Category Archives: Finance

Tax Notice Book ‘Now What? I Got a Tax Notice from the IRS. Help!’ released today by SFS Tax Problem Solutions Press

STUART, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- SFS Tax Problem Solutions Press announces the release of "Now What? I Got a Tax Notice from the IRS. Help!" (ISBN: 978-0692997154) by Jeffrey Schneider. "Now What?" is available nationwide today in paperback. It will be published in an eBook edition in March and an audio book edition in June 2018.

In the new book, "Now What? I Got a Tax Notice from the IRS. Help!" Jeffrey Schneider defines and deconstructs the scary and confusing letters in a fashion that mixes attention to detail with humor and an intricate clarification of what-is-what in the world of the IRS.

"The idea of receiving a letter from the IRS is not a pleasant one for anyone. What makes it worse is the confusion, the fear, the assumptions and the thoughts of all the worst-case scenarios that can make you feel like you have a tidal wave of stress," says Schneider.

Written by Jeffrey Schneider, an Enrolled Agent, Certified Tax Resolution Specialist and a National Tax Practice Institute Fellow, "Now What? I Got a Tax Notice from the IRS. Help!" defines and deconstructs the scary and confusing letters that land in your mailbox, details how there is life, sanity, and even money after receiving a notice.

"You have choices and you do have some control. The IRS is not always correct! Even if you owe more than you can pay, there are other options," Schneider explains.

Jeffrey Schneider, EA, CTRS, NTPI Fellow has the knowledge and expertise to help you reach a favorable outcome with the IRS. He is the head honcho at SFS Tax & Accounting Services as well as the Enrolled Agent and Certified Tax Resolution Specialist for SFS Tax Problem Solutions. Schneider was recently appointed to the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC).

In the book, Jeffrey provides instruction, enlightenment, and answers questions on such topics as: How do I pay the IRS what I don't have? Can you really start over and get a second chance? as well as What can a tax professional do for you that an online program can't?

According to Schneider, "With life preserving tips and sanity maintaining directions, this guide is your life preserver to hold on to while you read those notices that give you that sinking feeling. So, when you get that notice, you don't have to panic, you don't have to drown in stress or worry and you will have a brief understanding of the best steps to achieve the best results as you head toward dry land."

From the common to the not so common notices, to what you can do about them and the different types of professionals as well as the different types of credentials that make the difference in correcting or resolving your specific situation.

"The all-encompassing advice: Tax debt is not something to ignore. The IRS has a long memory. They will not forget. And the longer you wait to take care of the problem, the harder and more costly it will be," says Schneider.

For more information about Jeffrey Schneider, visit: https://sfstaxproblemsolutions.com/ or http://sfstaxacct.com/.

BOOK SUMMARY:
- Title: "Now What? I Got a Tax Notice from the IRS. Help!"?
- Author: Jeffrey Schneider.
- Publisher: SFS Tax Problem Solutions Press.
- ISBN: 978-0692997154; paperback, 6x9; 216pp; $9.97.
- eBook: March 2018
- Audio book: June 2018.

VIDEO (YouTube):
https://youtu.be/cxHj9P9G2FQ

SFS Tax Problem Solutions Press announces the release of "Now What? I Got a Tax Notice from the IRS. Help!" (ISBN: 978-0692997154) by Jeffrey Schneider. "Now What?" is available nationwide today in paperback. It will be published in an eBook edition in March and an audio book edition in June 2018. Schneider defines and deconstructs the scary and confusing letters in a fashion that mixes attention to detail with humor and an intricate clarification of what-is-what in the world of the IRS.

Related link: https://sfstaxproblemsolutions.com/

American Truck Dealers 20 Group Meeting: Frenkel & Company – an EPIC Company’s Michael Feinstein Presents on Cyber Liability

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Michael Feinstein, executive vice president of Frenkel & Company - an EPIC Company, will present at the American Truck Dealers (ATD) 20 Group Meeting on Monday, Feb. 19 at 7 a.m. at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Feinstein will present on cyber liability as well as the state of the insurance market for truck dealers. Topics will include exposure identification, causes of data breaches, risk mitigation and transfer, insurance products, incident response and benchmarking limits.

NADA/ATD 20 Group programs equip dealers and managers with best practices, new ideas and financial comparisons to improve business performance and profitability. Programs encompass virtually all franchises and offer a variety of meeting formats with noncompeting dealers grouped by franchise, volume, geographic location, travel preferences and budget. Programs include Internet groups, all-make truck groups, fixed operations groups, custom and composite-only groups and the traditional franchise specific groups. Additionally, In-dealership Consulting (IDC) services are available to improve performance of employees, departments and the operation as a whole.

About Michael Feinstein, Executive Vice President, Frenkel & Company - an EPIC Company:

Michael Feinstein began his insurance career in New York in 1981 with the broker, Foa & Son Corp., after graduating from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics. Feinstein has been with Frenkel since 1985. He is active in the firm's new business development area and also services a number of the firm's key accounts. Feinstein's area of expertise is Professional Liability, Directors & Officers Liability and other financial products. He attained the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1989.

About American Truck Dealers:

Established in 1970, American Truck Dealers (ATD), a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), provides programs and services to this highly specialized segment of its membership. ATD represents more than 1,800 franchised medium- and heavy-duty truck dealers holding nearly 3,000 separate franchises, domestic and import.

About Frenkel & Company - an EPIC Company:

Frenkel & Company - an EPIC Company is a full-service insurance brokerage established in 1878. Frenkel offers an expansive array of traditional and customized risk management, property and casualty and employee benefits consulting services to a broad spectrum of businesses, industries and individuals. Headquartered in New York, NY, the firm has grown organically since 1878 and through a series of acquisitions and strategic partnerships. In November 2017, Frenkel joined EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants. For additional information, please visit https://www.frenkel.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 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

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

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Michael Feinstein, executive vice president of Frenkel & Company - an EPIC Company, will present at the American Truck Dealers (ATD) 20 Group Meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018 at 7 a.m. at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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

Delta Care Rx Now Integrates with Suncoast Electronic Medical Records

PITTSBURGH, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- Delta Care Rx, a leading pharmaceutical innovator in end of life care, announces a robust integration with Suncoast by Complia Health, a leading global provider of home health care and hospice software solutions.

The Delta Care Rx hospice pharmacy benefits management (PBM) solution joins a growing list of other vendors which integrate effortlessly with the Suncoast industry standard electronic medical records (EMR) system. Now, clients with the Suncoast EMR are able to enhance efficiencies with a single point of data entry which will then flow electronically to Delta Care Rx.

"The integration allows an increased number of our clients to use the additional functionality of the software," says Nate Truitt, general manager of Suncoast by Complia Health. "We want to make certain our clients have access to all the software options available to them."

The integration:
* increases efficiency, saving time and costs
* eliminates redundancy of any data entry
* improves the quality of patient care
* provides a single point of entry for patient demographics and medication orders
* complements Delta Care Rx's proprietary and easy-to-use e-Tools suite of software.

The integration is inclusive of industry tailored e-Prescribing and durable medical equipment (DME) order management that works on any digital device, including smart phones.

A leading PBM, Delta Care Rx partners with top EMR vendors - like Suncoast by Complia - to provide innovative integration solutions which ultimately enhance clinical efficiency and dramatically reduce costs for hospice organizations.

According to David Clapp, national director of business development at Delta Care Rx, "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with quality providers like Suncoast by Complia. Together, we make it possible for our mutual clients to ensure patient quality of care across the care continuum."

Delta Care Rx is a leading sponsor for the second annual Complia Health CARE User Conference, Monday, Feb. 19, through Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 at the Marriott Orlando World Center, Orlando, Florida.

Attendees will network with peers in post-acute, home health, hospice and palliative care organizations, while simultaneously learning from a broad variety of industry experts and thought leaders, such as Delta Care Rx COO Drew Mihalyo, who will be featured in Thursday's Partner Showcase.

About Delta Care Rx:
Delta Care Rx - http://www.deltacarerx.com - transforms and improves the hospice pharmacy industry through business transparency, innovation, extreme customer service, and the maintenance of vital community-pharmacy relationships. As a pharmacist owned, privately held provider, Delta Care Rx sets the industry benchmark for pharmacy benefit management, mail order pharmacy options, on-demand pharmacist services, and hospice tailored electronic prescribing. Additionally, Delta Care Rx offers electronic tools, including cutting edge telemedicine technology, to improve the quality of patient care and simplify essential workflow and ordering processes within hospice settings.

About Complia Health:
Complia Health is a leading global provider of technology and expertise for the long-term and post-acute care market. Nearly 3,000 home health, residential, community care, and hospice organizations count on Complia Health for the clinical, operational, and financial solutions required to profitability deliver quality care. Complia Health's innovative products-including Procura, ContinuLink, Suncoast, Igea, and Progresa-are supported by a team of global health and technology experts located in the United States, Canada, and Australia. For more information, visit http://www.compliahealth.com/.

Delta Care Rx, a leading pharmaceutical innovator in end of life care, announces a robust integration with Suncoast by Complia Health, a leading global provider of home health care and hospice software solutions.

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

OpenClose Bolsters Software Integration and Support Teams

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- OpenClose(R), an industry-leading multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) and mortgage fintech provider, announced that it has added staff to its integration and customer support departments. The new hires will help enhance OpenClose's existing software products, facilitate digital mortgage processes, produce fintech-level innovation and provide excellence in customer support. The company also recently added three senior software engineers to its development team.

Julie Hoefs comes to OpenClose as a previous user of its LenderAssist(TM) LOS and integrated best-of-breed mortgage fintech, compliance, analytics and reporting solutions. She has experience managing all aspects of mortgage loan processing, mortgage servicing and loan purchase activity. In addition, Hoefs has overseen loan operations at Two Rivers Bank and was the assistant manager for lending operations at Fremont National Bank & Trust Co. At OpenClose, Hoefs will work on the support team where she will focus on new best-of-breed software partner interfaces and enhancements.

Kenneth Kerfoot was added to the OpenClose integration team, who previously was the LOS manager at University Bank. Prior to this, he was the implementation coordinator at Mortgage Builder/Altisource. At the company, he also held the positions of lead support trainer and account specialist. Over the course of his career, Kenneth Kerfoot has worked for LOS vendor Dynatek and lenders such as United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), Washtenaw Mortgage, Sigma Financial Corporation, 1st Rate Mortgage and Interfirst Mortgage.

"As we continue to grow and advance our mortgage software solution suite, hiring subject matter experts with extensive experience working for both mortgage technology vendors and lenders is key to ongoing innovation," stated Jason Regalbuto, CEO and CTO at OpenClose. "We always strive to deliver robust mortgage software solutions and hands-on customer support, and these new resources help us maintain OpenClose's track record for success."

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) and fintech provider that cost effectively delivers its platform on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis. The company provides a variety of innovative, 100 percent web-based solutions for lenders, banks, credit unions, and conduit aggregators.

OpenClose's core solution, LenderAssist(TM), is comprehensive loan origination software that is completely engineered by OpenClose using the same code base from the ground up, thus avoiding the problems that often accompany assembling best-of-breed applications or acquiring disparate technologies in an effort to create an end-to-end platform. The company provides lending organizations with full control of their data and creates a truly seamless workflow for complete automation and compliance adherence.

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

OpenClose, an industry-leading multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) and mortgage fintech provider, announced that it has added staff to its integration and customer support departments. The new hires will help enhance OpenClose's existing software products, facilitate digital mortgage processes, produce fintech-level innovation and provide excellence in customer support. The company also recently added three senior software engineers to its development team.

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

ARMCO Named a ‘Top 100 Mortgage Employer’ by National Mortgage Professional Magazine for Second Consecutive Year

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software ACES Audit Technology(TM), announced that was named among National Mortgage Professional (NMP) magazine's annual Top 100 Mortgage Employers list for 2018. This is the second consecutive year the company has been recognized with this distinction.

"ARMCO's strives for top quality, in both our technology and service. This is all based on our dedicated and highly skilled staff," said Phil McCall, President of ARMCO. "We are serious about maintaining a culture that attracts the best people, and it's very rewarding to be named a top mortgage employer for the second consecutive year by National Mortgage Professional."

The annual award rankings are based on the magazine's proprietary Mortgage Company Employer Score (MECS). The MECS weighs and scores various areas in a company to arrive at the list each year. A polling of NMP subscribers is used with the following criteria: corporate culture; compensation; day-to-day management; internal communications; marketing; training; resources; long-term strategy; ingenuity; speed; technology; and industry participation.

NMP is one of the mortgage industry's leading go-to sources for extensive news coverage for mortgages, origination, compliance, secondary marketing, servicing, settlement, technology, trending, and more.

About ARMCO:

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

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

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

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software ACES Audit Technology, announced that was named among National Mortgage Professional (NMP) magazine's annual Top 100 Mortgage Employers list for 2018. This is the second consecutive year the company has been recognized with this distinction.

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

Pavaso Leads Charity Effort Benefitting Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas at NEXT Mortgage Conference

EDMOND, Okla. /ScoopCloud/ -- NEXT Mortgage Events LLC, a creator of events for women mortgage executives, has announced that Pavaso, a mortgage industry leader in eClosing and consumer management technology solutions, led a charity effort that raised over $2,200 for Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, at NEXT, the mortgage industry's only technology-centric conference for women executives.

This fundraising event took place on January 18, 2018 during the post-session networking party at NEXT's inaugural conference, which hosted nearly 200 women executives in mortgage lending.

Pavaso was the premier sponsor of the charity activity. Other participating companies included WeGoLook, an online platform for ordering on-site inspections; LoanScorecard, a provider of automated underwriting and loan pricing solutions; SimpleNexus, provider of mobile solutions that bring together mortgage loan originators, real estate professionals, and mortgage customers; Docutech, a provider of document, compliance and eClose technology for mortgage, home equity and consumer lending; and BombBomb, provider of an easy-to-use, low cost, video email system.

"We were extremely excited to participate in and sponsor such an impactful charitable organization, whose mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold," said Nancy Pratt, Vice President of Partner Relations and Government Affairs at Pavaso. "It was an honor to help support, empower, and motivate these young girls to strive towards their goals and pursue the career of their dreams."

"One of NEXT's defining qualities is the meaningful experience we deliver - involving a charity activity is part of that," said Molly Dowdy, co-founder of NEXT. "We're so happy to have provided our attendees with the opportunity meet other accomplished mortgage executives while giving back."

About NEXT Mortgage Events LLC:

NEXT Mortgage Events LLC is the creator of NEXT, the first bi-annual women's mortgage technology conference and expo. NEXT features informational tech-focused talks, a fast-paced tech demonstration showcase, a product-focused exposition hall and well-organized networking events - all in a comfortable environment catering to the accomplished woman executive. NEXT's inaugural event took place January 18-19, 2018 at the InterContinental Dallas. The second event will take place in June 2018.

For more information visit https://www.nextmortgageconference.com/, follow @NEXTmtgEvents or email info@NEXTmortgageEvents.com.

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*Web Photo Caption: Pictured: Aaron McKinley, Senior Business Development Manager at Pavaso, at Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas.

NEXT Mortgage Events LLC ('NEXT'), a creator of events for women mortgage executives, has announced that Pavaso, a mortgage industry leader in eClosing and consumer management technology solutions, led a charity effort that raised over $2,200 for Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, at NEXT, the mortgage industry's only technology-centric conference for women executives.

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

MQMR Taps Mitchell Nomura as Internal Audit Manager

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR), a leader in mortgage risk management and compliance services, announced it has hired Mitchell Nomura as internal audit manager. In this role, Nomura will apply his more than 30 years of experience overseeing compliance and risk management departments at bank and non-bank lenders to leading MQMR's team of expert internal auditors as they identify compliance and operational risks for mortgage lender clients.

"Our internal audit team has earned a reputation of excellence among the industry and has recently announced advanced compliance to the December 19, 2017 Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2017-10 update six months ahead of the enforcement deadline," said Michael Steer, president of MQMR. "We are confident that Mitchell's effectiveness in managing departmental audits in accordance with updated GSE mandates as well as his wealth of industry experience position him as the ideal candidate to advance the success of our internal audit department."

Before joining MQMR, Nomura was Chief Credit Officer at Bank of San Francisco, where he oversaw its lending operations and enhanced the Compliance Management System (CMS), resulting in the bank obtaining the highest possible ratings for asset and quality management in a 2016 safety and soundness examination. Nomura's other career accomplishments include managing the development and implementation of a CMS and directing HMDA and TRID compliance for multi-billion-dollar loan originator, RPM Mortgage; overhauling Regulation O policy and training materials for Bank of Hawaii; implementing rigorous loan review procedures at City National Bank; and achieving top producer status as Lending Director for the Warehouse Lending division of GMAC Residential Funding.

"I've spent my career structuring compliance and risk management departments at bank and non-bank lenders to better identify risks and establish proactive procedures and policies that ensure quality loan production servicing," said Nomura. "I look forward to providing unique value to MQMR's top-tier internal audit program."

About Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR)

MQMR bridges the gap between risk and compliance through its suite of risk-related services. Since its inception, MQMR has launched multiple products and services to assist lenders in navigating regulatory requirements, providing mortgage compliance consulting throughout the origination process, servicing QC and subservicing oversight to master servicers, and filling the void of meeting vendor management oversight requirements. With 1,500+ operational reviews of mortgage companies, subservicers, document custodians, and vendors, annually, MQMR prides itself on being an industry leader throughout the entire life cycle of the loan.

MQMR is viewed as an industry leader in counterparty risk and compliance. To learn more, visit mqmresearch.com, subsequentqc.com, and hqvendormanagement.com.

Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR), a leader in mortgage risk management and compliance services, announced it has hired Mitchell Nomura as internal audit manager. In this role, Nomura will apply his more than 30 years of experience overseeing compliance and risk management departments at bank and non-bank lenders to leading MQMR's team of expert internal auditors as they identify compliance and operational risks for mortgage lender clients.

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

TeamSnap Launches Fully Integrated Payment Solutions for Sports Organizations

BOULDER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- TeamSnap, the household name in sports-tech management, announced today the expansion of their integrated payment platform with the launch of a new Invoicing feature - designed to make collections easier for sports administrators, coaches, parents and players.

TeamSnap users can now streamline collections and day-to day transactions throughout the season. No matter how big or small the organization is, TeamSnap can effectively manage all payments for everything from mid-season dues and tournament fees to uniforms and extra facility time. As a result, teams and administrators can eliminate unsafe collection practices that are still common for many sports groups and teams.

To power the new platform, TeamSnap has expanded its successful partnership with WePay - an industry leader in online payments. WePay is seamlessly integrated into the TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues platform to ensure all collections are secure and processed immediately.

"We're extremely excited to launch our new Invoicing feature and provide our users with an easy way to collect fees for expenses throughout the season. By integrating online payment directly into the TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues platform, sports organizations and teams can shift their focus away from the bookkeeping and back to the game," said TeamSnap co-founder and CEO, Dave Dupont. "Partnering with a trusted and reliable transaction processor was essential for our users to easily manage all payments in one secure online location - effectively eliminating the need for one-off checks, collecting cash at events, and making multiple trips to the bank."

"This expansion of TeamSnap integrated payments service is great news for their users," said Rachel Page, WePay Director of Partner Success. "The new Invoicing feature will make payments even easier for both team organizers and participants - a real win-win."

This is the latest major product feature release for TeamSnap, following the introduction of its new Tournaments platform last fall.

About TeamSnap:
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, TeamSnap has taken the organization of youth, recreational and competitive sports into the 21st century. Over 15 million coaches, administrators, players and parents use TeamSnap to sign up, schedule, communicate and coordinate everything for the team, the club and the season. TeamSnap makes organizing sports as simple as click, tap and go. For more information, visit https://www.teamsnap.com/.

About WePay:
WePay helps online platforms deliver integrated payments processing. The company has uniquely enabled TeamSnap, Constant Contact, GoFundMe, Meetup, and more than 1,000 other platforms to incorporate payments without compromising on their user experience or taking on risk and regulatory exposure. WePay is a Chase company. For more information, visit https://go.wepay.com/.

*LOGO for Media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1219s2p-teamsnap-300dpi.jpg

TeamSnap, the household name in sports-tech management, announced today the expansion of their integrated payment platform with the launch of a new Invoicing feature - designed to make collections easier for sports administrators, coaches, parents and players. To power the new platform, TeamSnap has expanded its successful partnership with WePay.

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

LBA Ware CEO Lori Brewer Named to 2018 MPA Hot 100 List for Technology Contributions to Mortgage Industry

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced today that its CEO Lori Brewer has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's "2018 Hot 100" list. Brewer was recognized for her entrepreneurship and innovation in pioneering the development of a first-of-its-kind software solution to automatically calculate loan officer (LO) compensation.

LBA Ware's flagship product, CompenSafe(TM), has calculated more than $1 billion in origination commissions and operational bonuses to date. In 2017, LBA Ware experienced notable year-over-year growth, marked by a 152 percent increase in total compensation processed and a 130 percent increase in the number of lenders using LOS Talker, the company's systems integration solutions technology.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized alongside the exceptional cast of mortgage professionals who have been recognized by MPA's Hot 100," said Brewer. "I'm proud of LBA Ware for delivering a product which has directly benefited our clients by drastically improving their operational efficiency and reducing their back-office costs while also empowering them to maximize the effectiveness of their incentive comp plans."

This marks the sixth year that MPA's Hot 100 will recognize today's most influential mortgage professionals. Award honorees are nominated by peers and recognized as top "movers and shakers" within the professional mortgage sphere. MPA's 2018 Hot 100 list will be featured in the magazine's February issue. To see the full list of winners, visit https://m.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

About LBA Ware:

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Macon, GA, LBA Ware(TM) is a software development company transforming the way mortgage lenders make the American dream of homeownership a reality. As the self-proclaimed masters of problem solving, our mission is to inspire opportunity by delivering solutions that become essential to the way mortgage companies operate. Our applications automate traditionally manual business processes for which an existing software solution does not exist, empowering lenders to create an integrated software environment that maximizes their productivity and operational efficiency.

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

LBA Ware, a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced today that its CEO Lori Brewer has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's "2018 Hot 100" list. Brewer was recognized for her entrepreneurship and innovation in pioneering the development of a first-of-its-kind software solution to automatically calculate loan officer (LO) compensation.

Related link: http://lbaware.com/

Global DMS Launches EVO-Commercial, a Next-Generation Valuation Management Software Platform for Commercial Lending

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Global DMS, a leading provider of cloud-based valuation management software, announced that it launched EVO-Commercial(TM) (EVO-C) at the MBA's CREF/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo being held in San Diego from February 11 - 14. The new platform is 100 percent configurable, fully customizable, quick and easy to implement, eliminates numerous steps in the workflow process, lowers system maintenance costs and empowers end-users as well as management teams, among many other efficiency gains.

"EVO-C solves a number of major pain points and challenges that have been ailing the commercial lending space for years," says said Vladimir Bien-Aime, president and CEO at Global DMS. "Commercial lenders have grown accustomed to dealing with manual processes or limitations of outdated, inflexible technology that prevents them from optimizing their valuation processes. The feedback we have received from commercial lenders thus far is that EVO-C eclipses and outperforms the current solutions which they are continually burdened with."

The EVO-C platform delivers immediate ROI to lender clients by reducing the cost to acquire, manage and review collateral valuations reports. The solution creates a competitive bidding environment where vendors are encouraged to focus on quality, communication, cost and turnaround time. Managers are easily able to monitor their pipelines in real-time for overall performance to drive down costs, remove road-blocks and create a positive experience for their customers.

Key EVO-C Benefits:
* Implementations can be completed in just days or weeks - not months
* EVO-C is so intuitive and easy to understand that minimal training is required
* Completely workflow-driven powered by a highly configurable business rules engine that does not require development or IT resources to update
* Detailed custom reports can easily be created by business users and dynamically output on an ad hoc basis for management
* Drag and drop capability allows for multiple large files to swiftly be transferred and auto-populated, saving immeasurable amounts of time.

"We spent a great deal of time working closely with lenders to perfect a breakthrough platform that is loaded with features and functionality, which commercial lenders have never seen before," said Michael Quaranto, chief information security officer and vice president of technology at Global DMS. "EVO-C was engineered to be hands down the most flexible, configurable and extensible commercial lending valuation management platform available on the market. We are extremely excited to demonstrate the jaw-dropping power EVO-C offers."

Global DMS is an established enterprise-class software provider that also offers a widely-used, award-winning residential lending valuation management platform, eTrac, which seamlessly automates all aspects of the process. eTrac supports lender compliance with changing state-based rules, federal laws, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Dodd-Frank Act.

About Global DMS:

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, Global DMS is a leading provider of cloud-based commercial and residential real estate valuation solutions catering to lenders, servicers, AMCs, appraisers and other real estate entities. The company's solution set is cost effectively delivered on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) transactional basis that ensures compliance adherence, reduces costs, increases efficiencies and expedites the entire real estate appraisal process. The company's solutions include its new EVO-Commercial (EVO-C) for commercial lending, eTrac valuation management platform for residential lending, eTrac WebForms, Global Kinex, AVMs, the MISMO Appraisal Review System (MARS), AMC State Regulations, ATOM (Appraisal Tracking on Mobile), and AMCmatch.com.

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

Global DMS, a leading provider of cloud-based valuation management software, announced that it launched EVO-Commercial (EVO-C) at the MBA's CREF/Multifamily Housing Convention and Expo being held in San Diego February 11 - 14, 2018. The new platform is 100 percent configurable, fully customizable, quick and easy to implement, eliminates numerous steps in the workflow process, lowers system maintenance costs and empowers end-users as well as management teams, among many other efficiency gains.

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

Simplifile VPs Nancy Alley, Vicki DiPasquale Recognized in MPA’s 2018 Hot 100

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, announced that Simplifile Vice President of Strategic Planning Nancy Alley and Vice President of Sales Vicki DiPasquale were named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's 2018 Hot 100. The honor, now in its sixth year, recognizes "100 movers and shakers who are heating things up in the mortgage world."

"We commend Nancy and Vicki for this well-deserved recognition," said Simplifile President Paul Clifford. "Both Nancy and Vicki have been instrumental in not just the overall growth and success of Simplifile, but also in the push to build out the final infrastructure necessary to achieve widespread industry access to e-mortgage capabilities."

"Recognitions like these are always an unexpected honor to receive," Alley said. "I'm proud of the strides Simplifile has made to help make the digital mortgage a reality, and to have played a role in those efforts is extremely gratifying."

"I've been privileged enough to have observed the real estate transaction from just about every angle, and we've never been closer to taking the full transaction digital than we are now," DiPasquale said. "I've been blessed to work with such an innovative company as Simplifile for almost a decade and am tremendously honored to have my efforts on behalf of the company and the industry recognized in such a public forum."

To view the full list, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

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 that Simplifile Vice President of Strategic Planning Nancy Alley and Vice President of Sales Vicki DiPasquale were named to Mortgage Professional America magazine's 2018 Hot 100. The honor, now in its sixth year, recognizes '100 movers and shakers who are heating things up in the mortgage world.'

Related link: https://simplifile.com/

The Cooksey Team Founder Michael Cooksey Recognized by Mortgage Professional America in 2018 Hot 100

ADDISON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- The Cooksey Team, a top producing retail branch of Mid America Mortgage, Inc., announced today its founder Michael Cooksey has been honored by housing industry trade magazine Mortgage Professional America (MPA) on its 2018 Hot 100 list. Michael Cooksey was one of 100 mortgage industry professionals selected by MPA magazine for the 2018 Hot 100. He was recognized for his role as founder of The Cooksey Team, one of Mid America Mortgage's most successful branches, and his commitment to mentoring and developing the next generation of exemplary professionals in the mortgage community.

"Michael Cooksey is a shining example of excellence in lending entrepreneurship and branch management," said Mid America Owner and CEO Jeff Bode. "He excels at transferring to branch staff his enthusiasm for lending and the skills he has developed over his 16 year career. As a result, The Cooksey Team enjoys an exceptionally positive and productive branch culture that was ranked among the 'Best Places to Work' by the Dallas Business Journal in 2017. We commend Michael on this well-deserved recognition."

In five years, Michael Cooksey increased his branch's footprint in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and opened a branch in the Los Angeles area - expanding The Cooksey Team's presence beyond Texas.

"Mid America has empowered me to build my branch, and in turn, I strive to empower my staff to achieve their maximum pontential," Michael Cooksey said. "To be counted among the top of my industry peers for that very reason is truly an honor."

MPA's Hot 100 is in its sixth year and includes representatives from every sector of the housing industry. Winners are selected by the MPA editorial staff based on their acheivements over the past 12-month period. To view the full list, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

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

With 16 years in the industry and nearly $1 billion in funded loans over the last five years with Mid America, Cooksey Team Founder Michael Cooksey brings the experience and knowledge needed to lead a successful mortgage transaction. Utilizing The CORE Training methodology, Michael has coached his own staff, as well as loan officers, brokers and real estate agents across the country, to become top producers. The Cooksey Team loan officers average six closings per month and $250,000 in annual income. In addition, the branch has increased its annual origination volume by nearly 50 percent year-over-year and is projected to achieve $350 million in volume in 2018. For more information on The Cooksey Team, visit http://cookseyteam.com.

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

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

Mid America is looking for tech-savvy, service-oriented mortgage professionals to join its growing team. We are dedicated to providing our employees with industry-leading tools and technology to deliver a great package of competitive pricing, programs and knowledgeable service. Want to join our team? Visit http://www.midamericacareer.com/.

The Cooksey Team, a top producing retail branch of Mid America Mortgage, Inc., announced today its founder Michael Cooksey has been honored by housing industry trade magazine Mortgage Professional America (MPA) on its 2018 Hot 100 list. He was recognized for his role as founder of The Cooksey Team, one of Mid America Mortgage's most successful branches.

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

Mid America Mortgage CEO Jeff Bode Recognized by MPA in ‘2018 Hot 100’

ADDISON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced today that owner and CEO Jeff Bode has been honored by Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine in publication's sixth annual Hot 100 list of mortgage industry professionals who have made a notable impact over the past year.

Under Bode's leadership, Mid America Mortgage has built a reputation for innovation and efficiency as one of the mortgage industry's foremost adopters of eMortgage technology and digital mortgage processes. Most recently, Mid America introduced Click n' Close, a digital mortgage approval and closing platform that provides home buyers with a fast, simple and secure experience by automating many of the steps of a traditional mortgage process. To launch their proprietary e-mortgage POS, Click and Close has become the "Official Mortgage Provider of NASCAR(r)" and will be featured as a primary sponsor of the No. 43 car driven by Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. for at least three races, making its debut at the 2018 Daytona 500 on February 18.

Other significant accomplishments achieved under Bode's leadership include the adoption of eClosings and eNotes by Mid America's retail lending channels, the establishment of eCorrespondent to purchase eClosed loans with eNotes, and a partnership with Spectrum Mortgage Holdings to provide eWarehouse lines for its eCorrespondent division.

"I believe that adhering to two main principles has led to the success of Mid America," said Bode. "Foremost, I remain squarely focused on the long view. For me, that 'long view' is dedication to engaging in good, safe, sound lending practices at a reasonable margin and making strategic investments to achieve sustainable growth. Equally as important to our success has been the top quality talent that we have cultivated throughout Mid America. My attitude has always been to hire smart and empower your talent to succeed."

The 2018 Hot 100 list includes professionals from every sector of the mortgage economy. Winners are selected by MPA magazine editors from nominations submitted by mortgage industry professionals. Honorees represent the 100 most influential "power players who are making their mark on the industry" today. To view the full list, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

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

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

Mid America is looking for tech-savvy, service-oriented mortgage professionals to join its growing team. We are dedicated to providing our employees with industry-leading tools and technology to deliver a great package of competitive pricing, programs and knowledgeable service. Want to join our team? Visit http://www.midamericacareer.com/.

Twitter: @midamericamtge

Mid America Mortgage, Inc. today announced that owner and CEO Jeff Bode has been honored by Mortgage Professional America magazine in publication's sixth annual 2018 Hot 100 list of mortgage industry professionals who have made a notable impact over the past year.

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

TRK Connection CTO Randy Abbey Named to MPA’s 2018 Hot 100

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- TRK Connection (TRK), a leading provider of mortgage quality control and origination management solutions, announced today that Chief Technology Officer Randy Abbey has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's 2018 Hot 100. He was recognized for contributing unique technology-based innovations in mortgage quality control (QC) and risk management.

Abbey is the primary architect of TRK's flagship mortgage quality control (QC) audit platform Insight Risk & Defect Management (RDM), which was launched in 2015. Leveraging his nearly two decades of SaaS, cloud security and diverse solution development expertise, Randy has built the mortgage industry's first cloud-based QC audit platform that marries ease of use with advanced functionality and unmatched flexibility, allowing mortgage QC departments to mold the system around their current processes.

"As a relative newcomer to the mortgage industry, I believe that I was able to assess the issues surrounding QC audit technology and develop Insight RDM from a fresh perspective," Abbey said. "I find it personally gratifying to solve the QC problems facing lenders by building them an audit platform that delivers true, lender-driven functionality, with an intuitive interface, that is configurable to any existing QC process, and operable on all browsers and mobile devices."

"The level of sophistication Insight RDM brings to the defect remediation process simply would not be possible without Randy's involvement," said TRK CEO Teri Sundh. "Thanks to Randy's vision and technical expertise, TRK is developing the industry's leading suite of tools, which has resulted in lenders and leading third-party compliance and review firms to increasingly make the switch to Insight to power their pre-funding, post-funding and servicing QC reviews."

To view the full list, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

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

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

TRK Connection, a leading provider of mortgage quality control and origination management solutions, announced today that Chief Technology Officer Randy Abbey has been named to Mortgage Professional America magazine's 2018 Hot 100. He was recognized for contributing unique technology-based innovations in mortgage quality control (QC) and risk management.

Related link: http://trkconnection.com/

Cloudvirga’s Kyle Kamrooz Named to MPA Hot 100 List of Top Mortgage Industry Innovators

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cloudvirga(TM), developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, today announced that its Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Kamrooz has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's annual Hot 100 list of the leaders and visionaries making the biggest impact on America's mortgage industry. Kamrooz was recognized for spearheading Cloudvirga's transformative contributions to reducing mortgage back-office costs through digital mortgage technology.

Published each February and now in its sixth year, the MPA Hot 100 recognizes mortgage professionals whose vision, innovation and achievements are shaping the landscape of the mortgage industry. Recipients of the award are nominated by their peers and are widely regarded as major power players within their professional community.

Since co-founding Cloudvirga in 2016, Kamrooz has led the company through two capital raises totaling over $27 million and launched its next-gen POS products in nine of the top 40 non-bank mortgage lenders.

This is the third time in recent weeks that top mortgage industry publications have recognized Kamrooz for his breakthrough contributions to advancing mortgage efficiency. Kamrooz was recently named among HousingWire's 2017 Vanguard Award winners as well as one of National Mortgage Professional (NMP) magazine's 40 most influential mortgage professionals under 40.

"It's a privilege to be recognized among such a distinguished group of mortgage professionals," said Kamrooz. "2017 was a great year for Cloudvirga and our customers, and we continue to tackle the massive problem of mortgage cost and inefficiency."

For a full rundown of 2018 MPA Hot 100 winners, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

About Cloudvirga(TM):

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

About Mortgage Professional America:

Mortgage Professional America (MPA) is the mortgage and finance industry's most trusted source of news, opinion and analysis. MPA keeps mortgage and finance professionals up-to-date with breaking news, cutting-edge opinion and expert analysis of the trends affecting individual mortgage businesses and the industry as a whole.

Cloudvirga, developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale (POS) platforms, today announced that its Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Kyle Kamrooz has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's annual Hot 100 list of the leaders and visionaries making the biggest impact on America's mortgage industry. Kamrooz was recognized for spearheading Cloudvirga's transformative contributions to reducing mortgage back-office costs through digital mortgage technology.

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

Mortgage Professional America Names Matic Co-Founder Ben Madick to Its Hot 100 List of Industry Visionaries

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Matic, a digital insurance agency whose technology enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the mortgage transaction, announced today that company co-founder and COO Benjamin Madick has been named one of Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's "Hot 100." Madick was recognized for his career-long contributions to the mortgage industry and for establishing the strategic partnerships that have fueled Matic's rapid growth.

Now in its sixth year, the "Hot 100" list is published by MPA each February. The honor recognizes 100 mortgage professionals who are shaping the landscape of the mortgage industry through their vision and innovation.

This is just one of several recent accolades for Madick, who was also named a 2017 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner and one of National Mortgage Professional magazine's 40 most influential mortgage professionals under 40.

Matic is the first company to help lenders and servicers integrate homeowner's insurance into the mortgage process. By leveraging borrower and property data from mortgage loan origination systems (LOS) and self-service digital mortgage platforms, Matic automates the process of shopping for homeowner's insurance and delivers bindable quotes in as little as 1-2 minutes. Under Madick's leadership, Matic has delivered more than 300,000 homeowner's insurance quotes in the last year alone.

"It's an honor to be recognized as one of MPA's Hot 100, particularly given this year's field of winners, which reads as a 'who's who' of mortgage industry influencers," said Madick. "Matic's success is a testament to the passion our entire team. We're not just revolutionizing the way consumers shop for homeowner's insurance; we're filling a gap in today's digital mortgage process to reduce closing times and eliminate fallout risk."

For a full rundown of 2018 MPA Hot 100 winners, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

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

About Mortgage Professional America:
Mortgage Professional America (MPA) is the mortgage and finance industry's most trusted source of news, opinion and analysis. MPA keeps mortgage and finance professionals up-to-date with breaking news, cutting-edge opinion and expert analysis of the trends affecting individual mortgage businesses and the industry as a whole.

Matic, a digital insurance agency whose technology enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the mortgage transaction, announced today that company co-founder and COO Benjamin Madick has been named one of Mortgage Professional America magazine's "Hot 100." Madick was recognized for his career-long contributions to the mortgage industry and for establishing the strategic partnerships that have fueled Matic's rapid growth.

Related link: https://maticinsurance.com/

FormFree’s Brent Chandler Named Among Mortgage Professional America’s Hot 100

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced that company founder and CEO Brent Chandler has been recognized by Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine in its annual Hot 100 list of mortgage professionals whose contributions are shaping America's home finance future. Chandler was recognized as the creator of AccountChek(R) - the mortgage industry's first automated asset verification tool - and for advancing innovative approaches to income and employment verification using asset data and augmented intelligence (AI).

2018 marks the sixth year that MPA has recognized mortgage industry trailblazers in its Hot 100 list, which is published each February. Hot 100 honorees are peer-nominated and recognized as leaders within the mortgage community.

In the past twelve months, Chandler has also received awards from other prominent industry publications, including MBA Insights' 2017 Tech All-Star Award and HousingWire magazine's 2017 HW Vanguard Award. FormFree was named to HousingWire's HW TECH100(TM) for the fourth consecutive year in 2017.

Chandler is a widely recognized innovator in mortgage and financial services technologies whose guidance has been instrumental to FormFree's staggering growth over the last few years. Since Fannie Mae designated FormFree as an official vendor for asset verification as part of the Day 1 Certainty(TM) initiative in 2016, FormFree has signed over 800 new lender customers and verified more than 1.25 million Asset Reports.

"FormFree's success would not be possible without our outstanding team of professionals dedicated to providing the most secure, accurate and complete asset verification service in home finance," said Chandler. "I couldn't be prouder of FormFree's achievements. To be recognized among the esteemed list of professionals named in the Hot 100 is truly an honor."

For a full rundown of 2018 MPA Hot 100 winners, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

About FormFree(R):

FormFree is a fintech company whose market-leading AccountChek(R) Asset Reports are used by lenders nationwide to verify borrower assets, employment and income in minutes. To date, more than 1,000 U.S. lenders have ordered over 1.25 million AccountChek Asset Reports, delighting their customers with a paperless experience and reducing origination timelines by up to 20 days. FormFree offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using a secure ReIssueKey(TM). A HousingWire TECH100(TM) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com/ or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

About Mortgage Professional America:

Mortgage Professional America (MPA) is the mortgage and finance industry's most trusted source of news, opinion and analysis. MPA keeps mortgage and finance professionals up-to-date with breaking news, cutting-edge opinion and expert analysis of the trends affecting individual mortgage businesses and the industry as a whole.

FormFree today announced that company founder and CEO Brent Chandler has been recognized by Mortgage Professional America magazine in its annual Hot 100 list of mortgage professionals whose contributions are shaping America's home finance future. Chandler was recognized as the creator of AccountChek - the mortgage industry's first automated asset verification tool - and for advancing innovative approaches to income and employment verification using asset data and augmented intelligence (AI).

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

ReverseVision Vice President of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel Included in MPA’s 2018 Hot 100

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, announced today that Vice President of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's Hot 100 list. Peel was selected for her influential role in bringing HECM loans into the mortgage mainstream as part of a Generational Lending approach to serving borrower needs across the consumer lifecycle.

Now in its sixth year, MPA's annual Hot 100 list recognizes the professionals who are making the most impactful contributions to the mortgage industry today. The release of MPA's 2018 Hot 100 list coincides with ReverseVision's third annual RV UserCon, which kicked off yesterday at San Diego's Kona Kai Resort. ReverseVision expects a 35 percent increase in attendance over last year's sell-out conference.

"Wendy's innovative marketing efforts have boosted industry-wide engagement in HECM origination and made a long-lasting and positive impact on the mortgage industry as a whole," said ReverseVision President John Button. "I can think of no person better deserving of this recognition."

Peel also received recognition from HousingWire as a 2017 Woman of Influence and was named an Elite Woman in Mortgage by MPA in 2016.

Lenders, wholesalers, brokers and investors are increasingly turning their attention to HECM origination. In fact, ReverseVision signed more than 800 new lenders and brokers to its flagship RV Exchange (RVX) loan origination system in 2017 alone. In response to the influx of traditional lenders into the HECM industry, ReverseVision has dedicated an entire track of programming at UserCon 2018 to educating those who have recently entered the HECM market or are considering doing so.

For a full rundown of 2018 MPA Hot 100 winners, visit https://www.mpamag.com/contents/e-magazine.aspx?id=91568.

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

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

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

About Mortgage Professional America:
Mortgage Professional America (MPA) is the mortgage and finance industry's most trusted source of news, opinion and analysis. MPA keeps mortgage and finance professionals up-to-date with breaking news, cutting-edge opinion and expert analysis of the trends affecting individual mortgage businesses and the industry as a whole.

ReverseVision,, Inc., the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, announced today that Vice President of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel has been named to Mortgage Professional America (MPA) magazine's Hot 100 list. Peel was selected for her influential role in bringing HECM loans into the mortgage mainstream as part of a Generational Lending approach to serving borrower needs across the consumer lifecycle.

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

Will Victims of Irma Also Be Subject to Insurance Policy Renewal Surcharges?

BRADENTON, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Nearly 500,000 residential property owners across the State of Florida have already incurred substantial out-of-pocket expenses due Irma losses because of high hurricane claim deductibles, according to Consumer Insurance Trust LLC (ClaimForward.com). The standard hurricane deductible across most insurers is usually 2 percent of the dwelling value.

Some of these same consumers will also be subject to a likely unexpected policy surcharge due their Hurricane Irma claim at their next policy renewal.

As consumers who have been subject to steadily rising insurance premiums are aware, authorized property insurance companies in Florida are required to annually submit their premium changes to the Department of Financial Services for approval. In addition to those likely premium increases post Irma, some insurers already have built into their existing pricing structure an automatic surcharge for specified claims, including hurricane claims.

"Florida insurance consumers need to know that Florida Statute does not protect them from hurricane claim surcharges and our review indicates approximately 15 percent of insurers have established surcharges," commented Joseph DiMartino, Ph.D., CEO of Consumer Insurance Trust LLC, and a former President/CEO in the insurance industry. Hurricane claim surcharges range from approximately 2 to 7 percent of policy premium.

Homeowner policy premium increases approved by the Department of Financial Services during the nine months preceding Irma averaged 6.6 percent. But those consumers also impacted by a hurricane claim surcharge, which averages 5.3 percent, will be subject to a total premium increase of approximately 12 percent.

Florida insurance consumers who want to determine if their policy renewal will be subject to a hurricane claim surcharge can visit http://www.claimforward.com/.

Claim Forward is a free service that identifies how each insurer surcharges and underwrites for claims by sorting through hundreds of thousands of pages of insurance company regulatory filings required by the State of Florida.

This information is analyzed relative to each user submitted inquiry to provide:
- an estimate of the expected claim surcharge,
- a determination if the insurer offers claim "forgiveness",
- a comparison to other insurance company surcharges,
- and an assessment of non-renewal risk and personalized service offerings.

ClaimForward.com provides consumers a necessary resource in assessing the financial impact associated with their decision to file not only a hurricane claim, but any home, auto, condo or motorcycle claim.

Claim Forward is the only automated tool empowering consumers to make better financial decisions in the event of a personal property/casualty insurance loss.

Interested consumers can easily complete an inquiry in five simple steps at: http://www.claimforward.com/.

About Consumer Insurance Trust LLC:

Consumer Insurance Trust LLC, a company dedicated to building consumer trust in insurance through improved transparency and service, was founded by Joseph DiMartino, Ph.D., a former insurance industry executive. Dr. DiMartino held the position of President and/or CEO of three insurance groups over his career that spans nearly twenty years of professional experience in financial services. Consumer Insurance Trust develops tools and services, like Claim Forward, to provide consumers practical knowledge about their insurance to enable better financial decisions.

For more information, please visit Claim Forward at http://www.claimforward.com/.

Nearly 500,000 residential property owners across the State of Florida have already incurred substantial out-of-pocket expenses due Irma losses because of high hurricane claim deductibles, according to Consumer Insurance Trust LLC (Claim Forward). The standard hurricane deductible across most insurers is usually 2 percent of the dwelling value.

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

Movement Mortgage Implements CompenSafe to Automate LO Compensation

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced that South Carolina-based Movement Mortgage has implemented CompenSafe(TM) to automatically calculate commissions for its loan originators (LOs) located in 700 branches across 49 states.

"When I joined Movement Mortgage, I was tasked with identifying a compensation tool that would bring increased efficiency, accuracy and transparency to our payroll process and keep pace with our rapidly expanding sales force," said Aubrey Ratchford, Finance Director of Compensation at Movement Mortgage. "After coming across CompenSafe in my research, I discovered that several of our employees had previous experience with the system so we ultimately chose CompenSafe to automate our commission calculations."

"Since implementing CompenSafe, the amount of time and frustration our payroll team experiences have decreased significantly, and our LOs have better visibility into their anticipated compensation each month, which they love," Ratchford added. "In addition, having compensation systematically calculated and captured has reduced the amount of time and effort required to produce accurate financials."

CompenSafe is the first mortgage industry-specific software that integrates loan origination system (LOS) data with LO-specific commission package conditions to automatically calculate commissions in real time, thereby reducing compensation errors and streamlining the overall payroll process. In addition, LOs can view their anticipated compensation through CompenSafe anytime, providing transparency into the commission calculation process and supporting lenders' LO retention strategies.

"Successful lenders find that as they grow, the demands that compensation calculation places on the payroll team can exceed the capacity of homegrown solutions," said Lori Brewer, CEO of LBA Ware. "CompenSafe alleviates this immense burden by calculating compensation automatically. This optimizes efficiency for payroll teams and allows lenders to source and retain top LO talent with custom compensation plans and providing the peace of mind of transparent and accurate commissions calculation."

About Movement Mortgage:
Movement Mortgage, a national top 10 retail mortgage lender, exists to love and value people by leading a Movement of Change in its industry, corporate culture and communities. Movement is best known for its innovative mortgage process and referable experience, which begins with Upfront Underwriting and a seven-day loan processing goal. The company, a certified Great Place to Work, employs more than 4,300 people, has more than 700 branches in the U.S. spanning across 49 states. Its non-profit organization, The Movement Foundation, has reinvested more than $30 million in communities to date. For more information, visit https://movement.com.

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

Twitter: @LBAWare @MovementMtg #LOComp #mortgage

LBA Ware, a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced that South Carolina-based Movement Mortgage has implemented CompenSafe to automatically calculate commissions for its loan originators (LOs) located in 700 branches across 49 states.

Related link: http://lbaware.com/

Bank of Southern California, N.A. Announces Fourth Quarter and Year-end 2017 Results

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL) announced quarterly earnings of $1,134,397 for the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to $1,088,043 for the third quarter of 2017 and $902,476 for the fourth quarter of 2016. For the year, net earnings were $3,964,692 in 2017, a 32% increase compared to $3,009,251 for 2016. Results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 2017 include a $200,000 increase in income tax expense due to recent Tax Reform legislation.

"We are very pleased to report our fourth quarter and year-end results. In 2017, we continued to experience strong organic growth in our existing San Diego and Coachella Valley markets, and we expect to see similar results in our recent expansion into Orange County," commented Nathan Rogge, President and CEO of Bank of Southern California.

Total assets ended the year of 2017 at $480 million, up from $468 million at September 30, 2017, and up from $424 million at December 31, 2016. Total loans increased to $399 million at December 31, 2017, compared to $388 million and $333 million at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively, while total deposits were $407 million at December 31, 2017, compared to $418 million at September 30, 2017, and $377 million at December 31, 2016.

In addition to the company's solid financial performance, in 2017 the bank continued to build on its momentum to continue to create an organization that is the bank and employer of choice for Southern California business owners and our employees, with the company executing on two strategic initiatives focused on the customer experience and employee engagement. "We are very grateful for our loyal clients, and our experienced team of business banking professionals, who are the reason for our success in 2017," concluded Rogge.

For more details about our quarterly results, please visit the "About Us" / "Financials" page of our website and follow the link labeled Quarterly Results and Trends: https://www.banksocal.com/about-us/financials/

About Bank of Southern California:

A growing community bank established in 2001, Bank of Southern California, N.A., with headquarters in San Diego, CA, is locally owned and managed, and offers a range of financial products and services 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, and a production office in Orange, CA.

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

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release may contain comments or information that constitute forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) and Bank of Southern California intends for such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of that Act.

Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, nor should they be relied upon as representing management's views as of any subsequent date. Future events are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from those presented, either expressed or implied, in this news release. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Bank to successfully execute its business plan; changes in interest rates and interest rate relationships; changes in demand for products and services; the degree of competition by traditional and non-traditional competitors; changes in banking legislation or regulation; changes in tax laws; changes in prices, levies and assessments; the impact of technological advances; the outcomes of contingencies; trends in customer behavior as well as their ability to repay loans; and changes in the national and local economy.

Bank of Southern California undertakes no obligation to update or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact:
Tony DiVita
Bank of Southern California
(858) 847-4783
tdivita@banksocal.com
https://www.banksocal.com/

* Quarterly Financial Highlights Table Follows (PDF):
https://www.banksocal.com/wp-content/uploads/December-2017-QTR-End-Results-Web.pdf

Ticker: OTC Pink: BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL / OP: BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL) announced quarterly earnings of $1,134,397 for the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to $1,088,043 for the third quarter of 2017 and $902,476 for the fourth quarter of 2016. For the year, net earnings were $3,964,692 in 2017, a 32 percent increase compared to $3,009,251 for 2016. Results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 2017 include a $200,000 increase in income tax expense due to recent Tax Reform legislation.

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

EPIC Insurance’s Suzannah Gill Named a 2018 Rising Star in Advising by Employee Benefit Adviser

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Benefits Strategy Consultant Suzannah Gill has been recognized as a 2018 Rising Star in Advising by Employee Benefit Adviser.

The 2018 Rising Stars in Advising, chosen by Employee Benefit Adviser's editorial team after a nationwide search, are compassionate leaders who practice what they preach. This year's group of standout advisers, ages 35 and younger, are taking charge of the employee benefit supply chain with a determination to reduce costs and improve client outcomes.

Although she was the firm's youngest producer when she joined EPIC, Gill quickly became known as a company and industry thought leader. She draws upon her background as an ERISA attorney to deliver unique expertise as a consultant, with a keen focus on driving down employers' costs and ensuring that their interests are aligned by offering to work on a fee basis. Gill's clients benefit from enhanced employee offerings, reduced costs, and increased EBITDA.

"We are pleased and proud that Suzannah has been named a 2018 Rising Star in Advising," said John Hahn, CEO of EPIC. "This well-deserved recognition is a reflection of her hard work and dedication to providing EPIC clients with the highest level of service excellence. Suzannah is a tremendous asset to our team and a stand-out, consultant, leader and adviser."

Click here the full list of Rising Stars: https://www.employeebenefitadviser.com/list/employee-benefit-advisers-2018-rising-stars-in-advising.

About Suzannah Gill, benefits strategy consultant:

As part of EPIC's employee benefits consulting team in Atlanta, Benefits Strategy Consultant Suzannah Gill brings a broad spectrum of experience to EPIC. She was previously a senior associate and benefits consultant for a large Atlanta benefits consulting firm with a focus on strategic management and business development. Prior to that, Gill provided strategic benefits expertise to her clients as an ERISA attorney at a prominent Atlanta law firm, representing clients in both Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation matters.

Gill is a responsive and results-oriented benefits advisor, helping her clients understand and navigate the complexities of employee benefits, so they can focus on managing and growing their businesses. Additionally, her skill set further expands EPIC's legal expertise in employee benefits.

Gill earned a Bachelor of Science in Management with Marketing Certification, highest honor, from Georgia Tech and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law.

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

With run rate revenues greater than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Benefits Strategy Consultant Suzannah Gill has been recognized as a 2018 Rising Star in Advising by Employee Benefit Adviser.

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

Lorrie Osterhage Joins Greyling – a Division of EPIC in St. Louis as a Vice President

ST. LOUIS, Mo. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants announced today that risk management and insurance professional Lorrie Osterhage has joined the firm's Architects and Engineers Practice (Greyling - a Division of EPIC) in St. Louis, Mo. as a Vice President.

Osterhage joins from Marsh, Inc. where she spent the past 32 years leading a team responsible for serving and supporting participants in the Business Insurance Trust (BIT) Program of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

The ACEC selected Greyling/EPIC as the new broker and program administrator for their BIT Program, effective January 1, 2018, replacing Marsh.

At Greyling/EPIC, Osterhage will be responsible for providing risk management and property & casualty insurances services to engineering firms who participate in the ACEC BIT Program now being administered by Greyling/EPIC.

"We are very excited to have Lorrie join our company to ensure that ACEC members who secure their risk management and commercial insurance protection through the Business Insurance Trust receive the highest possible level of service and support," said Jeff Connelly, Senior Vice President and BIT Program Manager at Greyling/EPIC.

"Lorrie has devoted most of her long, successful career to understanding and exceeding the risk management and insurance needs of engineering firms, particularly ACEC members, and she will be an incredible asset to these same companies and others, as we begin our management and enhancement of the BIT Program."

Lorrie Osterhage can be reached at:
Email: lorrie.osterhage[at]greyling.com
Phone: (770) 670-5335 (direct).

Jeff Connelly can be reached at:
Email: jeff.connelly[at]greyling.com
Phone: (770) 670-5334 (direct).

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

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

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

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

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

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC) announced today that risk management and insurance professional Lorrie Osterhage has joined the firm's Architects and Engineers Practice (Greyling - a Division of EPIC) in St. Louis, Mo. as a Vice President.

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

Profitability in 2017 and Optimism in 2018: Over 880 U.S. Independent Restaurant Owners Voice Their Thoughts on 2018

PHOENIX, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- RestaurantOwner.com has released the report of their 2018 Independent Restaurant Outlook Survey. The report summarizes input gathered from over 880 independent restaurant owners and operators regarding their 2017 financial performance as well as their 2018 expectations.

A copy of the survey report is available at: https://www.restaurantowner.com/public/2018-Independent-Restaurant-Outlook-Survey-Report.cfm

Survey Results:
2017 was a profitable year for independent restaurants. 79% of the 882 responding independent restaurant owners or operators reported a net income greater than 1% of sales in 2017, of which, 31% reported a net income greater than 10%. Of those that were not profitable, approximately 10% broke even, while 11% reported a net loss greater than 1% of sales.

Profitability is on the rise as many independent restaurants performed better in 2017 than the previous year. 62% of respondents reported that their net income in 2017 outpaced their 2016 net income. Only 16% reported no change, and 22% reported lower net income in 2017 compared to 2016, indicating an overall upward trend in performance.

Independent restaurant operators are optimistic about 2018, and their optimism is trending upward. 65% of respondents indicated they are more optimistic about 2018 than they were about 2017. This is up from last year's survey results where only 56% of respondents felt more optimistic about 2017 compared to 2016.

For operators who are optimistic, over half (68%) attributed their optimism to improved business practices or systems. Over half (61%) of those who are not optimistic attributed it to challenging labors costs.

Independent restaurant operator goals reflect their optimism for 2018. Most (82%) identified four or more goals, indicating a desire to improve and grow in the new year. Over 50% of respondents reported they intend to focus on improving profitability, business practices, guest experience, or staff training, or that they are going to reduce their costs in 2018.

About RestaurantOwner.com:
Since 1998, RestaurantOwner.com has provided proven resources to independent restaurant owners and managers who want to improve their leadership and business management skills to create a more consistent, higher quality guest experience, greater employee engagement and better financial results.

More information: https://www.restaurantowner.com/.

*IMAGE FOR MEDIA: Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-0131s2p-iros2018-300dpi.jpg
*Image Caption: page three example from the comprehensive 2018 report.

RestaurantOwner.com has released the report of their 2018 Independent Restaurant Outlook Survey. The report summarizes input gathered from over 880 independent restaurant owners and operators regarding their 2017 financial performance as well as their 2018 expectations.

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

Subsequent QC, LLC Urges Lenders to Protect MSRs Ahead of Mortgage Servicing Activity in 2018

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Subsequent QC, LLC (SQC) President Michael Steer today advised lenders to take steps to protect their Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR) assets ahead of an anticipated increase in total mortgage servicing volume. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, outstanding mortgage debt is expected to reach $10.4 trillion by the end of 2018, compared to $10 trillion in 2017 and $9.7 trillion in 2016.

With the increase in the number of loans to service, and lenders that lack the capabilities to service in-house, the nation's existing 10 to 15 servicers will experience an additional influx in business, making it even more critical for lenders to shore up their oversight of these entities and the assets with which they've been entrusted, Steer says.

"When volume increases, it becomes correspondingly more difficult to ensure quality on a day-to-day basis, which is why lenders need to put additional oversight in place now before volumes rise significantly," Steer said. "These are potentially 30-year assets, and to ensure lenders derive maximum benefit from owning these assets, it is imperative that they enshrine them with every level of protection possible through operational audits of their subservicer and loan-level servicing quality control reviews."

As the servicing-focused sister firm to leading mortgage risk management and compliance services firm Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR), SQC offers extensive experience in servicing/subservicing operational oversight and loan-level servicing QC. Cross-educated on all areas of interest (AOIs), SQC auditors are trained to recognize issues indicative of process failures, coaching opportunities, trending and mitigating corporate expenditures - all of which enable lenders to effectively manage and protect their servicing assets.

"SQC strives to provide a holistic approach to servicing oversight and loan-level QC that bridges the gap between servicing compliance and risk," Steer said. "To that end, our
auditors are trained to go beyond 'checking the box' and investigate the root cause of issues to ensure issues are addressed at ground zero."

Learn More:
For more information about Subsequent QC services, go to http://subsequentqc.com/ or send an email to: info@mqmresearch.com.

For MBA Servicing Attendees:

MQMR/Subsequent QC executives are attending the MBA's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2018, February 6 - 9 at the Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, Texas. If you'd like to set up a meeting about our Servicing QC services, or other MQMR/Subsequent QC services, drop an email to Info@MQMResearch.com.

About Subsequent QC:

Subsequent QC, LLC ("SQC") is a premier provider of Servicing Quality Control audit solutions for mortgage lenders and servicers. With extensive experience in servicing quality control and servicing operational due diligence, we focus exclusively on managing servicing risk for our clients. SQC is the partner of choice for bridging the gap between servicing compliance and risk.

About Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR):

MQMR bridges the gap between risk and compliance through its suite of risk-related services. Since its inception, MQMR has launched multiple products and services to assist lenders in navigating regulatory requirements, providing mortgage compliance consulting throughout the origination process, servicing QC and subservicing oversight to master servicers, and filling the void of meeting vendor management oversight requirements. With 1,500+ operational reviews of mortgage companies, subservicers, document custodians, and vendors annually, MQMR prides itself on being an industry leader throughout the entire life cycle of the loan.

MQMR is viewed as an industry leader in counterparty risk and compliance. To learn more, visit http://www.mqmresearch.com/, http://subsequentqc.com/, and http://hqvendormanagement.com/.

Subsequent QC, LLC President Michael Steer today advised lenders to take steps to protect their Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR) assets ahead of an anticipated increase in total mortgage servicing volume. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, outstanding mortgage debt is expected to reach $10.4 trillion by the end of 2018, compared to $10 trillion in 2017 and $9.7 trillion in 2016.

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

Critical Loan Defect Rates Increase for Third Consecutive Quarter

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software ACES Audit Technology(TM), announced the release of the ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report for the second quarter of 2017.

The ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report for second quarter 2017 relays loan quality findings for mortgages reviewed by ACES Audit Technology between April 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017.

Noteworthy findings include:

* The critical defect rate increased for the third consecutive quarter, reaching 1.76 percent in Q2 2017, an increase of 9 percent over the Q1 2017 critical defect rate of 1.61 percent.
* The top critical defect category for Q2 2017 was Borrower and Mortgage Eligibility.
* Purchase loans account for a disproportionately high number of critical defects.

"We're seeing a continuation of critical defect activity that aligns with what we'd expect in a purchase-driven market," said Phil McCall, president of ARMCO. "If they haven't already done so, lenders should consider how they'll address these specific loan quality issues if purchases continue to dominate the market."

The ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report is based on nationwide post-closing quality control loan data from over 90,000 loans selected for random full-file reviews, as was captured by the company's ACES Analytics benchmarking software. Defects listed in the report are categorized using the Fannie Mae loan defect taxonomy.

"Investors are tracking these trends as well, and could make adjustments to protect themselves from what they see as potentially damaging market trends-lenders need to be aware of that," said McCall. "Adjusting QC efforts in the short term can help lenders react to guideline changes with ease and fluidity. We provide the ARMCO QC Trends Report free of charge so all lenders have the chance to adapt and elevate loan quality, and ultimately elevate overall loan quality for the entire industry."

Each ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends report includes easy-to-read charts and graphs, a summary that outlines ARMCO's overall findings, a breakdown of defect rates for each Fannie Mae loan defect category, and a short conclusion. The current and previous reports also contain an analysis of the top credit-related critical defects, which is now a regular feature of the report. ARMCO issues a one-year analysis for the calendar year with each fourth quarter Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report.

To obtain a copy of the report, please visit https://www.armco.us/knowledge/mortgage-qc-industry-report-2017-q2

About ARMCO:

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

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

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

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software ACES Audit Technology(TM), announced the release of the ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report for the second quarter of 2017. The ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report is based on nationwide post-closing quality control loan data from over 90,000 loans selected for random full-file reviews.

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

Neurotech Reports Announces 2018 Investment and Management Conference for Bioelectronic Medicine

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Neurotech Reports, the publisher of Neurotech Business Report newsletter, today announced the launch of the Bioelectronic Medicine Forum, the first investment and management conference for the bioelectronic medicine industry. The inaugural event will take place on March 22, 2018 at the Millennium Broadway Times Square in New York, N.Y.

Featured speakers include Gene Civillico, Ph.D., the Program Manager for the National Institute of Health's SPARC program. Also presenting is Eric Van Gieson, Ph.D., Program Manager at DARPA's Biological Technologies Office, which oversees the ElectRx program. These two U.S. government programs have funded much of the early research into bioelectronic medicine.

Sessions will cover a range of technologies and indications for bioelectronic medicine, including applications in cardiovascular medicine, inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, and many other clinical specialties. Attendees will hear from some of the leading researchers and entrepreneurs developing clinically and commercially promising products such as implanted vagus nerve stimulation systems to treat hypertension, and surface stimulation devices to treat a range of disorders.

Several early-stage and emerging bioelectronic medicine firms will be presenting at the conference. These include NeuSpera Medical, which is developing a unique mid-field power technology that uses the body as a waveguide to power bioelectronic devices. Also presenting is Axion Biosystems, a manufacturer of multi-well microelectronic electrode arrays, and Neuroelectrics, a Spanish firm that manufactures noninvasive stimulation and recording devices.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Imran Eba of Action Potential Venture Capital, GSK's venture arm in bioelectronic medicine, will serve as a moderator. The event takes place in the same venue and one day prior to the Future Leaders Conference, which is produced and organized by BioCentury, a global leader in business intelligence for the biopharma industry. BioCentury is pleased to serve as a marketing partner of the Bioelectronic Medicine Forum.

"Bioelectronic medicine represents one of the fastest growing segments of the life sciences industry. Participants at the 2018 Bioelectronic Medicine Forum will have an opportunity to help shape the future of this exciting field," said James Cavuoto, editor and Publisher of Neurotech Business Report.

For more information, contact James Cavuoto at 415-546-1259 or visit http://www.neurotechreports.com/pages/bioelectronic-medicine-forum.html .

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-0130s2p-Gene-Civillico-300dpi.jpg

Neurotech Reports, the publisher of Neurotech Business Report newsletter, today announced the launch of the Bioelectronic Medicine Forum, the first investment and management conference for the bioelectronic medicine industry. The inaugural event will take place on March 22, 2018 at the Millennium Broadway Times Square in New York, N.Y.

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

Paragon Insurance Holdings Announces Equity Investment from Edgewood Partners Insurance Center and Oak Hill Capital Partners

AVON, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC ("Paragon"), a national multi-line specialty MGA, announced today that Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC) and Oak Hill Capital Partners have taken an equity stake in the company. The investment from EPIC and Oak Hill will further propel Paragon's organic and M&A growth strategies and create greater opportunity for Paragon's agency, carrier and reinsurance trading partners.

Paragon was formed in 2014 by Ron Ganiats and Ron Mairano and is one of the industry's fastest growing managing general agencies. With fifteen programs, controlled premiums exceeding $125M, and offices in Avon, CT, San Francisco, and Seattle, Paragon has established deep trading relationships with specialty carriers and reinsurers that provide unique solutions in a market that is quickly evolving.

Paragon's specialty carrier and reinsurance relationships, systems and operational capabilities, and data capture and analytics, have quickly made the company a stand out among their competitors.

"Winning in this environment is a function of talent, capability, vision and commitment," said Ron Ganiats, CEO of Paragon. "We are delighted to have strong new partners like EPIC and Oak Hill, who will help us to further build on this foundation of beliefs and values, for the benefit of all Paragon trading partners and our own team members."

About Paragon:
A broadly diversified MGA, Paragon provides unique opportunities and solutions to retail agents, insurance carriers, reinsurers and vendor partners.

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

Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC, a national multi-line specialty MGA, announced today that Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC) and Oak Hill Capital Partners have taken an equity stake in the company. The investment from EPIC and Oak Hill will further propel Paragon's organic and M&A growth strategies and create greater opportunity for Paragon's agency, carrier and reinsurance trading partners.

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

LBA Ware’s CompenSafe Hits $1 Billion in Lifetime LO Compensation Calculations

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced their sales incentive platform CompenSafe calculated $1 billion in lifetime origination commissions and operational bonuses in 2017. LBA Ware also experienced notable year-over-year growth, marked by a 152 percent increase in total compensation processed and a 130 percent increase in the number of lenders using LOS Talker, the company's systems integration solution.

"2017 has been a year of extraordinary achievement for LBA Ware, marked by more than 100 percent growth for both CompenSafe and LOS Talker, and by reaching the $1 billion mark in compensation calculated by CompenSafe, we're now proud members of the 'three comma club," said Lori Brewer, CEO of LBA Ware. "Our clients' success is our success. We provide the go-to platform for incentive compensation, sales performance and actionable insights on which to build a lasting company with motivated, informed and empowered individuals."

In addition to new business growth, LBA Ware has also charted excellent helpdesk and training statistics in 2017. The company averaged a 96 percent approval for help desk tickets solved and responded to 80 percent of helpdesk tickets within 24 hours, and company staff received 1,122 hours of internal training.

"LBA Ware has set itself apart as a company that knows the mortgage industry from the ground up and truly understands what our clients expect and need from our solutions," said Brewer. "Our commitment to providing staff with internal training and offering customers with top-notch support continues to drive the success of our larger strategy to grow business by administering a seamless user experience and delivering superior customer satisfaction. We will continue to prioritize our customers by investing in staff training as growth and need demand."

About LBA Ware:

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

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

LBA Ware, a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced their sales incentive platform CompenSafe calculated $1 billion in lifetime origination commissions and operational bonuses in 2017. LBA Ware also experienced notable year-over-year growth, marked by a 152 percent increase in total compensation processed and a 130 percent increase in the number of lenders using LOS Talker, the company's systems integration solution.

Related link: http://lbaware.com/

The IRS Lien and Levy Holiday is over – If you owe back taxes, notices are coming again and soon

STUART, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- After a temporary break during the hurricanes and the holidays, the Liens, Levies and Garnishments that were held back by the IRS are starting again and will be en route to your mailbox to those that owe back taxes, says Jeffrey Schneider EA, CTRS, NTPI Fellow, and principal at SFS Tax Problem Solutions.

Whether you are a taxpayer that owes federal and state income taxes or are looking for an expert guest for TV, radio or print, Schneider - Author of "Now What? I Got A Tax Notice From The IRS. Help!" (ISBN: 978-0692997154; Feb. 2018) - has the knowledge, credentials and ability to help define and deconstruct the scary and confusing letters that land in your mailbox from the IRS.

Whether you would like a better understanding about the notices, the rights and the actions that the IRS can take or if you are looking for assistance with reducing the amount of a tax debt, filing a back-tax return or preparing a tax settlement by negotiating offers in compromise and filing installment agreements, Schneider can help with the answers.

"The moment you pull an IRS Notice from your mailbox, you need to open it and call an Enrolled Agent immediately," says Jeffrey Schneider, Enrolled Agent, Certified Tax Resolution Specialist and NTPI Fellow at SFS Tax Problem Solutions.

Schneider also explains how getting notices should not be as life threatening as you may think. "There is life, sanity and even money after receiving a notice. You have choices and you do have some control. The IRS is not always correct! Even if you owe more than you can pay, there are other options."

Taxpayers who owe federal and state income taxes and are petrified of dealing with the Internal Revenue Service can get help from SFS Tax Problem Solutions. "Our clients never meet with the IRS on their own," says Schneider.

About Jeffrey Schneider:
Jeffrey Schneider EA, CTRS, NTPI Fellow has the knowledge and expertise to help you reach a favorable outcome with the IRS - whether you need assistance with reducing the amount of your tax debt, filing a back tax return, or preparing a tax settlement by negotiating offers in compromise and filing installment agreements.

He is a Fellow of the National Tax Practice Institute (NTPI), a Past President of the Florida Society of Enrolled Agents, the Palm Beach Chapter and Treasure Coast Chapter of the Florida Society of Enrolled Agents and a Director on the Board of the National Society of Enrolled Agents (NSEA). Schneider was recently appointed to the Office of Professional Responsibility subgroup on the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC).

To book Jeffrey Schneider for media interviews or to book a complimentary consultation call 772-337-1040. Or visit: https://sfstaxproblemsolutions.com/.

Twitter: @SFSTaxAcct @SFSTax

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfstaxproblemsolutions/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyschneiderea/

VIDEO (YouTube): https://youtu.be/-a3P-Xo9neA

*PHOTO for Media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-0126s2p-schneider-300dpi.jpg

After a temporary break during the hurricanes and the holidays, the Liens, Levies and Garnishments that were held back by the IRS are starting again and will be en route to your mailbox to those that owe back taxes, says Jeffrey Schneider EA, CTRS, NTPI Fellow, and principal at SFS Tax Problem Solutions.

Related link: https://sfstaxproblemsolutions.com/

Addition of 23 Jurisdictions in the Eastern U.S. Pushes Simplifile E-recording Network Past the 1,700th Mark

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- implifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced that 23 additional recording jurisdictions throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast have adopted Simplifile's e-recording platform.

Included in this slate of new jurisdictions is Simplifile's 1,700th e-recording jurisdiction. To date, the Simplifile e-recording network includes 1,715 jurisdictions, which encompasses 97 percent of the total number of U.S. jurisdictions reported by the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) [see *note 1].

"Having spent nearly two decades of my career championing the adoption of e-recording, hitting a milestone like signing our 1,700th e-recording jurisdiction is especially gratifying," said Paul Clifford, president of Simplifile. "Every day, we see more jurisdictions begin to recognize the benefits of modernizing their offices through e-recording, and I look forward to the day when e-recording becomes a reality for every recording jurisdiction within in the United States."

The latest additions to the Simplifile e-recording network are:
* Talladega County, Ala.
* Faulkner County, Ark.
* City of Milford, Conn.
* Town of Killingly, Conn.
* Town of Marlborough, Conn.
* Town of Wilton, Conn.
* Town of Winchester, Conn.
* Houston County, Ga.
* Vernon Parish, La.
* Montgomery County, Md.
* Lee County, Miss.
* Cherokee County, N.C.
* Polk County, N.C.
* Onondaga County, N.Y.
* Rensselaer County, N.Y.
* Tioga County, N.Y.
* Schuylkill County, Pa.
* Putnam County, Tenn.
* Unicoi County, Tenn.
* Craig County, Va.
* Bedford County, Va.
* Shenandoah County, Va.
* Waynesboro County, Va.

[*Note 1: As of Dec. 31, 2017]

The recording offices located within in these jurisdictions now have the ability to electronically receive, stamp, record, and return documents through Simplifile's system in a matter of minutes, thus reducing documentation and processing errors. The Simplifile system also eliminates check-writing expenses by allowing settlement agents to submit recording fees and other recording-related expenses directly through an integrated electronic payment system.

For a current list of all jurisdictions within the Simplifile e-recording network, 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, today announced that 23 additional recording jurisdictions throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast have adopted Simplifile's e-recording platform.

Related link: https://simplifile.com/

DocMagic Reaches 300 Million Mortgage eSignings as More Borrowers Opt for eSigning and More Lenders Require Proof of TRID Compliance

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that it has processed more than 300 million mortgage-related electronic signatures.

This milestone achievement is the direct result of increased adoption of several DocMagic technologies that feature its comprehensive eSigning platform, which can be accessed as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) or on-premise enterprise platform. Each of DocMagic's digital platforms reports a significant increase in volume, which the company attributes to lenders' growing need to prove a TRID-compliant, 100 percent paperless mortgage process.

"Borrower demand is driving the increase in eSignings, and lenders are choosing DocMagic to get a consistent, compliant eSigning solution that spans the original LE [Loan Estimate] to the final CD [Closing Disclosure]," said Dominic Iannitti, president and CEO of DocMagic. "Lenders know DocMagic is the go-to choice for compliance. We reached 300 million eSignatures because we have solved lenders' number one burden for the past two years-electronic evidence of TRID compliance-while enabling them to stay competitive and enhance the overall borrower experience."

DocMagic reports significant volume increases for SmartCLOSE(TM) and Total eClose(TM), two award-winning technologies that enable lenders to comply with TRID and UCD (Uniform Closing Dataset) guidelines. SmartCLOSE is a collaborative closing portal offering one system of record that assures accuracy, completeness, consistency and compliance of the data before final documents are drawn and the borrower electronically executes the documents using DocMagic's integrated eSign technology. Total eClose, a complete paperless, digital closing solution with integrated eSignature and eNotarization capability, provides continuous compliance checks to assure all documents are complete, current, consistent and compliant.

"A lot of existing DocMagic customers adopted our eSign technology because it's so much easier to access and use than other platforms," said Iannitti. "We were already integrated with the vast majority of LOS systems, so providing eSigning functionality was a logical extension of our service. We also added new integrations, which brought onboard new eSigning customers. Having an eSign technology that can draw new customers while expanding use among existing customers shows the ubiquitous need for the functionality DocMagic's technology provides."

DocMagic provides the most commonly used eSignature technology in the mortgage and financial services space and is the leading provider of eClosing technology for the majority of state-sponsored eClosing pilot programs to support 100 percent paperless digital mortgage transactions.

About DocMagic:
DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, compliance, eSign, eDelivery and comprehensive eMortgage services for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops software, mobile apps, processes and web-based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. The company's compliance experts and in-house legal staff consistently monitor legal and regulatory changes at both the federal and state levels to ensure accuracy.

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

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that it has processed more than 300 million mortgage-related electronic signatures.

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

Bank of Southern California N.A. announces new SBA and Commercial Real Estate Lending Group Led by Steve Pollett

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), announced that Steve Pollett has joined the company as SVP, SBA and Commercial Real Estate Lending Group Manager. With more than 30 years' experience in SBA and Commercial Real Estate lending, Pollett will be responsible for leading a team to provide financing to small and medium-sized businesses throughout the Southern California region. Prior to joining Bank of Southern California, Pollett was Senior Vice President and Group Manager of Commercial Lending with Plaza Bank.

Mr. Pollett brings with him a team of six SBA and Commercial Real Estate lending professionals. Additionally, the bank also increased its underwriting and credit processing staff to support the new team and increased loan production.

"Steve and his team have a proven track record of providing creative and customized financing programs that reflect the individual needs of each business, with a concentrated focus on SBA programs," commented Tony DiVita, EVP and Chief Banking Officer.

"The formation of this new Group allows the bank to continue expanding its reach in Southern California, illustrating the Banks commitment to assisting small and medium-sized businesses that are typically underserved by larger regional and national banks," concluded DiVita.

The Bank's new SBA and Commercial Lending Group will specialize in providing qualifying businesses with as much as 90% financing for the acquisition or refinancing of owner-occupied commercial real estate for up to 30 years. Additionally, they can offer longer and more flexible terms for business acquisition and multi-purpose (non-real estate) loans that can be used for the purchase of equipment, inventory, debt refinancing, and working capital.

Bank of Southern California is ranked as a top small business lender and top originator of SBA loans. The Bank also maintains a Preferred Lender Status granted by the Small Business Loan Administration, which allows the bank to make credit decisions on behalf of the SBA, resulting in quicker processing and funding of SBA guaranteed loans.

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

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

*PHOTO for Media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-0124s2p-sbalending-300dpi.jpg
*Photo Caption: New SBA and Commercial Real Estate Lending Group Led by Steve Pollett.

Pink:BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), announced that Steve Pollett has joined the company as SVP, SBA and Commercial Real Estate Lending Group Manager. With more than 30 years' experience in SBA and Commercial Real Estate lending, Pollett will be responsible for leading a team to provide financing to small and medium-sized businesses throughout the Southern California region.

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

iEmergent Joins The Mortgage Collaborative’s Preferred Partner Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of forecasting and analytics firm iEmergent to its Preferred Partner network. iEmergent offers TMC members market-based forecasts that can drill down into communities, making the intelligence relevant to both high-level strategic issues and specific market challenges.

"We're thrilled to have such an innovative data provider like iEmergent joining our preferred partner network," said Jim Park, Chief Executive Officer of The Mortgage Collaborative. "Our members are going to be truly impressed with the forward-looking information at their fingertips on the Mortgage MarketSmart mapping platform that will help lenders expand their business strategically."

iEmergent provides forward-looking market intelligence to organizations and professionals across the banking, lending, and housing industries. iEmergent's signature offering, Mortgage MarketSmart, is a powerful web-based application that helps organizations understand, analyze and leverage iEmergent's intelligence to improve profitability, performance, and position. For over a decade, iEmergent's forecasts of mortgage market opportunity and behavior have been the most accurate in the industry, and the company continues to explore new methods, new intelligence, and new applications to help organizations build sustainable, successful futures.

"We are excited to partner with TMC and provide their robust network of members with industry leading market insight, opportunity forecasts, and strategic analysis," shared Bernard Nossuli, COO of iEmergent. "By knowing what's next in a market, iEmergent enables lenders to anticipate change and capture opportunity as efficiently as possible, which is especially important as margins for lenders continue to narrow."

The Mortgage Collaborative network is more than 125 lenders strong, with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The lender network is supported by a preferred partner network of organizations that specialize within each facet of the mortgage life cycle. The Mortgage Collaborative is rewriting the playbook on the cooperative model and their network caters to lenders of all sizes, with a strong mix of independent mortgage brokers and community banks and depositories.

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

Based in San Diego, The Mortgage Collaborative was founded in 2013 to empower mortgage lenders across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise, improved compliance, and to help its members access the dynamic and changing consumer base in America.

The association is managed by its founding members: John Robbins, CMB; David Kittle, CMB; Gary Acosta, CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP); and Jim Park, former chair of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). Robbins and Kittle are former chairmen of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (MBA).

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

About iEmergent:
iEmergent is a forecasting and advisory firm for the lending industry. Since 2000, we have been focused on delivering a forward-looking approach to helping organizations navigate the industry's changing landscape. With a proprietary, groundbreaking method for forecasting mortgage opportunity, iEmergent can deliver accurate forecasts that drill down into every neighborhood across the nation. Lenders of all types and sizes utilize iEmergent's powerful insight, through its Mortgage MarketSmart web application, to access, analyze, and share iEmergent's data in many ways.

For more information, visit: www.iemergent.com

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced the addition of forecasting and analytics firm iEmergent to its Preferred Partner network. iEmergent offers TMC members market-based forecasts that can drill down into communities, making the intelligence relevant to both high-level strategic issues and specific market challenges.

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

Paragon Insurance Holdings LLC Names Andrew Petersen as Regional President and EVP of Reinsurance Operations

AVON, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC ("Paragon"), a national multi-line specialty MGA, today announced the addition of Andrew Petersen to the Paragon executive management team as Regional President and EVP of Reinsurance Operations. Petersen will report to Ron Ganiats, Paragon's CEO.

Prior to joining Paragon, Petersen was Chief Corporate Development Officer of Atlas General Holdings, LLC, a San Diego based general agency.

Earlier in his career, Petersen has also held senior positions at reinsurance intermediaries Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, and Collins, where he focused on workers' compensation and general agency-based reinsurance placements.

Andrew Petersen can be reached at Paragon via email at apetersen[at]paragoninsgroup.com.

About Paragon:
Formed in 2014 to be a broadly diversified MGA, Paragon provides unique opportunities and solutions to retail agents, insurance carriers, reinsurers and vendor partners.

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

Paragon Insurance Holdings, LLC ("Paragon"), a national multi-line specialty MGA, today announced the addition of Andrew Petersen to the Paragon executive management team as Regional President and EVP of Reinsurance Operations. Petersen will report to Ron Ganiats, Paragon's CEO.

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