIC," said John Connell, EPIC President, Employee Benefits of California. "Our clients benefit significantly when we add top professionals like the Benefit Compass team with unique and highly specialized consulting skills and experience."

Benefit Compass co-founders Ron Joy, Alison McCallum and Mark Pattinson added, "We are very proud of the fact that we have always adhered to the simple philosophy of doing what's in the best interest of our clients, and are extremely pleased that this philosophy aligns strongly with EPIC's own culture and values. As part of EPIC, we have access to more resources, experienced professionals in multiple disciplines, and extensive insurance company relationships - all of which will provide added value to our current and future clients."

Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has nearly tripled revenues, from roughly $80 million to current run rate revenues exceeding $200 million.

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0308-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property & casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today it has acquired Benefit Compass Insurance Services, LLC, a specialist in employee benefits brokerage and consulting services.

EPIC Adds Bill Bergstrom as Vice President and Program Leader of Golf Insurance Services

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail property & casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Bill Bergstrom has joined the firm to lead the operations and growth initiatives of its Golf Insurance Services Program, which has provided insurance and risk management solutions to golf courses and country clubs since 1985.

Bergstrom joins EPIC following nearly 20 years with Pennbrook Insurance Services, Inc. in San Francisco, where he was most recently the firm's COO and Managing Principal. He will be based in EPIC's Sacramento office and report to Paul Lindsay, Senior Vice President and Director of EPIC Program Solutions.

Said Paul Lindsay, "As a life-long, avid golfer, Bill was drawn to the EPIC opportunity created by Gary Sigel's decision to retire last year. We are very pleased and excited to add a top professional like Bill to continue Gary's great work, and lead the further expansion of Golf Insurance Services here in the West and across the country."

Bergstrom attended the University of California at Davis where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Sociology and Organizational Studies.

EPIC Golf Insurance Services (GIS) places and manages roughly $20 million in premium for its clients and is a sector of EPIC's Sports & Entertainment Group. GIS provides golf courses and country clubs with risk management consulting, strong industry expertise and comprehensive insurance solutions, including exclusive Property & Casualty and Workers Compensation Insurance programs. GIS has twice been recognized as an "Excellence in Achievement" award winner by The Boardroom Magazine as their "Insurance Provider of the Year."
Bill Bergstrom can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
1765 Challenge Way, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95815
bill.bergstrom [at] epicbrokers.com
916-576-1553 - 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $250 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0201s2p-Bergstrom-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property & casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Bill Bergstrom has joined the firm to lead the operations and growth initiatives of its Golf Insurance Services Program, which has provided insurance and risk management solutions to golf courses and country clubs since 1985.

OpenClose’s Multi-Channel LOS and Correspondent Platform Fuels Record Company Growth

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- OpenClose, an enterprise-class loan origination system (LOS) provider, reports that it is experiencing the highest level of growth in company history. The company attributes the bulk of its growth to an increasing demand for its comprehensive LenderAssist(TM) LOS that has true multi-channel capability along with its turnkey correspondent module, OC Correspondent(TM).

OpenClose's revenue growth for the last few years has been in the mid-20 percent range year-over-year, while 2015 to 2016 the company realized an unprecedented 30 percent growth rate.

To handle the ongoing expansion, OpenClose has been strategically adding resources to its existing strong infrastructure to effectively on-board, implement, train and support new customers. The company hired additional employees who possess deep mortgage technology experience ranging from senior developers to implementation specialists, project managers and technical support representatives. This allows the company to manage growth at a healthy, controlled rate while maintaining its high customer service standards.

"The last few years have just been remarkable in terms of the number of new customers we have brought on board and how quickly we're able to implement them," said JP Kelly, president of OpenClose. "Our unique, boutique-style customer support model has been a key component to customer acquisition and retention. It's a very hands-on and responsive approach, unlike many of the larger LOS vendors that have long implementations, insufficient training, and often poor technical support. This model has served us well and is a key competitive differentiator."

OpenClose implemented a number of large mortgage banking customers that are originating sizeable loan volume. The company also established a new inside sales force that has been very successful in sourcing new deals for the outside sales executives.

Kelly added: "At OpenClose, we are always innovating, developing new solutions, and enhancing our platform. We're a privately owned and operated company that is nimble and entrepreneurial. We listen to our customers; they come up with some of our best ideas, and they love our personalized way of helping them succeed with their business. We don't treat customers as just another number like some larger vendors do, many of which acquired too many technology vendors with disparate technologies that are often difficult to support and train on."

The multi-channel LOS empowers lenders to easily add new business channels or grow existing ones. Also, attractive to lenders is that the LenderAssist LOS is completely browser-based and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection at any time. Further, the workflow-driven platform can be custom-configured to a lender's specific internal processes, which OpenClose implements for its customers. Implementations can be achieved in as little as 45 to 60 days depending on the level of customization and business channels required by the lender.

OpenClose's LenderAssist LOS platform is in use by medium and large size lenders, banks and credit unions and its standalone OC Correspond module is being leveraged by firms to buy closed loans. The company has offices in West Palm Beach, Florida and Gig Harbor, Washington.

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) 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 and credit unions.

OpenClose's core solution, its LenderAssist(TM) LOS, is comprehensive platform 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 creating a truly seamless workflow for complete automation and compliance adherence.

For more information, visit http://openclose.com/ or call (561) 655-6418.

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

OpenClose, an enterprise-class loan origination system (LOS) provider, reports that it is experiencing the highest level of growth in company history. The company attributes the bulk of its growth to an increasing demand for its comprehensive LenderAssist(TM) LOS that has true multi-channel capability along with its turnkey correspondent module, OC Correspondent(TM).

FormFree Voted Among ‘Best in Show’ at Digital Mortgage Conference

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree today announced it was selected as one of the top demos of the inaugural Digital Mortgage Conference, presented by National Mortgage News and held December 8-9, 2016, in San Francisco.

After walking attendees through a live demo of AccountChek(TM), part of Fannie Mae's Day 1 Certainty(TM) initiative via the Desktop Underwriter(R) (DU(R)) Validation Service, FormFree executives offered a glimpse of the company's next project - a comprehensive service for asset, income, identity and employment verification called Passport.

"So much emphasis has been placed on taking the mortgage closing process digital, but there are other borrower-facing aspects of the loan origination process that could use an injection of automation," said Brent Chandler, CEO and founder of FormFree. "By extracting paper from the verification process through automated solutions like AccountChek and, one day soon, Passport, lenders are putting themselves that much closer to realizing a fully digital mortgage transaction."

Conference attendees were asked to vote for the demo they found most successful after each round of presentations. From there, all session winners were entered into a final round of voting to be named "Best in Show."

To see recorded footage of FormFree's demo, visit http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/conferences/digitalmortgage/formfree.html.

About FormFree:

Leading lenders trust Athens, Georgia-based FormFree to deliver automated verification solutions that streamline the loan origination process and provide better intelligence on borrowers' ability to repay. FormFree's flagship app, AccountChek(TM), eliminates the hassle of collecting paper statements from borrowers by using direct-access data untouched by human hands to consolidate, analyze and verify assets. Lender tested and GSE approved, AccountChek securely delivers automated asset verification data and on-demand reports to more than 200 leading U.S. lenders and their millions of customers. FormFree was named one of American Banker magazine's "Top 10 Tech Companies to Watch" in 2015.

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

FormFree today announced it was selected as one of the top demos of the inaugural Digital Mortgage Conference, presented by National Mortgage News and held December 8-9, 2016, in San Francisco.

EPIC Insurance Adds Christopher J. Giuditta as Vice President in the Northeast

STAMFORD, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Christopher J. Giuditta has joined the firm as a vice president.

Giuditta will focus on the cultivation and development of new revenue opportunities throughout EPIC's Northeast Region. He will be based in the Stamford, Conn. and report to Craig de Gruchy, Managing Principal.

"CJ is a dedicated, resulted orientated individual, with a passion for service excellence and the delivery of value-added solutions," said de Gruchy. "He is well regarded in our industry and his commitment to customers is strongly aligned with EPIC's core values regarding client advocacy and putting 'people first.' We are excited to have CJ join our growing operation in the Northeast Region."

Giuditta joins EPIC from H.D. Segur Insurance. During his 17 year career there, he provided individuals and business owners with customized risk management and insurance solutions while overseeing the service team regarding client satisfaction and retention.

Additionally, Giuditta worked with third party referral partners to enhance their offerings, including ensuring their clients' awareness of and protection from a wide range of risk exposures. Giuditta was also a top producer for new affinity groups along with maintaining and growing the firm's Travelers Benefits Plus programs.

For the past five years, Giuditta has concentrated on the private client segment, providing personal risk management guidance and custom insurance protection to high net worth individuals.

Giuditta is a graduate of Post College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management. Professionally, he is a licensed property and casualty and life and health producer in both Conn. and N.Y. and is currently working toward his Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) professional designation.

Christopher J. Giuditta can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants
3 Landmark Square, 4th floor, Stamford, CT 06901
christopher.giuditta[at]epicbrokers.com
203-658-0529.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $250 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0130s2p-Giuditta-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Christopher J. Giuditta has joined the firm as a vice president. Giuditta will focus on the cultivation and development of new revenue opportunities throughout EPIC's Northeast Region.

Dominic Iannitti Named to HousingWire’s 2016 Vanguard Award List for Major Industry Contributions

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that president and CEO, Dominic Iannitti, was honored by HousingWire with its 2016 Vanguard Award, which recognizes top mortgage executives for professional accomplishments and for their positive impact on the industry at-large.

The Vanguard Award list is limited to business unit executives within the housing and mortgage finance spheres, specifically those who stand out as innovators and trailblazers. The bar is set extremely high, so all Vanguard nominees represent the highest caliber and demonstrate substantial industry influence.

"The HW Vanguards continues to impress going into its second year; the winners are second-to-none and this list represents the finest cross section of mortgage talent available," said Jacob Gaffney, HousingWire editor-in-chief.

This was a momentous year for Iannitti. 2016 saw the launch of two industry-altering platforms at DocMagic, and Iannitti's role at the helm of those projects no doubt earned him a spot on the Vanguard list.

In the first half of the year, Iannitti led the charge in rolling out SmartCLOSE(TM), DocMagic's award-winning collaborative closing portal, a solution for TRID compliance that brings lenders, settlement service providers, and other relevant parties together in a secure environment to share, edit, validate, audit, track, and collaborate on documents, data, and fees. Since its launch, SmartCLOSE has gained rapid industry adoption, proving it to be a true game-changer in loan closing today.

Following the launch of SmartCLOSE(TM), Iannitti shifted his focus to DocMagic's single-source Total eClose(TM) solution, where he once again played an integral role in the project's conception and development for the marketplace. The Total eClose(TM) suite contains all of the components needed to facilitate a completely paperless digital closing - from start to finish.

By October of 2016, DocMagic completed the mortgage industry's first comprehensive eClosing for radius financial group, inc. The eClosing included both lender and closing/settlement agent documentation, eNotarization, eWarehousing and eNote acceptance. Unlike other so-called eClosing solutions (often merely hybrids which still require that certain documents be papered out), DocMagic's centralized Total eClose(TM) platform facilitates a truly paperless digital closing, an industry milestone that cannot be underestimated.

"I am very honored and humbled to have been selected by HousingWire's editorial board to appear on this list of esteemed mortgage executives," commented Dominic Iannitti, president and CEO of DocMagic. "This award is absolutely the result of our continual technology innovations and the unwavering commitment and enthusiasm of the exceptional team at DocMagic."

About DocMagic:
DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services for the mortgage banking 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 http://www.docmagic.com/.

About HousingWire:
HousingWire.com is the leading independent source for news, commentary and analysis covering the entire mortgage banking and financial markets. Staffed by a core team of experienced journalists and editors, HousingWire delivers breaking news and opinions on U.S. housing and mortgage finance. HousingWire has a well-developed reputation for delivering today the news other trade outlets will be reporting on tomorrow - and our readers value the information they get from http://www.housingwire.com/ first.

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

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that president and CEO, Dominic Iannitti, was honored by HousingWire with its 2016 Vanguard Award, which recognizes top mortgage executives for professional accomplishments and for their positive impact on the industry at-large.

Mortgage Capital Trading’s COO Phil Rasori to Speak on Secondary Marketing Panel at Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference (IMBC), Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing technology firm, announced that its COO, Philip Rasori, will speak on a panel session on the subject of investor base optimization.

About the Panel:
Growing your business ultimately means finding outlets for the variety of products you offer to borrowers. But what is the right number of investors? More importantly, how can you manage your investor base to ensure the best execution over the long term? Learn from a panel of experts on the art of optimizing your investor base and maintaining balance between the quality and quantity of your relationships.

Speakers:
* Phil Rasori, Chief Operating Officer, Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT).
* John M. Hedlund, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, AmeriHome Mortgage Company.
* David Battany, EVP, Capital Markets, Guild Mortgage Company.

Session Information:
Topic: Optimizing Your Investor Base
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017
Time: 2:45 p.m. - 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Location: La Quinta Palm Springs Hotel, Fiesta Ballroom 2

MCT will be holding meetings with interested lenders while at the conference. Contact the company to arrange a discussion time at (619) 543-5111

About Phil Rasori:
Mr. Rasori is a recognized thought-leader in capital markets operations within the mortgage banking community. His areas of expertise include complex financial modeling, computational dynamics, and linear programming for operational optimization. He developed the ground-breaking mortgage pipeline hedging algorithms that form the foundation of MCT's HALO Program today. He has also pioneered several metrics that have become standard industry parlance, including "beta pull-through" factors.

In addition to banking clients, Mr. Rasori has consulted with GSE agencies and the U.S. Government on hedging best practices for community banks. Mr. Rasori has functionally led MCT operations since 2005 and ascended to his current role as COO in 2007. He is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and holds a B.S. in Management Science.

About MCT:
Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT) is a capital markets-focused risk management and advisory services company providing independent analysis, training, hedging strategy and loan sale execution support to clients engaged in the secondary mortgage market. Founded in San Diego, California in May 2001, the company has expanded to include field sales and support offices in Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco and Charlotte.

MCT is a recognized leader in the industry and currently supports more than 150 clients on the HALO (Hedging And Loan sales Optimization) Program. The company also develops and supports MCTlive!(TM), an award-winning real-time, trading and best-execution secondary marketing platform. MCT's LockCentral(TM) is the industry's largest outsourced centralized lock desk service. In addition, MCT offers a suite of tools and supporting guidance for MSR needs.

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

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

Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference (IMBC), Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing technology firm, announced that its COO, Philip Rasori, will speak on a panel session on the subject of investor base optimization.

Qualia Adds Industry-First Custom Reporting to Title Settlement System

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Qualia, the fastest growing provider of title settlement software, announced the release of its advanced reporting module. The reporting feature equips title and closing professionals with an easy-to-use and customizable tool to analyze revenue sources, business relationships and operational efficiency.

"From our team's background building small and large agencies, we know the challenge of maintaining and growing relationships with lenders and realtors while guaranteeing the right level of quality. We built Qualia Reports to solve that problem," said Nate Baker, CEO of Qualia.

Within the "Reports" tab, Qualia users can easily access and create custom reports based on tasks, contacts and any of the other 4,000 pieces of data involved in the settlement transaction. The flexibility of custom reporting allows users to answer bigger questions about their business pipeline, while also identifying ways to streamline day-to-day operations. Because all the data is already housed in Qualia, reports are automatically generated and readily available to users at no additional cost.

Additionally, Qualia uses artificial intelligence to immediately detect and notify users when they enter a contact record that is similar to a pre-existing record. Qualia is the first settlement software to offer this functionality, which is critical to accurate business source reporting.

"Most title agencies have to manually merge duplicate contacts every month; it's extremely time-consuming and prone to errors. Because Qualia automatically merges duplicate contacts, agents can finally get a simple and fast answer to what business sources are their main revenue drivers and how those sources are trending month-over-month," Baker explained.

About Qualia:

For title settlement professionals, Qualia provides an all-in-one solution for more efficient and seamless closings. The fastest growing software on the market, Qualia's automated task management, real-time reporting, and best-in-class integrations save title companies thousands of dollars in labor and software costs every year. Qualia's incredible ease-of-use and industry-leading support allows new users to learn Qualia in virtually no time.

To learn more about how Qualia can save you time and money, sign up here - https://www.qualia.com/ - or call 855-441-5498.

Qualia Labs, the fastest growing provider of title settlement software, announced the release of its advanced reporting module. The reporting feature equips title and closing professionals with an easy-to-use and customizable tool to analyze revenue sources, business relationships and operational efficiency.

Simplifile Clocks 11.9 Million E-recording Transactions in 2016, Sets Sights on Settlement Innovation in 2017

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced its strategic priorities for 2017 along with year-end data summarizing the organization's last 12 months of growth. Following steady adoption of its e-recording platform by county recording offices in 2016, Simplifile will focus in 2017 on expanding its network of settlement agent users and introducing enhancements to its online collaboration platform for settlement service providers.

"An incredible three out of four U.S. real estate transactions in 2016 occurred in a county that e-records with Simplifile," said Simplifile President Paul Clifford. "We will continue to grow our e-recording network in 2017, and we'll also roll out new enhancements to our Collaboration and Post Closing services that put settlement agents' needs at the forefront."

Simplifile's e-recording network grew at a pace of one new county every other day in 2016. In all, 182 counties and parishes in 32 states joined Simplifile over the course of the year, bringing the total number of e-recording jurisdictions nationwide to 1,543 on December 31. Today, the network covers 1,560 counties and more than 75 percent of the U.S. population, making faster, more cost-effective and more secure recording available for the vast majority of real estate transactions.

In 2016, title companies, banks, attorneys, servicers, and lien filers submitted some 11.9 million documents directly to county recording offices using Simplifile. The company also saw growth in adoption of its Collaboration and Post Closing services, which allow settlement agents to share, receive, and validate documents and data with their network of lenders in real time. Simplifile's secure, electronic workspace provides a platform for collaboration on fee data, documents, and transaction details.

Now in its seventeenth year of operation, Simplifile increased its staff by 8% in 2016 and added several new members to its leadership team, including Director of Product Strategy Brian Boike, Director of Lender Experience Chris Lohman, and Director of Strategic Initiatives David Majewski.

The year was also a busy one for Simplifile Cares, the philanthropic program through which Simplifile honors its commitment to service. Employees contributed 155 volunteer hours and the company donated a total of $36,526 to benefit Habitat for Humanity chapters in 33 states.

About Simplifile

Simplifile, the nation's largest e-recording network, was founded in 2000 to connect settlement agents and county recorders via its e-recording service. Today Simplifile has broadened its services to include collaboration tools and post-closing visibility for mortgage lenders and settlement agents working together on real estate documents. Through Simplifile, users can securely record, share, and track documents, data, and fees with ease.

To learn more, visit https://simplifile.com/ or call 800-460-5657.

Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced its strategic priorities for 2017 along with year-end data summarizing the organization's last 12 months of growth. Following steady adoption of its e-recording platform by county recording offices in 2016, Simplifile will focus in 2017 on expanding its network of settlement agent users.

OpenClose and MCT Complete New Integration to Optimize Loan Hedge Positions for Lenders

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference - OpenClose(R) an enterprise-class, multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) provider, and Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing technology firm, jointly announced they developed an integration that eliminates manual intervention and streamlines the delivery of loan data to maximize hedging for lenders.

The integration works by automatically taking loan-level details that are originated and locked in OpenClose's LenderAssist(TM) LOS and then securely passing them directly to MCT to hedge. The entire process of obtaining critical data becomes very easy, with updates occurring every 15 minutes. This removes several steps in the data acquisition process, saving time, reducing errors and providing faster reporting.

"We worked diligently with the team at OpenClose to develop this connectivity between their LOS and our proprietary HALO hedging model, which now facilitates a much smoother, quicker way for us to obtain locked loan information from our mutual customers," said Chris Anderson, chief administrative officer at MCT. "We are continuing to expand our integration partner network in order to provide the best service and support for our lender clients. Over the past few years, MCT has significantly expanded our business services with technology being a key area, especially with the adoption of our web-based secondary marketing platform, MCTlive!"

The longer lenders are exposed to interest rate movements the more prone they are to have locked loans without hedge positions. As a result of the integration, MCT is able to hedge more frequently as opposed to having the lender manually send pipeline reports to them. The automatic updates are performed every 15 minutes which provides a tangible reduction in risk by shortening the time period between rate locks and hedge positions.

As it relates to lenders, there isn't anything that they have to do to enable the new integration. MCT performs the heavy lifting and all parties benefit from the resulting efficiencies gained. OpenClose and MCT worked closely together from a technology perspective to streamline the process.

"This integration saves my staff valuable time and transfers our data quickly and securely, ensuring that my hedge positions are always optimized," says Dan Beam, senior vice president of capital markets at Firstrust Bank. "Both OpenClose and MCT are forward-thinking companies that recognize the importance of investing in enhancements like this for the benefit of lenders."

"A key common thread between our organizations is an unwavering commitment to always provide excellence in customer support," said Vince Furey, senior vice president of lending solutions at OpenClose. "We are also like-minded in that we are both very selective about the organizations we partner with. OpenClose is pleased to expand our technology relationship with MCT."

About OpenClose:

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, OpenClose(R) is a leading multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) provider that cost effectively delivers its platform on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis. The company provides a variety of 100 percent browser-based solutions for lenders, banks and credit unions. OpenClose's core solution, its LenderAssist(TM) LOS, 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 comprehensive automation and compliance adherence. For more information, visit www.openclose.com or call (561) 655-6418.

OpenClose Twitter: https://twitter.com/openclosesocial

About MCT:

Mortgage Capital Trading (MCT) is a capital markets-focused risk management and advisory services company providing independent analysis, training, hedging strategy and loan sale execution support to clients engaged in the secondary mortgage market. Founded in San Diego, California in May 2001, the company has expanded to include field sales and support offices in Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco and Charlotte. MCT is a recognized leader in the industry and currently supports more than 150 clients on the HALO (Hedging And Loan sales Optimization) Program. The company also develops and supports MCTlive!(TM), an award-winning real-time, trading and best-execution secondary marketing platform.

MCT's LockCentral(TM) is the industry's largest outsourced centralized lock desk service. For more information, please visit www.mct-trading.com or call (619) 543-5111.

MCT Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcttrading

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

Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference -- OpenClose(R) an enterprise-class, multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) provider, and Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing technology firm, jointly announced they developed an integration that eliminates manual intervention and streamlines the delivery of loan data to maximize hedging for lenders.

Senior Business Leader and Consultant Duane Dennis Joins EPIC in Southern California

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Duane Dennis has joined the firm as a senior consultant and principal in the firm's Southern California Employee Benefits Consulting Practice.

Dennis will be responsible for business development, strategy, program design, implementation and management of employee benefits programs for EPIC clients. In addition to his regional responsibilities, Dennis will also work with EPIC's National Benefits Consulting Practice leadership on several key growth and client support initiatives.

Dennis will be based in EPIC's Los Angeles office and report to Southern California managing principal Jim Gillette.

A highly experienced consultant whose career spans more than 20 years, Dennis joins EPIC from benefit consulting technology company HIXME, where he was executive vice president, sales and marketing.

Dennis previously spent 11 years at Mercer Human Resource Consulting, where he held the positions of Partner - Chair of U.S. and Global Sales Leadership Teams and Member of U.S. and Pacific Southwest Market Leadership Teams; and Client Manager/Business Development Executive.

As one of the nation's fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms, EPIC has been on an aggressive national growth trajectory, successfully competing against the large, institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model and "people first" culture.

"Duane is a tremendous addition to our team," said EPIC's Jim Gillette. "His ability to grow revenue and build long term business partnerships will add significant value to the firm. We are thrilled to have him join our Benefits Consulting Practice in Southern California and across the country."

"I am very excited to join EPIC," said Dennis. "They are an innovative, fast-growing firm with a great national team and strong, experienced leadership. With so much change taking place in our country and around the world, I can most effectively serve my own clients as part of a leading-edge, flexible, responsive organization that puts the needs and best interests of clients ahead of all else. This is what I have found in EPIC."

Duane Dennis can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants
601 South Figueroa Street, Suite 3950, Los Angeles, CA 90017
duane.dennis[at]epicbrokers.com
Office: 213-629-8921

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $250 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Duane Dennis has joined the firm as a senior consultant and principal in the firm's Southern California Employee Benefits Consulting Practice.

EPIC Now Ranked No. 26 Among the World’s Largest Commercial Insurance Brokers

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has been ranked #26 among the world's top insurance brokers in Finaccord's "Global Insurance Broking: A Strategic Review of the World's Top 150 Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers."

Finaccord is a market research, publishing and consulting company specializing in financial services.

"Many thanks for participating in our research on the 150 largest global commercial non-life insurance brokers," said Claire Michaud, a London-based Finaccord Financial Services Analyst. "According to our analysis, EPIC was ranked 26th worldwide based on 2015 commercial non-life broking revenues."

As one of the fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms based in the U.S., EPIC has been on an aggressive growth trajectory, successfully competing against the largest, institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model. The firm jumped an impressive 20 spots since being ranked at #46 by Finaccord in their 2014 Research Report.

Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has nearly tripled revenues, from roughly $80 million to current run rate revenues exceeding $200 million.

"Standing on the edge of being a top 25 insurance broker globally is an accomplishment we are very proud of," said EPIC Co-founder and CEO John Hahn. "What is even more remarkable is that we achieved this milestone just nine years from our founding. This is truly a testimony to the determination, character and quality of our people and the work they have done to build and sustain EPIC's client-focused, people first culture, structure and business practices."

Additional information about Finaccord and their Global "Insurance Broking: A Strategic Review of the World's Top 150 Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers" report (including purchase information) can be found here on their web site: http://www.finaccord.com/uk/report_global_insurance_broking_strategic_review_world_top_150_commercial_non-life_insurance_brokers.htm .

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has been ranked #26 among the world's top insurance brokers in Finaccord's "Global Insurance Broking: A Strategic Review of the World's Top 150 Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers."

ReverseVision Names Kelly Kelleher Director of Corporate Marketing and Events

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, today announced the promotion of Kelly Kelleher to the role of director of corporate marketing and events.

Since joining ReverseVision as marketing manager in 2013, Kelleher has worn many hats and helped guide projects ranging from a full-scale corporate rebranding to targeted marketing campaigns to drive user participation in ReverseVision's flagship reverse mortgage loan origination system (LOS), ReverseVision Exchange (RVX). Kelleher has also heightened the firm's visbility in traditional mortgage trade media and events and designed and championed corporate thought leadership initiatives in partnership with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), American Bankers Association (ABA) and various financial planning and financial advisor networks.

"Kelly's accomplishments in driving strategic direction with detail-oriented execution will only continue to enhance and strengthen ReverseVision's position as the industry leader," said ReverseVision Vice President of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel.

In her new role, Kelleher will refine ReverseVision's brand identity to ensure it resonates with an evolving reverse mortgage marketplace that is experiencing the entry of more traditional, or "forward," lenders than ever before. She will also spearhead the ongoing cultivation and contribution of ReverseVision thought leadership to support industry growth.

Peel noted that Kelleher's combination of technical experience and expertise in all media outlets make her uniquely qualified to grow ReverseVision's annual user conference, RV UserCon, and "Fact Track" events, which educate prospective brokers and lenders on how and why to enter the reverse mortgage market. Through these activities, Kelleher will continue to bring reverse lending ideas, education and awareness to financial planners and other retirement advisors.

"I am continually impressed with Kelly's drive and commitment. She brings unique energy and ideas to every project - even the exhausting task of working a tradeshow floor. ReverseVision substantically benefits from the results she brings to the team," said ReverseVision President and CEO John Button.

"At ReverseVision, I am fortunate to be in a position where I can put my skills and experience to work for both a company and a product, the HECM, in which I sincerely believe," said Kelleher. A home-equity conversion mortgage, or HECM for short, is the most common type of reverse mortgage. "Exploring new ways of promoting the reverse mortgage industry and projecting the ReverseVision message on a national level is a compelling professional challenge that I welcome and embrace vigorously."

About ReverseVision:

Recognized as a Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500(TM) company, ReverseVision is the leading software and technology provider for the reverse mortgage industry and offers products and services focused exclusively on reverse mortgages. More reverse mortgages are originated monthly using ReverseVision technology than all other reverse mortgage loan origination systems combined. ReverseVision has partnered with some of the finest and fastest-growing lending organizations in the United States to provide its leading reverse mortgage technology to brokers, correspondents, lenders and investors.

ReverseVision is a driving innovator in the reverse mortgage industry. ReverseVision continues to improve its software with frequent new innovations and by building on pioneering capabilities in reverse mortgage interactive graphs, scenario analysis, multi-environment performance analysis and workflow in the origination process.

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

ReverseVision, Inc., the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, today announced the promotion of Kelly Kelleher to the role of director of corporate marketing and events. In her new role, Kelleher will refine ReverseVision's brand identity to ensure it resonates with an evolving reverse mortgage marketplace.

The Pension Inspector Announces Release 10, an Online Due Diligence Add-In, ‘ERISA PLUS’

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Pension Inspector(R) one of the leading internet research data mining solutions from AtPrime Media Services, online since 2007, announces Pension Inspector Release 10.0, which ushers in a new dimension in ERISA* Retirement Plan Transparency with "ERISA PLUS."

ERISA PLUS briefs the member for Key Operational, and, Plan Performance Results for the current and four previous years.

ERISA PLUS combines three Key Elements, into one easy to use Dashboard that quickly allows the user to obtain critical information, targeting the Plan's Operations, Operational Problems, with Highlights from the current and four previous years plan data, as well as, providing easy to use downloads of the complete Form 5500 Series for each selected Plan.

The ERISA PLUS Dashboard provides a 1-Click, 10 page or more, Key Summary Overview Report, for each year selected, from the Pension Inspector's 9 million plan, 14 year database, of the target ERISA Plan's Operations, Key Performance Stats and includes a 5 Year Plan Report Card; plus, 5 Year Key Plan Alert Report.

The ERISA PLUS Dashboard provides four, 1-Click Plan Performance Online Queries, for each Plan, that is selected to Compare and Rank other similar Plan's Retirement Funds for Annual Earnings, Direct Expenses, ERISA Bonding, and Data Mines the Top 10 Best Investment Performance Plans in the Class of Plan selected. The 1-Click queries analyzes each Plan's unique footprint based upon bands of Participant Coverage, Asset Range, and, Industry Code.

The ERISA PLUS Dashboard provides a simplified, online, value-added, 1-Click download service, for up to 14 Years of Form 5500 Filings and Attachments, viewable on one screen.

The Pension Inspector's Proprietary Form 5500 Database contains both Retirement and Welfare Plans.

Also included with every Form 5500 download is a Form 5500 Amended and Refiled Detective that lists all 14 years of Amended and Refiled 5500 Schedules of the selected Plan.

The Pre-Dashboard Screen provides all Retirement and Welfare Plans within the Plan Sponsor's (EIN) Controlled Group for additional review.

Extra Pension Inspector's ERISA Features include:

1. The Pension Inspector's Basic Investment Performance Report and Ratings for 12 years' rates the Average Earnings of the ERISA Retirement Plan, based on the 10 Year U.S. Treasury Bond, and 5 top Stock Indexes for the year.

2. The Pension Inspector's Defined Benefit Plans, "Pay All Benefits" Participant "Class" Report (and Ratings for 12 Years).

"Pay All Benefits" rates Defined Benefit Plans based upon its ability to satisfy the liability of each participant Class Liability provided within each Form 5500 B Series and Assets at Market Value, if the Plan were to Cease Operations, on the Snapshot Date. Each Class of Plan Participant has a different preferential Asset satisfaction priority.

"In today's environment, the ERISA Form 5500 recipient is not prepared to review the Retirement Plan's Annual Financial Report, without its Predecessor Operational Footprint. ERISA PLUS does it all," said David J. Tananbaum**, the Veteran Pension Actuary who created the Pension Inspector(R).

A free trial membership is available on: https://www.pensioninspector.com/.

*ERISA = Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
**Mr. Tananbaum is an Enrolled Actuary with the IRS/DOL and PBGC under ERISA, MAAA (Member of the American Academy of Actuaries), ACOPA (American College of Pension Actuaries), and FCA (Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries).

LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0119s2p-pensioninsp-300dpi.jpg

AtPrime Media Services and the Pension Inspector, is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Retirement Programs, Inc.

Pension Inspector(R) one of the leading internet research data mining solutions from AtPrime Media Services, online since 2007, announces Pension Inspector Release 10.0, which ushers in a new dimension in ERISA* Retirement Plan Transparency with "ERISA PLUS."

Simplifile Integrates Collaboration, Post Closing Services with LendingQB

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document and data collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced the integration of its Collaboration and Post Closing services with LendingQB, a provider of 100 percent web browser-based, end-to-end mortgage loan origination software.

Through the integration, LendingQB users can create loan records to initiate data and document sharing with settlement providers, collaborate and exchange Closing Disclosure data with settlement agents, communicate in real time and gain immediate insight into any changes made by settlement.

"In today's lending environment, it is critical that lenders be able to seamlessly share data between loan production, settlement and all other key parties," said Tim Nguyen, president of LendingQB. "This partnership with Simplifile enables users to ensure that changes made by settlement agents are immediately updated in the loan file."

Simplifile Collaboration enables lenders to work directly with their settlement partners to share, receive, and validate documents and data by providing a platform for collaborating on fee data, documents, and transaction details, while Simplifile Post Closing informs lenders automatically on the recording status of documents and delivers the final title policy and fee data electronically, thus closing the loop on the entire mortgage transaction. With this integration, LendingQB users gain visibility into settlement agent processes while creating an auditable track record of all loan changes, updates, deficiencies and status within a single system.

"When lenders are more connected to their settlement partners, the mortgage closing process becomes much smoother, and there is a demonstrable effect on reducing the errors and miscommunications that can lead to compliance errors," said Simplifile President Paul Clifford. "Even before TRID, keeping the LOS and title production data in sync was a huge challenge, and there has been a persistent need for this type of transparency, which hasn't been available until now. Simplifile Collaboration and Post Closing create an environment where lenders and settlement agents can work together and communicate in real time to execute closing documents in a more efficient and compliant manner."

More than 17,000 settlement companies already use Simplifile to e-record documents in 1,500+ counties and jurisdictions across the nation, making it easy for lenders to connect seamlessly to their existing settlement partners and be operational almost immediately.

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

About Lending QB:

LendingQB(R) is a provider of Lean Lending solutions. The Lean Lending solution consists of a 100 percent web browser-based, end-to-end loan residential mortgage origination system, best of breed integrations with key industry partners and 'adoptimization' services that result in faster cycle times and lower costs per loan. For more information, please call 888.285.3912 or visit www.lendingqb.com.

Trademarks: LendingQB(R) and Lean Lending(R) are registered trademarks of MeridianLink, Inc. in the U.S. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About Simplifile:

Simplifile, the nation's largest e-recording network, was founded in 2000 to connect settlement agents and county recorders via its e-recording service. Today Simplifile has broadened its services to include collaboration tools and post-closing visibility for mortgage lenders and settlement agents working together on real estate documents. Through Simplifile, users can securely record, share, and track documents, data, and fees with ease.

To learn more, visit https://simplifile.com or call 800.460.5657.

Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document and data collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced the integration of its Collaboration and Post Closing services with LendingQB, a provider of 100 percent web browser-based, end-to-end mortgage loan origination software.

Maria Chambers, IACCP, Promoted to Chief Compliance Officer at Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors

Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors, NEW YORK, Maria Chambers IACCP, compliance oversight /ScoopCloud/ -- Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA), a leading wealth management firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management, is pleased to announce that Maria Chambers, Vice President, has been promoted to Chief Compliance Officer at the firm. Ms. Chambers' responsibilities include administering KFWA's compliance program, overseeing day to day compliance needs, maintaining and developing compliance policies, procedures and processes.

"Maria provides proactive insights regarding the complex issues our clients may face. Her in-depth expertise and dedication to providing compliance oversight helps us deliver the highest level of client service and reporting," said Kenneth D. Pollinger, CEO and Co-Chairman of KFWA.

Ms. Chambers joined KFWA in 2014 as Deputy Chief Compliance Officer with broad-based experience in investment management compliance. Before joining KFWA, she was a Vice President and Senior Compliance Officer at Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, where she and her team were responsible for investment guidelines and trade compliance, compliance risk assessment, overseeing annual review and testing, as well as mutual fund reporting and functioning as a general resource to investment management personnel.

Prior to that, Ms. Chambers was a Compliance Officer at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, overseeing the compliance program for the firm's ultra-high net worth custom separately managed account and wrap account platforms, representing compliance in the strategic acquisitions of advisers and managing a team responsible for the North American compliance risk assessment and testing program and sub-adviser oversight.

Ms. Chambers holds the Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP) designation. She graduated cum laude from Fordham University with a B.A. in Economics, a minor in Philosophy and a Certificate in Business Administration. She was also inducted into Fordham's Beta Rho Chapter of the National Honor Society.

More information: http://www.klingenstein.com/.

Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA), a leading wealth management firm with more than $3 billion in assets under management, is pleased to announce that Maria Chambers, Vice President, has been promoted to Chief Compliance Officer at the firm. Ms. Chambers' responsibilities include administering KFWA's compliance program, overseeing day to day compliance needs, maintaining and developing compliance policies, procedures and processes.

National Mortgage Professional Magazine Names MCT’s Chris Anderson to its 2016 Top 40 Under 40 List

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), an industry leading hedge advisory firm and developer of MCTlive!(TM), the award-winning secondary marketing software suite, announced that its chief administrative officer, Chris Anderson, has been honored by National Mortgage Professional (NMP) magazine's 2016 on its "Top 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40 List."

Now in its seventh year, NMP says that the list is comprised of mortgage professionals under the age of 40, as voted by their peers, who are accomplished individuals that exemplify professionalism, perseverance, leadership, excellence, and more --- in their respective areas of expertise within the mortgage industry. NMP received numerous nominations this year, awarding 40 winners and placing another 40 on the mortgage professionals to watch list.

Mr. Anderson joined MCT in 2012 as a division manager charged with organizing and building MCT's newly formed Outsourced Lock Desk Division. In 2013, after successfully growing the Lock Desk Division and establishing it as the industry standard for outsourced lock desk services, he was promoted to the executive management team as a senior vice president focused on supporting the rapid growth of MCT's client base.

In his new role, Anderson developed new automations and integrations with various mortgage technology providers, implemented new compliance and third party vendor governance programs, created new staff training and ongoing education programs and ensured that staffing levels continued to grow in pace with MCT's ever expanding client base to ensure the MCT's clients continued to receive the exceptional customer service for which MCT is known.

His increasing contributions to MCT were recognized when he was promoted to his current role as chief administrative officer. Mr. Anderson currently oversees MCT's Lock Desk Division, IT and Programming Division, and Business Operations Division.

"It is an honor to be recognized with such an accomplished group of my peers," said Anderson. "While recognition such as this is always welcome, it truly is a reflection of the great team that I have the good fortune to work with every day at MCT."

MCT's COO, Phil Rasori, has also been honored by NMP multiple times as a Top 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professional Under 40 in previous years.

About MCT:

Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT) is a capital markets-focused risk management and advisory services company providing independent analysis, training, hedging strategy and loan sale execution support to clients engaged in the secondary mortgage market. Founded in San Diego, California in May 2001, the company has expanded to include field sales and support offices in Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco and Charlotte.

MCT is a recognized leader in the industry and currently supports more than 150 clients on the HALO (Hedging And Loan sales Optimization) Program. The company also develops and supports MCTlive!(TM), an award-winning real-time, trading and best-execution secondary marketing platform. MCT's LockCentral(TM) is the industry's largest outsourced centralized lock desk service.

For more information, visit http://www.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), an industry leading hedge advisory firm and developer of MCTlive!(TM), the award-winning secondary marketing software suite, announced that its chief administrative officer, Chris Anderson, has been honored by National Mortgage Professional (NMP) magazine's 2016 on its "Top 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40 List."

EPIC’s Rosemary Manning Hughes to Present at ISCEBS 2017 Health and Welfare Compliance Update

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that senior consultant and principal Rosemary Manning Hughes will present at the 2017 Health & Welfare Compliance Update put on by the New York Metro Area Chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 8:45 a.m. at BDO, 100 Park Ave., 11th Floor in New York, N.Y.

Health care continues to be in a state of change and employers will need to be alert to updates to regulations that were issued in 2016, as well as the proposed changes for 2017. Hughes will walk attendees through key topics in health and welfare legislation to assist in keeping plan sponsors compliant.

This event is free for members and $30 for non-members. Attendees of this event will receive 1.0 hour CEBS CPE credit and approval is pending for 1.0 hour of HRCI credit and 1.0 hour of SHRM PDC credit.

For additional information on program and registration information, click here (PDF): https://www.iscebs.org/Local/Locations/Documents/PDF/chapters/2017/170125_NYM.pdf.

About Rosemary Manning Hughes, senior consultant and principal, EPIC:

Rosemary Manning Hughes is a senior consultant and principal based in EPIC's Stamford, Conn., and New York, N.Y. offices. She brings over 25 years of experience in the employee benefits industry. Prior to joining EPIC in June 2015, Manning Hughes was the Director of Benefits, Americas, for Avis Budget Group (ABG), responsible for all aspects of the strategy and administration of all health and welfare, defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, and global wellness. Before Manning Hughes joined ABG, she was a health and welfare consultant for such firms as Arthur J. Gallagher, Fidelity, and Mercer Consulting. Manning Hughes specializes in finding solutions that engage employees while managing costs.

About The International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists:

The International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) is the premier interactive community providing educational resources, innovative thinking and collective wisdom to help members excel and prosper in their careers. This membership organization is for those who have earned the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), Group Benefits Associate (GBA), Retirement Plans Associate (RPA) and Compensation Management Specialist (CMS) designations.

Members have access to a variety of educational resources and networking opportunities that can broaden their knowledge and enhance their careers. Since 1981, the Society has provided educational programs, information and networking resources, publications, and other services to a diverse group of benefits professionals.

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that senior consultant and principal Rosemary Manning Hughes will present at the 2017 Health & Welfare Compliance Update put on by the New York Metro Area Chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 8:45 a.m. at BDO, 100 Park Ave., 11th Floor in New York, N.Y.

ReverseVision Distributes Food to San Diego County’s Hungry

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, has teamed up with the San Diego Food Bank to help local residents in need.

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. The food bank, which receives donations from the USDA, food manufacturers and retailers, the agricultural sector and food drives, serves an average of 370,000 people per month and distributed 22 million pounds of food in the last year alone.

Last week, more than 20 employees of San Diego-based ReverseVision spent a day of service at the food bank's 80,000-square-foot warehouse in Miramar. There they completed a variety of essential tasks, including checking expiration dates, inspecting donated food for quality, assembling 766 boxes of food for the Senior Food Program and packaging 2,500 pounds of potatoes for distribution.

"This activity was a rewarding way for ReverseVision to honor our commitment to serving our local community while spending time together as a team," said ReverseVision president and CEO John Button. "We support the San Diego Food Bank's mission and look forward to our next day of service."

"We rely on volunteer assistance to fulfill our mission of providing nutritious food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public on hunger-related issues," said Chris Carter, vice president of communications, marketing and public affairs for the San Diego Food Bank. "It's exciting for us any time local businesses like ReverseVision take time out of their routine to lend a helping hand."

On average, volunteers inspect and sort 30,000 pounds of food per week at the Mirimar warehouse. To learn more about volunteer opportunities with the San Diego Food Bank, visit http://sdfb.volunteerhub.com/.

About ReverseVision

Recognized as a Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500(TM) Company, ReverseVision, Inc. is the leading software and technology provider for the reverse mortgage industry, offering products and services focused exclusively on reverse mortgages. More reverse mortgages are originated monthly using ReverseVision technology than all other reverse mortgage LOS combined. ReverseVision has partnered with some of the finest and fastest-growing lending organizations in the U.S. to provide the leading reverse mortgage technology to brokers, correspondents, lenders and investors.

ReverseVision is recognized as a driving innovator in the reverse mortgage industry. ReverseVision continues to improve its software with frequent new innovations and by building on pioneering capabilities in reverse mortgage interactive graphs, scenario analysis, multi-environment performance analysis and workflow in the origination process.

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

ReverseVision Inc., the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, has teamed up with the San Diego Food Bank to help local residents in need. The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County.

Altavera to Expand Operations Following Record Demand for Its Outsourced Mortgage Services in 2016

DENVER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- Altavera Mortgage Services (Altavera), a leading provider of outsourced residential mortgage origination services, today announced its plans for expansion in 2017 along with highlights from the company's last 12 months of growth.

"Altavera experienced rapid growth throughout 2016 despite the challenges of a dynamic regulatory environment," said Altavera Founder and President Brian Simons. "We responded to the increased business volume by augmenting our staff, including our leadership team, and adding new services to address the evolving needs of our clients. We will continue to expand our SAFE Act-compliant outsourced mortgage services in 2017 by obtaining licensing in even more states."

The Denver-based company, which celebrated its fourth anniversary in October, expanded its staff by 70% in the last 12 months. The firm was acquired by Australian financial services company Computershare Limited (Computershare, ASX: CPU) in May.

"Our closed-loan file review service has remained in high demand since its launch in Q3 of 2016," said Debora Aydelotte, Altavera's chief operating officer. "Overall, we've seen a 142% increase in volume, so post-close due diligence will continue to be an area of focus for Altavera in 2017."

"We also expect lender interest in Altavera's non-Qualified Mortgage fulfillment services will continue growing, fueled by the expected changes in the regulatory environment in 2017," Aydelotte continued. "Additionally, we anticipate that strong home values will keep HELOC originations on the forefront for Altavera and our lender clients."

Altavera plans to expand licensing to several additional states in early 2017 to meet growing demand for private-label mortgage loan fulfillment solutions. Currently licensed in 34 states, Altavera is a fully SAFE Act-compliant loan fulfillment partner offering both comprehensive and component-based fulfillment solutions, including customized non-Qualified Mortgage services. Altavera service delivery is structured to meet each client's specific needs for loan processing, underwriting, closing and funding.

Growth milestones from Altavera's last 12 months include:

* January 2016: Deb Aydelotte, former president of Altisource Origination Services, joins Altavera as chief operating officer.

* April 2016: Altavera reports marked uptick in requests for underwriting, processing and pre-purchase review support for non-QM loans. The company estimates non-QM inquiries represent 35% of Altavera's client portfolio.

* May 2016: Altavera announces the Q3 2016 launch of its closed-loan file review/post-close due diligence service.

* September 2016: Altavera is named a preferred provider for Capital Markets Cooperative (CC), a nationwide alliance of mortgage bankers. Like Altavera, CMC is a member of the Computershare family of mortgage-related businesses.

* December 2016: Altavera reports a 30% increase in credit union demand for outsourced mortgage origination services in Q3 2016 compared to the previous quarter.

For more news from Altavera, visit http://altavera.com/press/.

About Altavera:

Based in Denver, Colorado, Altavera is a leading provider of outsourced residential mortgage origination services. Altavera's SAFE Act-compliant staff of seasoned, U.S.-based specialists helps clients streamline operations, minimize costs and achieve faster cycle times for greater customer satisfaction and profitability. The firm's service delivery is structured to meet each client's specific needs for loan processing, underwriting, closing and funding.

For more information, visit http://altavera.com.

About Computershare Limited:

Computershare (ASX:CPU) is a global market leader in transfer agency and share registration, employee equity plans, mortgage servicing, proxy solicitation and stakeholder communications. We also specialize in corporate trust, bankruptcy, class action and utility administration, and a range of other diversified financial and governance services.

Founded in 1978, Computershare is renowned for its expertise in high integrity data management, high volume transaction processing and reconciliations, payments and stakeholder engagement. Many of the world's leading organizations use us to streamline and maximize the value of relationships with their investors, employees, creditors and customers. Computershare is represented in all major financial markets and has over 16,000 employees worldwide.

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

About Computershare Loan Services (CLS):

Computershare Loan Services (CLS) is a leading international third-party mortgage servicing business, currently administering over $100 billion of assets. We continue to invest in technology and servicing enhancements globally and in mortgage servicing rights across the USA. We help mortgage lenders optimize the performance of their portfolios and support hundreds of thousands of borrowers throughout the lifecycle of every loan. Our expertise, experience and understanding of large volumes of complex financial data also help us provide insight and services to mortgage providers, investors and real estate professionals.

Altavera Mortgage Services, a leading provider of outsourced residential mortgage origination services, today announced its plans for expansion in 2017 along with highlights from the company's last 12 months of growth. The firm was acquired by Australian financial services company Computershare Limited (ASX:CPU) in May.

EPIC Insurance to Speak at Cap-Intro West Conference

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that its Managing Principal & Practice Leader - Financial Risk Solutions, Bill Cosgrove will speak at the Cap-Intro West Conference on January 19, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, Calif. in the Main Hall - Pacific Level.

Cap-Intro West, presented by North Street Global, is a 1-on-1 focused event bringing together Private Equity, VC & Hedge Fund managers, institutional allocators, funds of funds, family offices and tactical investors annually in San Francisco. Cap-Intro West also provides leading edge interactive sessions with expert speakers from across the capital markets sharing their views on the most compelling investment opportunities for the coming year and practical workshops dedicated to Fund Marketing and optimizing the capital raising process.

Click here to view the full agenda: http://west.capintroconference.com/.

About Bill Cosgrove, Managing Principal & Practice Leader, Financial Risk Solutions, EPIC:

Bill is a Managing Principal and Practice Leader for the Financial Risk Solutions National Resource Group based in New York. Bill brings 30 years of insurance industry brokerage, underwriting, production, marketing, client service management and executive leadership experience to EPIC.

He is a specialist in the areas of Directors and Officers ("D&O"), Employment Practices Liability ("EPL"), Cyber Risk, Fiduciary Liability, Crime Insurance, Transactional Risk, as well as Trade and Structured Credit. Bill and his team have created several bespoke products for EPIC clients in the areas of Cyber, D&O and EPL, incorporating market-leading policy terms and price metrics.

Bill has worked on several unique projects for Alternative Asset Managers, Investment Advisers, Banks, Broker/Dealers and other financial services companies. Projects included operational and regulatory risk advisory and insurance risk program development.

Before joining EPIC, Bill spent eight years with Willis Group Holdings, where he held various leadership roles in their Financial Institutions practice, most recently as executive vice president, Financial Institutions Group.

Bill also served in director and practice leader positions at Frank Crystal & Company and USI Insurance Holdings, Inc. for six years. Earlier in his career, he was regional underwriting manager at ACE USA, where he was responsible for specialty risk products throughout a sixteen-state region on the East Coast.

Bill earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

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

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/s2p-Bill-Cosgrove-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that its Managing Principal & Practice Leader - Financial Risk Solutions, Bill Cosgrove will speak at the Cap-Intro West Conference on January 19, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, Calif. in the Main Hall - Pacific Level.

EPIC adds Timothy B. Ward to Risk Solutions Practice

STAMFORD, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that casualty risk management professional Timothy Ward has joined the firm's Stamford, Connecticut-based EPIC Risk Solutions Practice as a Principal and Casualty Practice Leader.

Ward will be based in EPIC's Stamford, Conn. office and report to EPIC Risk Solutions principal, Mark Millard.

Over a career spanning 23 years, Ward has focused on assisting clients in a wide range of industries with their casualty risk management needs, specializing in the design, management, assessment and implementation of risk management and insurance programs; including risk identification and analysis, risk transfer utilizing insurance products and alternative risk financing strategies across a broad spectrum of exposures and risks.

Prior to joining EPIC, Ward was with Marsh & McLennan in a variety of casualty risk management and insurance placement roles. Most recently Ward was senior vice president and leader of the "national desk" within the casualty placement practice, based in New York. Working with a team of 13 insurance professionals, Ward led in excess of 350 complex transactions annually, focused on clients within the public and private Fortune 1,000 space.

In addition, Ward spent considerable time leveraging analytics to hone program design achieving optimized economic performance, collaborating with clients and prospects to structure enhanced casualty process flow, delivery of service, and evaluating insurers and TPA's who maintain the attributes and capabilities to help drive business forward.

"Our Northeast leadership team is very excited to have someone of Tim's caliber join our group," said EPIC's Mark Millard. "His background and experience, casualty risk management expertise and strong leadership skills will materially contribute to the future growth of EPIC Risk Solution and the service excellence we deliver nationally to EPIC clients with complex risk management needs."

As one of the nation's fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms, EPIC has been on an aggressive national growth trajectory, successfully competing against the large, institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model. Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has added multiple locations and new team members across the country, growing revenues from roughly $80 million to estimated run rate revenues of almost $250 million - a 212 percent increase.

Ward is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economic Management.

Timothy Ward can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants
3 Landmark Square, Stamford, CT 06901
203-658-0514 direct
timothy.ward [at] epicbrokers.com

About EPIC:
EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and 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 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0112s2p-tim-ward-300dpi.jpg

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that casualty risk management professional Timothy Ward has joined the firm's Stamford, Connecticut-based EPIC Risk Solutions Practice as a Principal and Casualty Practice Leader.

Freedom Mortgage Wholesale Division Now Using Simplifile Collaboration Service

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced that Freedom Mortgage has begun using the Simplifile Collaboration service in its wholesale division to quickly and easily exchange data with its settlement partners.

"Freedom's network of settlement partners plays a significant role in our ability to deliver superior service and on-time closings to our mortgage customers," said Mike Graham, vice president of national TPO operations at Freedom Mortgage. "Through the Simplifile Collaboration service, we are able to work with our settlement partners in real time, which creates a more streamlined closing process and ultimately leads to a better borrowing experience for the customer."

Simplifile Collaboration enables lenders to share, receive, and validate documents and data with their settlement partners via a secure platform and provides visibility into settlement partner processes, resulting in faster, transparent, and more compliant mortgage closings. The system also automatically notes file changes, updates, deficiencies, and statuses to craft an audit-ready compliance trail.

"The importance of true collaboration between lenders and settlement providers in the post-TRID era cannot be overstated," said Simplifile President Paul Clifford. "By facilitating direct, real-time interaction, Simplifile Collaboration provides a consistent, secure, auditable means of completing key mortgage loan documents in accordance with TRID."

About Freedom Mortgage

Freedom Mortgage is a national, full-service mortgage banker that provides origination and servicing through retail, wholesale, correspondent and commercial divisions. One of the nation's largest mortgage lenders, the company is licensed in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Freedom Mortgage is renowned for using the most advanced technologies and providing world-class service to its clients, borrowers and partners. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Mount Laurel, N.J. For more information, please visit www.FreedomMortgage.com.

About Simplifile

Simplifile, the nation's largest e-recording network, was founded in 2000 to connect settlement agents and county recorders via its e-recording service. Today Simplifile has broadened its services to include collaboration tools and post-closing visibility for mortgage lenders and settlement agents working together on real estate documents. Through Simplifile, users can securely record, share, and track documents, data, and fees with ease.

To learn more, visit https://simplifile.com or call 800-460-5657.

Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced that Freedom Mortgage has begun using the Simplifile Collaboration service in its wholesale division to quickly and easily exchange data with its settlement partners.