Category: Finance

Kitsap Credit Union selects FirstClose’s home equity lending platform

AUSTIN, Texas, April 2, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that Kitsap Credit Union has selected FirstClose to support its home equity lending operations with a bundled, end-to-end digital tool.

Argyle’s Thomas Rasmuson named 2026 HousingWire Rising Star

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced that its Director of Sales Thomas Rasmuson has been named a 2026 Rising Star by HousingWire. The annual HousingWire Rising Stars award recognizes standout professionals under 40 who are making a significant impact on the housing industry through leadership, innovation and measurable business results.

Class Valuation’s Amanda Standley named to HousingWire’s Rising Stars list

TROY, Mich., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), today announced that Amanda Standley, vice president of business development for Bluebird Valuation, a Class Valuation company, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Rising Star. The HousingWire Rising Stars award recognizes emerging leaders under 40 in mortgage and real estate who are leading change and making a meaningful impact on their organizations. This year, 75 young professionals were named to the list.

Floify’s Sydney Barber honored with HousingWire’s Rising Stars award

BOULDER, Colo., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Floify, the mortgage industry’s leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Sydney Barber, 33, head of product, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Rising Star. Barber joins 74 other young professionals on this year’s list.

Dark Matter Technologies introduces Ask Aiva, an AI assistant embedded in the Empower LOS

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced Ask Aiva®, a conversational AI assistant natively embedded within the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) that allows lenders to query their origination environment in plain language, receive instant answers to see how those answers were derived.

Friday Harbor integrates with Calyx Path Platform to bring AI pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan

SEATTLE, Wash., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor today announced a new integration with the Calyx Path Platform that brings AI-powered pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan. Instead of waiting until underwriting to uncover issues, lenders can now review borrower documents, surface potential problems and resolve them earlier while maintaining consistent, reliable loan data throughout the lifecycle.

‘Money Buddies’ Debuts First Two Episodes on April 1 in Celebration of Financial Literacy Awareness Month

ATLANTA, Ga., March 31, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — This Financial Literacy Awareness Month, kids and families are invited to meet the Money Buddies, a lovable and irreverent cast of puppet characters on a mission to make learning about money fun, memorable, and easy to understand. Created and powered by Alliance Group, Money Buddies officially debuts the first two episodes of its seven-episode educational series on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

The Mortgage Collaborative to send advocacy committee to Washington for policy meetings

SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 27, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will send its Advocacy Committee to Washington, D.C. on April 16 to meet with federal policymakers and housing agencies to discuss mortgage lending, regulatory reform and housing affordability.

Friday Harbor partners with Waterstone Mortgage to expand underwriting capacity

SEATTLE, Wash., March 25, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced that Waterstone Mortgage has implemented its AI pre-underwriting platform to strengthen file quality and expand underwriting capacity across the lender’s nationwide retail operation.

Dark Matter Technologies integrates Snapdocs with its Empower LOS to power seamless digital closings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 24, 2026 (SEND3PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced a new integration between its Empower® loan origination system (LOS) and Snapdocs, the mortgage industry’s leading digital closing platform. Through the seamless, two-way integration, closing teams can generate orders, track transaction progress with real-time status updates and automate key closing and funding workflows, all without leaving their system of record.

Vertyx Introduces Homeowner Navigator, Delivering Personalized Intelligent Insights and Omnichannel Engagement for Modern Homeownership

NEW YORK, N.Y., March 24, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vertyx, a provider of intelligent mortgage servicing technology built for enhanced portfolio performance, today announced Homeowner Navigator, a platform providing AI-driven homeowner insights and omnichannel engagement with borrowers. The platform is designed to help mortgage servicers maintain visibility into borrower needs after closing, when opportunities to support retention, recapture and broader relationship growth are often harder to identify.

DocMagic’s Lori Johnson honored with National Mortgage Professional’s 2026 Women of Inspiration award

TORRANCE, Calif., March 23, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — DocMagic, Inc. announced today that Chief Operating Officer Lori Johnson has been named a 2026 National Mortgage Professional (NMP) Women of Inspiration award winner. The awards program recognizes women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, made significant contributions to the mortgage industry and inspired others through mentorship and advocacy.

Argyle’s Shelby Bohannon recognized as one of NMP’s 2026 Women of Inspiration

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., March 23, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced that Shelby Bohannon, Vice President of Customer Success, has been named a 2026 Woman of Inspiration by National Mortgage Professional (NMP). The annual recognition celebrates influential women in mortgage lending who are driving meaningful progress across the industry.

Texas Bankers Association Partners with Ascribe to Offer Texas Banks Competitive, Reliable Valuation Services

AUSTIN, Texas, March 19, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Texas Bankers Association (TBA), the nation’s largest state-based banking trade organization, today announced its endorsement of Ascribe, a leading national provider of valuation, evaluation, property inspection, and REO (real estate owned) services. Approved by the TBA Services Company, Inc. (TBASCO) Board of Directors, the endorsement gives Texas banks access to high-quality valuation services, competitive pricing, and fully insured support for both commercial and residential properties.

MarketWise Advisors study finds mortgage lenders increase efficiency by over $1,000 per loan with Optimal Blue

PLANO, Texas, March 17, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today announced key results of an independent analysis by consulting advisory firm MarketWise Advisors LLC quantifying the operational and financial efficiencies of its end-to-end capital markets platform and the significant value it generates per loan. The study found that mortgage lenders using Optimal Blue technology are more efficient and competitive. Optimal Blue mortgage lenders report an average net financial benefit of $1,006 per loan, reflecting measurable gains in execution quality, error reduction, automation and operational efficiency

ACES Quality Management to present at CU:REALM Live 2026 conference in Atlanta

DENVER, Colo., March 17, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced that Brock Miller, CMQ/OE, senior director of business development, and Sharon Reichhardt, EVP of operations, will attend and participate in CU:REALM Live 2026, March 30-31 in Atlanta.

Argyle launches unified 3-in-1 Verification Suite for mortgage lenders

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., March 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle today announced the launch of its 3-in-1 Verification Suite, a unified verification product that brings verification of income (VOI), verification of employment (VOE) and verification of assets (VOA) together in a single, consumer-permissioned workflow. The consolidated Verification Suite enables mortgage lenders to manage multiple verification types through one interface, reducing the operational complexity of working across multiple vendors, integrations and contracts.

Floify powers launch of Timberline Mortgage

BOULDER, Colo., March 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Floify, the mortgage industry’s leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Timberline Bank has selected its platform to power its recently launched mortgage division. Founded in 2004, Timberline Bank is a Colorado-based community bank serving customers across western Colorado.

iEmergent introduces free webinar series to help lenders turn market data into mortgage growth

DES MOINES, Iowa, March 11, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — iEmergent, a forecasting and advisory services firm for the financial services, mortgage and real estate industries, today announced a new webinar series, “From Gaps to Growth: A Data-Driven Roadmap to Increase Production.” The free, multi-episode series will help mortgage lenders navigate an increasingly complex mortgage environment and translate market intelligence into practical strategies for sustainable origination growth.

Floify launches Dynamic Apps 2.0, enabling lenders to create fully customizable loan applications

BOULDER, Colo., March 10, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Floify, the mortgage industry’s leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced the release of Dynamic Apps 2.0, a major platform enhancement that allows lenders to create fully customizable loan applications tailored to specific loan purposes, borrower scenarios and business workflows without relying on engineering resources or third-party integrations.

Optimal Blue report: Purchase demand rebounds as mortgage market finds balance

PLANO, Texas, March 10, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today released its February 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, showing a meaningful improvement in lock activity as lower mortgage rates helped bring purchase borrowers back into the market. Total rate-lock volume rose 9% month over month (MoM) and was nearly 40% higher year over year (YoY).

Dovenmuehle earns Fannie Mae STAR award for servicing excellence for the seventh time

LAKE ZURICH, Ill., March 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc. (DMI), a leading mortgage subservicing company, announced today that Fannie Mae has again honored the company with their Servicer Total Achievement and Rewards™ (STAR™) Servicer Award for outstanding servicing performance during the 2025 program year. This is the seventh occasion Fannie Mae has recognized DMI for servicing excellence.

Floify’s Sydney Barber recognized with MBA Residential mPact Young Professionals Spotlight Award

BOULDER, Colo., March 6, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Floify, the mortgage industry’s leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Sydney Barber, head of product, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Residential mPact Young Professionals Spotlight Award. Barber was one of only five professionals selected for the honor, which recognizes industry leaders under 40 who are driving meaningful impact within their organizations, strengthening communities and helping shape the future of homeownership.

ACES Quality Management brings ACES ENGAGE to San Diego and Charlotte with 2026 regional workshops

DENVER, Colo., March 3, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, today announced its ACES ENGAGE Regional Workshop Series. In 2026, ACES will take a regional approach, delivering two in-person workshops that expand access, increase interaction and provide practical, hands-on learning in a focused setting.

Informative Research appoints fintech veteran Mark Jones as senior vice president of partner success

GARDEN GROVE, Calif., March 3, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced the appointment of Senior Vice President of Partner Success Mark Jones. In this role, Jones will develop and scale a strategy to expand IR’s market reach and strengthen partnerships across the mortgage and fintech ecosystem.

Argyle named a 2026 Startup Employer of the Year by Forbes

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., March 3, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced it has been named a 2026 Startup Employer of the Year by Forbes, marking the company’s second consecutive appearance on one of the nation’s top employer rankings.

Class Valuation among early AMCs to receive Collateral Underwriter access

TROY, Mich., Feb. 26, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced that it is one of the first AMCs to receive access to Collateral Underwriter® (CU®), Fannie Mae’s proprietary appraisal risk assessment tool, marking a significant milestone for appraisal review and risk management.

Optimal Blue to host 2027 Summit February 1-3 in Scottsdale

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 25, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today announced it will host its 2027 Optimal Blue Summit February 1-3 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. The annual event convenes Optimal Blue clients, integration partners and capital markets leaders from across the mortgage industry for three days of insight, collaboration and forward-looking strategy.

Friday Harbor introduces dynamic pre-underwriting to help LOs structure deals that qualify and close

SEATTLE, Wash., Feb. 24, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced the launch of Income and Asset Sandbox, a new set of capabilities that allows lending teams to structure income and asset decisions in real time without committing changes prematurely or stepping outside program guidelines. The capabilities are designed to help loan officers structure deals that qualify and close earlier in the origination process.

Industry-first AI/ML-powered forecasting tool headlines extensive lineup of mortgage capital markets innovations unveiled at 2026 Optimal Blue Summit

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 24, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today announced Virtual Economist, the first on-demand forecasting tool for mortgage capital markets leaders powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), as the centerpiece of nine platform advancements unveiled at the company’s 2026 Summit. Together, the innovations further unify the capital markets profitability experience by connecting forecasting, pricing, hedging, competitive benchmarking and workflow execution within a single, end-to-end platform.