Category Archives: Finance

Coalition for Responsible Community Development Expands Executive Leadership Team

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), a South LA based non-profit serving the community through youth, workforce and economic development initiatives, is proud to announce the addition of two members to their executive leadership team, Chief Operating Officer Angela LoBue and Chief Real Estate and Economic Development Officer Alejandro Martinez. The increase in senior staff will allow CRCD to develop new programs and initiatives while expanding their footprint.

CRCD was established in 2005 by community leaders in an effort to bring resources to underserved youth in South LA including workforce development and education programs, permanent supportive and affordable housing, as well as opportunities to serve and lead in their own neighborhoods. CRCD has connected more than 2,950 young people with diplomas, jobs, and housing; currently manages a combined investment of $103 million in South LA real estate with their partners; and runs City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department sponsored WorkSource and YouthSource centers that support low-income individuals with job placement and workforce training.

Angela LoBue brings to CRCD extensive experience having worked directly with children, youth, and young adults experiencing the child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health systems in the San Francisco Bay Area, Angela saw firsthand the impact of these systems on the development and success of youth and young adults and the communities where they live. She saw that real change requires comprehensive partnership and collaboration across sectors, and sees her role as a navigator to implement these resources in the community.

As Chief Operating Officer at CRCD, Angela will oversee the strategic integration and coordination of CRCD's departments, with a focus on sustainable growth and impact. Prior to joining the team at CRCD, Angela served as the Youth Systems Integration Manager at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), where she oversaw the development, implementation, and programs that make up the coordinated entry system for youth in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care. Angela first began working with CRCD as a Program Manager in the Los Angeles office of CSH, where she managed the local transition age youth (TAY) initiatives, which aimed to better understand the model of Permanent Supportive Housing for TAY, in the context of tenant characteristics, support service needs, and outcomes.

Alejandro Martinez has dedicated his professional career to ensuring that underserved communities have access to quality affordable housing and appropriate supportive services in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles and throughout the City and County of Los Angeles. Developing affordable housing in these communities has been a great tool to revitalize the built environment but also the human spirit, which in turn engages people in communities to build civic and social engagement.

In his most recent position as VP of Real Estate at East LA Community Corporation (ELACC), Alejandro served as Vice President of Real Estate and Asset Management. The ELACC Real Estate Department developed a variety of project types from single family subdivisions, permanent supportive housing, to large family affordable rental housing projects by accessing local, state and federal programs. During his tenure at ELACC, he developed over $250M in affordable housing projects as the Chief Real Estate and Economic Development Officer Alejandro will oversee all CRCD real estate functions including ways to increase affordable housing in South Los Angeles and ways to boost economic investments in the business and residential corridors of the area.

"We are very excited to announce the addition of Angela and Alejandro to our executive team," commented Mark Wilson, Executive Director of CRCD. "The expertise that they each bring to the organization will support our ongoing efforts to expand programs and our service areas. We look forward to working with them and our exceptional community leaders who have demonstrated their dedication to our shared mission."

For more information about CRCD and their programs visit http://www.coalitionrcd.org/.

The Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), a South LA based non-profit serving the community through youth, workforce and economic development initiatives, is proud to announce the addition of two members to their executive leadership team, Chief Operating Officer Angela LoBue and Chief Real Estate and Economic Development Officer Alejandro Martinez. The increase in senior staff will allow CRCD to develop new programs and initiatives while expanding their footprint.

Related link: http://www.coalitionrcd.org/

The Mortgage Collaborative Notches 20 Percent Growth in Lender Membership since Q1

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced that they have reached another milestone, adding 20 new lender members since their August summer conference in Nashville. This brings the Collaborative's membership total to 120 and an annual aggregate origination volume of $210 Billion.

"Our reputation for delivering a distinctive conference experience, our focus on developing innovative offerings such as the recently announced Collaboration Lab initiative and our attentiveness to our members' needs have driven the Collaborative's consistent growth," said Jim Park, CEO of The Mortgage Collaborative. "As word spreads regarding the intrinsic value received by our lender members, we anticipate these increases in our membership will prove to be the sustained norm."

"Our founders understood from the outset that creating a top shelf mortgage lending cooperative would mean attracting the best and brightest lenders with the unrivaled quality of our member experiences and services," Park added.

The cooperative network recently announced the date and location for their next Lender Member Conference, to be held February 11-14, 2018 at The Grand Del Mar Resort in San Diego, Calif.

The conferences provide The Collaborative's lender members a unique opportunity to interact with top industry leaders and to attend and participate in compelling educational and peer-to-peer networking sessions.

Details on their recent and upcoming conferences can be found at http://www.mortgagecollaborative.com/.

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

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

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

The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced that they have reached another milestone, adding 20 new lender members since their August summer conference in Nashville. This brings the Collaborative's membership total to 120 and an annual aggregate origination volume of $210 Billion.

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

Rocky Davidson, CPA, is First to Receive AICPA Client Accounting Advisory Services Certification

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Qbix Accounting Solutions announced today that Rocky Davidson is the first professional to complete and receive certification from the AICPA in Client Accounting Advisory Services.

Qbix Accounting Solutions provides client accounting advisory services to nonprofit organizations, often referred to as outsourced accounting services. Qbix Accounting Solutions offers outsourced accounting services, expertise and technology for nonprofits which are best-practice oriented: nonprofits committed to presenting the utmost accountability and transparency by outsourcing their accounting for expert execution thereby maintaining a lean administrative team and focusing more resources on core competencies central to their mission.

"The AICPA has come out with a new designation for accountants who provide CAAS (Client Accounting Advisory Services)," explains Qbix Accounting Solutions President Rocky Davidson, CPA. "I obtained the certificate by completing coursework both online and at a 2-day class at the AICPA headquarters in New York."

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is the world's largest member association representing the accounting profession, with more than 418,000 members in 143 countries, and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. The AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, nonprofit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination, and offers specialty credentials for CPAs.

About Qbix Accounting Solutions:

Founded by Rocky Davidson, CPA, Qbix Accounting Solutions provides outsourced accounting solutions to nonprofits. Working with Qbix, nonprofits are serviced by a team of accountants who specialize in nonprofit accounting, reporting, and compliance, and perform the organization's accounting duties.

Learn more at: http://qbixas.com/.

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*Photo Caption: Rocky Davidson, CPA.

Qbix Accounting Solutions announced today that Rocky Davidson is the first professional to complete and receive certification from the AICPA in Client Accounting Advisory Services. Qbix Accounting Solutions provides client accounting advisory services to nonprofit organizations, often referred to as outsourced accounting services.

Related link: http://qbixas.com/

ARMCO Launches ACES Automated Document Manager, which Uses Robotic Process Automation to Help Lenders Lower Gross Defects

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of financial quality control and compliance software, has announced that it has launched ACES Automated Document Manager (ADM), a new technology that uses robotic process automation to automate the core activities lenders undertake to reduce gross loan defects. ARMCO will be demonstrating ADM, which is available through ARMCO's ACES Audit Technology(TM) and as a stand-alone product, by appointment at MBA's Annual Convention and Expo 2017 in Denver, Colorado.

ADM uses robust OCR (optical character recognition) technology to automatically identify, bookmark and organize loan documents, as well as to alert users of any missing documents associated with loan files. These are lenders' core activities associated with identifying and reducing gross defects. Users simply place the loan document files into a secure folder and ADM automatically parses, sorts and labels the documents-completing in moments what traditionally takes upwards of one hour per file with manual processes.

ADM can parse hundreds of PDF files in minutes using advanced robotic process automation, an emerging form of process automation technology based on the notion of software robots or artificial intelligence (AI) workers.

"Loan files can contain 500 or more PDFs or imaged documents that must be sorted and accounted for if lenders want to reduce gross defects. That's a time consuming, error-prone process when done by hand," said Phil McCall, president of ARMCO. "At ARMCO, our focus is helping lenders to not only elevate loan quality, but also cut costs, reduce turn times and gain efficiency. Automated Document Manager reduces defects while saving time. That's especially valuable for large volume lenders and outsourced QC providers."

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, has announced that it has launched ACES Automated Document Manager (ADM), a new technology that uses robotic process automation to automate the core activities lenders undertake to reduce gross loan defects. ARMCO will be demonstrating ADM, which is available through ARMCO's ACES Audit Technology(TM) and as a stand-alone product, by appointment at MBA's Annual Convention and Expo 2017 in Denver, Colorado.

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

FormFree Delivers Combined Income, Asset and Employment Report for Fannie Mae’s Single Source Validation Pilot

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced that it has entered into a pilot with Fannie Mae that could allow mortgage lenders to validate borrower income, asset and employment data through a single report as early as 2018.

Fannie Mae unveiled its Single Source Validation at the Mortgage Bankers Association's Annual Convention and Expo in Denver early this afternoon.

"One year ago, we celebrated the start of a new era in mortgage lending with Fannie Mae's introduction of Day 1 Certainty. Today, we take great pride in announcing another milestone in FormFree's association with Fannie Mae and a huge leap forward for the mortgage lending industry as a whole," said FormFree Founder and CEO Brent Chandler. "Single Source Validation will have a transformational effect on driving down the cost and risk of making sound underwriting decisions while making it easier and safer than ever for borrowers to provide the sensitive data required to apply for a mortgage loan."

Fannie Mae introduced its landmark Day 1 Certainty(tm) initiative during the MBA's 2016 Annual Convention and Expo in Boston last October, naming FormFree its first authorized vendor for asset verification through the Desktop Underwriter(R) (DU(R)) validation service. Day 1 Certainty offers lenders freedom from reps and warrants for validated components of loans submitted through Fannie Mae's DU validation service and Collateral Underwriter(R).

The DU validation service has already demonstrated its ability to help lenders significantly reduce the time and cost of loan origination while delivering a better borrower experience. Currently in testing, Single Source Validation is designed to enhance the DU validation service by allowing lenders to combine three validation steps into one and reduce operational risk associated with managing multiple vendors.

About FormFree(R):

Leading lenders trust FormFree's automated verification solutions to streamline the lending process and provide better intelligence on borrowers' ability to pay. FormFree's flagship app, AccountChek(R), eliminates the hassle of gathering asset documents for loans by letting consumers transmit their online banking, retirement and investment account data for automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using FormFree's secure ReIssueKey(tm). To date, AccountChek has received more than one million asset report orders from over 1,000 U.S. lenders. A HousingWire TECH100(tm) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.formfree.com or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

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FormFree(R) today announced that it has entered into a pilot with Fannie Mae that could allow mortgage lenders to validate borrower income, asset and employment data through a single report as early as 2018.

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

31 Jurisdictions Across Eastern U.S. Join Simplifile E-recording Network

PROVO, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced that 31 additional recording jurisdictions throughout the Northeast, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic have signed on to Simplifile's e-recording platform.

"The Simplifile e-recording network only continues to grow as more counties and recording jurisdictions recognize the increased necessity of adapting a modernized and secure e-recording system," said Paul Clifford, president of Simplifile. "We look forward to extending our comprehensive e-recording network to deliver time- and cost-saving benefits to lenders, settlement agents and recording offices nationwide."

The new jurisdictions are:
* Walker County, Ala.
* Town of Cheshire, Conn.
* Town of Deep River, Conn.
* Town of Fairfield, Conn.
* Town of Middlebury, Conn.
* Town of North Branford, Conn.
* Town of Portland, Conn.
* Bryan County, Ga.
* Burke County, Ga.
* Columbia County, Ga.
* East Feliciana Parish, La.
* Ouachita Parish, La.
* Red River Parish, La.
* Northern Essex County Registry of Deeds, Mass.
* Carroll County, Md.
* Cecil County, Md.
* Prince George's County, Md.
* Talbot County, Md.
* Ashe County, N.C.
* Wayne County, N.C.
* Carroll County, N.H.
* Chenango County, N.Y.
* Dutchess County, N.Y.
* Genesee County, N.Y.
* Wayne County, N.Y.
* Susquehanna County, Pa.
* Colleton County, S.C.
* Spartanburg County, S.C.
* Jackson County, Tenn.
* Carson County, Texas
* Bristol City, Va.

Recording offices in these jurisdictions can now electronically receive, stamp, record, and return documents through Simplifile's system in a matter of minutes. In addition to reducing documentation and processing errors, Simplifile allows settlement agents to submit recording fees and other recording-related expenses directly through an integrated electronic payment system, thereby eliminating check-writing expenses.

Currently, 1,682 U.S. county recording offices use Simplifile to e-record deeds, mortgages, and other documents. 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.

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Simplifile, a leading provider of real estate document collaboration and recording technologies for lenders, settlement agents, and counties, today announced that 31 additional recording jurisdictions throughout the Northeast, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic have signed on to Simplifile's e-recording platform.

Related link: https://simplifile.com/

Gateway Mortgage Selects TRK Connection’s Insight RDM QC Audit Platform

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

"When we were evaluating potential QC audit platforms, the ability to be used for different types of audits across multiple internal departments was a key consideration. Ultimately, we chose Insight RDM because of the flexibility it offers us, and now, we can use a single platform to complete our pre-funding, post-closing and servicing QC audits," said Angie Couch, director of quality control for Gateway Mortgage. "Insight is incredibly user-friendly, and the level of support we've received from TRK during and after implementation has been stellar, re-affirming our selection of the platform."

Designed in collaboration with leading lenders, Insight RDM is the mortgage industry's first cloud-based QC audit platform that reduces repurchase risk and elevates loan quality through its suite of sophisticated QC auditing tools, integrated action planning and business intelligence reporting from Tableau. Insight's intuitive interface and device-agnostic design simplifies the loan defect management and remediation process, empowering lenders to more effectively track, report and trend loan defects and proactively mitigate future risk.

"Reducing repurchase risk requires lenders to establish a culture of quality throughout their organization. Therefore, QC can't just happen in one department or at one point in the origination process, and today's mortgage QC audit platforms must be flexible enough to be utilized in multiple areas and conduct a variety of QC audits," said Teri Sundh, CEO of TRK Connection. "Insight RDM was designed specifically to be deployed in this type of environment so that lenders could implement a single solution to meet their all QC needs across their entire organization."

About Gateway Mortgage Group:
Founded in 2000, Oklahoma-based Gateway Mortgage Group LLC is a complete end-to-end mortgage banking firm that specializes in originations, servicing and correspondent lending. The company services more than $13.0 billion in residential mortgages. For more information about Gateway, visit http://www.gatewayloan.com/.

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

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

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

Related link: http://trkconnection.com/

Norcom Mortgage Names ReverseVision Its Provider of Choice for End-to-End HECM Technology

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, today announced that Norwich Commercial Group, Inc. dba Norcom Mortgage (Norcom) has selected ReverseVision as its provider of choice for end-to-end HECM technology.

In addition to ReverseVision's flagship RV Exchange (RVX) loan origination software (LOS), Norcom has deployed RV Database (RVDB), an add-on that enables lenders to create a local "data warehouse" of pertinent reverse mortgage data, and RV Sales Accelerator (RVSA), a web-based tool that helps loan officers drive HECM loan volume.

"Over the course of my career, I've managed hundreds of HECM transactions using both proprietary and name-brand solutions," said Pete Mendenhall, Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) and Vice President of HECM Lending for Norcom. "What I like about ReverseVision's technology is that it gives me the ability to manage and oversee everyone who touches the loan and keep them pulling in the same direction. For example, the real-time report in RVSA gives me a birds-eye view of where my prospects are in the origination life cycle with the push of a button."

Norcom has also leveraged ReverseVision's integrations with Velocify's customer relationship management (CRM) tools and Ellie Mae's Encompass(R) LOS to streamline lead management and loan fulfillment.

"ReverseVision's integrations deliver a lot of flexibility and time savings," added Mendenhall. "Our traditional/forward and HECM teams can easily trade leads with one another. At the same time our HECM loan officers are working in RVX, our operations team - which is responsible for closing and funding - can work in Encompass, which they know best, without any balls getting dropped."

Founded in 1989, Norcom is a generational lender that has grown rapidly since evolving from a mortgage broker to a mortgage lender in 2005. Working to be licensed in all 50 states, Norcom is currently licensed in 40 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and Guam. Its team of more than 130 loan officers and 102 third-party originator (TPO) partners offers a 360-degree variety of conventional and specialized loan products, including HECMs and other equity-release programs.

"On its own, RVX is powerful origination technology that connects every participant in the lifecycle of a HECM loan - all the way to the secondary market," said ReverseVision Vice President of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel. "When supported by ReverseVision's full product suite, RVX becomes an unstoppable tool for helping lenders like Norcom Mortgage accelerate business and close more loans. We are honored to be Norcom's provider of choice for reverse mortgage technology, and we look forward to a partnership marked by growth and success."

About ReverseVision:

ReverseVision 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 Norcom:

Founded in Avon, Connecticut, in 1989, Norcom is a fast-growing generational lender serving families throughout the United States. The Norcom family offers customers a wide range of mortgage programs that fit their needs and superior customer service while placing an emphasis on speed, flexibility and low rates. The company gives back to the communities it serves through its outreach division, Norcom Cares.

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

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ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, today announced that Norwich Commercial Group, Inc. dba Norcom Mortgage (Norcom) has selected ReverseVision as its provider of choice for end-to-end HECM technology.

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

Mid America Mortgage Assists Lenders, Borrowers Affected By Recent Disasters

ADDISON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced measures it has taken to provide assistance to both lenders and borrowers that were impacted by recent federally declared disasters. In addition to $20,000 in donations from employees and the corporation toward relief efforts, Mid America will also purchase loans on properties located in areas impacted by the recent storms or fires. This includes both government and conventional loans underwritten to agency guidelines.

For government loans, Mid America will purchase insured loans, as well as loans pending endorsement, for properties that have been damaged. In addition, the program allows for the sale of loans for properties without damage where the borrowers may have experienced a temporary hardship related to a disruption in income or unforeseen expenses. On conventional loans, Mid America will purchase loans with property damage if it does not impact the safety, soundness or structural integrity of the property. If there is extensive property damage, the program includes a repurchase line of credit to allow lenders time to manage the repair and re-inspection process.

"Mid America has established itself as a valued partner to mortgage originators by providing liquidity for loans that traditional investors may not be willing or able to purchase. This announcement complements our current program to purchase loans that may have missed other investors' overlays or have minor underwriting or compliance issues," said Michael Lima, managing director of whole loan trading for Mid America.

The company also announced that its retail origination and correspondent channels will be providing assistance through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 203(h) program, which provides borrowers with 100 percent financing to purchase a new residence or refinance an existing residence impacted by a disaster.

"Helping consumers and mortgage lenders recover from these unfortunate events should be the goal of every entity in the housing industry, and our announcement today is our step toward that objective," said Mid America Owner and CEO Jeff Bode. "Mid America is dedicated to helping victims through its charitable donations, the origination of loans under federal programs or by offering loss mitigation options to our current borrowers. We will also continue to work with our industry partners to provide an outlet for loans that traditional investors may not purchase."

For more information on the Correspondent Whole Loan Program, please contact Michael Lima at michael.lima@midamericamortgage.com or 214-261-3336. For all other inquiries, visit https://www.midamericamortgage.com/get-started/ or call 866-544-7013.

About Mid America Mortgage, Inc.:

Mid America Mortgage, Inc., Addison, Texas, is a multi-state, full-service mortgage lender serving consumers and mortgage originators through its retail, wholesale and correspondent channels. In operation since 1940, Mid America has thrived by retaining its entrepreneurial spirit and leading the market in innovation, most recently with its adoption of electronic mortgage closings (eClosings) and promissory notes (eNotes). 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.

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 https://www.midamericacareer.com/.

Additional information about Mid America Mortgage, Inc. can be found on the company's website at https://www.midamericamortgage.com/about/.

Twitter: @midamericamtge

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*Photo Caption: Mid America Owner and CEO Jeff Bode.

Mid America Mortgage, Inc. (Mid America) announced measures it has taken to provide assistance to both lenders and borrowers that were impacted by recent federally declared disasters. In addition to $20,000 in donations from employees and the corporation toward relief efforts, Mid America will also purchase loans on properties located in areas impacted by the recent storms or fires. This includes both government and conventional loans underwritten to agency guidelines.

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

EPIC Insurance adds New Brokerage Team in Pittsburgh, PA

PITTSBURGH, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today the opening of operations in Pittsburgh, Pa. with the hiring of Sean Andreas, Al Dragotto, Kurt Karstens, Pete Kostorick, Sally Krauss, Zach Mendelson, Phil Wakim, Chuck Yorio, Jan Zewe and others.

This group of seasoned insurance professionals joins EPIC from Wells Fargo Insurance Services in Pittsburgh, where they practiced together for more than 10 years. Their passion for helping customers combined with a team approach to service has enabled them to develop strong, long-term client relationships.

Andreas, Dragotto, Karstens, Kostorick, Krauss, Mendelson, Wakim, Yorio and Zewe will be responsible for new business development and the design, servicing and management of Property & Casualty Insurance, Surety, Risk Management and Employee Benefits programs for clients located across Western Pennsylvania and the country.

The expertise of the EPIC Pittsburgh branch office will also include Group Captives, Professional and Management Liability, Risk Control, Claims Advocacy and Workers' Compensation cost control.

The team will serve a wide range of industries, with a particular emphasis on the needs of Construction and Design Firms, Law Firms and the Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Non-Profit, Service and Technology industries. They will also specialize in the unique needs of Private Equity Firms and their portfolio companies.

Said John Hahn, EPIC co-founder and CEO, "We are excited to launch EPIC's operations in Western Pennsylvania with the hiring of this team of top senior professionals. They have worked together as part of the Pittsburgh business community for many years and have established a strong reputation for providing exceptional service; creative and cost-effective insurance, surety and risk management solutions; and aggressive client advocacy."

EPIC Pittsburgh Office:
Phone 412-274-1750
301 Grant Street, Suite 4300
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Sean Andreas can be reached at:
Email: sean.andreas@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-736-6260

Al Dragotto can be reached at:
Email: al.dragotto@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-218-4611

Kurt Karstens can be reached at:
Email: kurt.karstens@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-608-2946

Pete Kostorick can be reached at:
Email: Peter.Kostorick@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-651-1913

Sally Krauss can be reached at:
Email: sally.krauss@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-551-6204

Zach Mendelson can be reached at:
Email: zach.mendelson@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-841-5569

Phil Wakim can be reached at:
Email: phil.wakim@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone 412-337-6178

Chuck Yorio can be reached at:
Email: chuck.yorio@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone 412-337-2199

Jan Zewe can be reached at:
Email: jan.zewe@EPICbrokers.com
Cell Phone: 412-860-8370

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 1,100 team members operating from 46 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 $300 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 more information, please visit: http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

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EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today the opening of operations in Pittsburgh, Pa. with the hiring of Sean Andreas, Al Dragotto, Kurt Karstens, Pete Kostorick, Sally Krauss, Zach Mendelson, Phil Wakim, Chuck Yorio, Jan Zewe and others.

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

Mortgage Capital Trading’s Bulk Acquisition Manager™ Technology Achieves 100 Percent Investor Adoption

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that it has gained unprecedented industry-wide technology adoption among the investor aggregator community. MCT officially unveiled the Bulk Acquisition Manager(TM) (BAM) within its capital markets software platform, MCTlive!, in July of this year.

BAM centralizes and streamlines the entire process of packaging and securely transferring whole loan information and bids. The technology provides a web interface that enables lenders' bid tapes to be securely and efficiently delivered to approved buyers following best execution analysis in a centralized repository. Investors are lauding BAM as the most robust, easy-to-use, scalable, and secure bid tape management technology on the market, which are cited as the primary reasons for rapid investor adoption.

"We initially developed BAM to address the Nonpublic Personal Information (NPI) security risk associated with transmission of bulk bid tapes via email, but the efficiency gains and improved market color for both counterparties drove rapid adoption," said Phil Rasori, COO of MCT and architect of BAM. "MCT represents 30 to 40 percent of approved sellers for the average correspondent investor with about 1,200 bid tapes flowing through BAM every day. BAM is raising the bar for other bid tape management solutions, with one major investor already leveraging BAM to serve as their database of record for bulk bid tape transactions. BAM is well on its way to becoming the defacto standard in the mortgage industry."

BAM includes tiered user administration, putting decision-making about access to transaction data in the hands of lender clients and their investors. Overall, BAM is improving the industry's existing loan sale practices with quicker best execution pricing for bulk bid tapes, better communication and transparency, enhanced data security, greater organization and consistency, endless scalability, and optimization of the entire process from start to finish.

To make BAM's functionality conveniently integrate with existing processes, MCT established two different methods for investors to securely transmit bid tape files. This can be done by accessing MCTlive!'s secure browser-based user interface or via a Restful API (Application Programming Interface) which enables MCT to integrate with various loan exchange platforms and homegrown investor systems. To date, nearly all investors have elected to use MCTlive! due to its extreme ease of use, built-in metrics, and robust user administration.

Company officials at MCT say that plans are in progress to expand BAM and its user base, yielding even more improvements to management of the bid tape transfer process. Moving forward, investors, lenders, traders, account executives, and the bid tape market as a whole will realize additional benefits through feature development within MCTlive! and the Bulk Acquisition Manager.

About MCT:
Founded in 2001, Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT) has grown from a boutique mortgage pipeline hedging firm into the industry's leading provider of fully-integrated capital markets services and technology. MCT offers an array of best-in-class services and software covering mortgage pipeline hedging, best execution loan sales, outsourced lock desk solutions, MSR portfolio valuations, business intelligence analytics, mark to market services, and an award-winning comprehensive capital markets software platform called MCTlive! MCT supports independent mortgage bankers, depositories, credit unions, warehouse lenders, and correspondent investors of all sizes. Headquartered in San Diego, California, MCT also has offices in Philadelphia, Santa Rosa, Los Angeles and Dallas. MCT is well known for its team of capital markets experts and senior traders who continue to provide the boutique-style hands-on engagement clients love. For more information, visit www.mct-trading.com or call (619) 543-5111.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949.378.9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

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Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that it has gained unprecedented industry-wide technology adoption among the investor aggregator community. MCT officially unveiled the Bulk Acquisition Manager(TM) (BAM) within its capital markets software platform, MCTlive!, in July of this year.

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

NAMB Releases Housing Outlook: Congress Needs to Make Key Changes

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, has announced its housing outlook and its plans to advocate for change.

"The housing economy represents 20 percent of the national economy, but it's on the verge of stalling out even though the overall economy is moving forward at a decent rate," said NAMB president John G. Stevens. "Congress needs to shed bipartisan politics and focus on solving the numerous issues facing the housing market. NAMB plans to advocate for those changes for the remainder of this year and into 2018."

Stevens identified several key issues that are working together to create a difficult housing landscape:
* Excessive student debt is precluding new homebuyers from entering the market
* Lack of inventory in many local markets is driving prices out of reach for new homeowners
* Over regulation in the mortgage space is driving up the cost of originating loans
* Artificially low rates will increase in the future and lead to further market contraction
* Uncertainty on the future of mortgage deductions is putting people in a holding pattern.

"I believe there's a solution to many of the issues that are impeding the housing industry," said Stevens. "Let's take student loans. The average thirty-something has nearly $35,000 in student loan debt. We need to create a standard mortgage product that allows borrowers to roll their student loans into their mortgage principals at the lowest rate possible."

Certain tax policies, Stevens contends, are keeping older homeowners in their homes even when downsizing would otherwise make more sense, further contributing to inventory shortages and market stagnation. Over regulation, he adds, is driving up the costs of transacting mortgages, which ultimately get passed on to the borrower.

"NAMB is going to advocate very seriously and urge republicans and democrats to join forces in removing the impediments to family formations and housing in general that can be discharged without undue risk," Stevens said. "We-and they-need to act now, since any changes will take time to have a meaningful impact."

ABOUT NAMB:
Since 1973, NAMB has been the voice of independent mortgage professionals nationwide. NAMB offers professional education and certification programs for its members and advocates for common sense legislation and regulation aimed at helping consumers and improving business conditions for small businesses, independent mortgage companies and licensed mortgage loan originators. John G. Stevens is the current president of NAMB.

For more information, visit namb.org or follow @NAMBpros.

NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, has announced its housing outlook and its plans to advocate for change.

Related link: http://namb.org/

The Mortgage Collaborative Expands Metrics-Driven Lender Collaboration Lab Initiative

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, recently announced details surrounding the continued expansion of their Collaboration Lab initiative.

Launched in the spring of 2017, TMC's Collaboration Labs offer their Lender Members the opportunity to participate in day and a half long "deep-dive" networking sessions with peers of similar size and scope. Participating companies pre-submit a set of operating metrics and key performance indicators, from which agendas are crafted to address each lender's business needs. TMC staff manage both the preparation and communication, as well as facilitating the Lab at the host lender's office.

"I got more constructive and challenging thought content in one and a half days than in the last three industry conferences I've attended," said Stan Foraker, EVP Mortgage Banking for First Commonwealth Bank and a May Lab attendee. "With more demands on my time than ever in my career, I value the TMC Collaboration Lab's substance over style approach."

Nineteen TMC Lender Members participated in four Collaboration Labs this past spring. TMC will conduct six Labs this fall hosted by Lender Members in Phoenix, Denver, Nashville, Atlanta, Kansas City and Pittsburgh comprised of 34 companies in total.

"At TMC, we work hard to cultivate an environment of openness and support among our members. The Labs have become a natural extension of the exchange of best practices and collaboration among our members that complements our biannual conferences," said Rich Swerbinsky, TMC's Chief Operating Officer. "They provide an intimate environment where similarly situated TMC Lender Members can share ideas and walk away with actionable initiatives that help their firms operate more efficiently and strategically."

Lenders interested in participating in or hosting a Lab can find more information on the initiative at www.mortgagecollaborative.com or by contacting Rich Swerbinsky at rswerbinsky@mtgcoop.com.

The Mortgage Collaborative network is more than 119 lenders, with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The network caters to lenders of all sizes, with a strong mix of independent mortgage bankers, community banks and depositories.

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

Based in San Diego, Calif., The Mortgage Collaborative was founded in 2013 to empower mortgage lenders across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise and improved compliance, as well as helping our 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); 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.

For more information visit: www.mortgagecollaborative.com

The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, recently announced details surrounding the continued expansion of their Collaboration Lab initiative. Launched in the spring of 2017, TMC's Collaboration Labs offer their Lender Members the opportunity to participate in day and a half long "deep-dive" networking sessions with peers.

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

NAMB Appoints John Stevens as New President

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced that former president elect John Stevens has been appointed to the role of president.

Stevens has been in the mortgage industry since 2009 and has held board positions with NAMB since 2012. He has also been involved in the Utah County Planning Commission, and is actively involved in numerous state and local community efforts.

As president, Stevens is spearheading NAMB's overall strategies to grow the organization's reach by expanding its membership and enhancing the opportunities it makes available to members, homeowners and the mortgage industry's community of individual loan originators and small to midsize businesses.

"The majority of mortgages in the U.S. are originated by small to midsize businesses, yet most of the industry isn't aware of how much collective power we have when we come together as a group," said Stevens. "My main priorities this year are to raise awareness of NAMB and NAMB's efforts, to grow our membership, and to leverage our power to make even more positive changes for the brokers, bankers and businesses we represent, as well as for all American homeowners, loan originators and small to midsize mortgage companies."

Stevens' mission this year is to "educate, advocate and empower." As part of this mission, he has developed strategies to expand NAMB's education programs and advocacy efforts, further strengthen its relationships with state "-AMB" associations, and expand awareness of the diversity of its target member base, which includes mortgage brokers, bankers and businesses.

"I'm proud and honored to be named president of this organization and I'm excited about the changes we can make in the coming 12 months," said Stevens. "Our goal is to make it even easier for our members to have a voice, be represented, and deliver the quality of services that protect homeowners and new homebuyers."

NAMB was established in 1973 and is the largest mortgage-related individual member-based organization in the U.S. All board members at NAMB are volunteers in one year appointments.

About NAMB - The Association of Mortgage Professionals:

Since 1973, NAMB has been the voice of independent mortgage professionals nationwide. NAMB offers professional education and certification programs for its members and advocates for common sense legislation and regulation aimed at helping consumers and improving business conditions for small businesses, independent mortgage companies and licensed mortgage loan originators. John G. Stevens is the current president of NAMB.

For more information, visit http://namb.org/ or follow @NAMBpros.

NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced that former president elect John Stevens has been appointed to the role of president.

Related link: http://namb.org/

The Mortgage Collaborative Announces Addition of PHH Mortgage to Preferred Partner Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced a new strategic partnership with PHH Mortgage, a leading subservicer and portfolio retention provider. The new relationship with PHH Mortgage adds an experienced, best-in-class subservicer to their preferred partner network.

For over 30 years, PHH Mortgage has been an industry leader in delivering mortgage servicing and lending solutions to financial institutions to handle their outsourced mortgage needs. PHH is currently one of the largest mortgage subservicers in the industry and is welcoming opportunities to further grow its $145 billion subservicing portfolio.

"In the ever-changing industry and regulatory landscape, it is important to add experienced network partners like PHH Mortgage who have a long track record of delivering high quality, compliant solutions to a range of financial institutions and their customers," said Rich Swerbinsky, Chief Operating Officer for The Mortgage Collaborative. "With their impressive 94 percent customer satisfaction rating and the ability to manage mortgage portfolios from 1,000 to 100,000+ loans, it is easy to see how lender members of The Mortgage Collaborative will benefit from the addition of PHH Mortgage to our network."

PHH has an experienced team of mortgage professionals dedicated to delivering personalized service to its clients and maintaining the highest quality customer service for their customers. PHH's client base includes some of the largest and most recognizable financial and wealth management institutions, investors of MSRs, regional and community banks, and credit unions. The company also offers portfolio retention services to their subservicing clients, which provides the opportunity to extend and enhance customer relationships.

"We are genuinely excited to be part of The Mortgage Collaborative network and look forward to building long-term relationships with its lender members," said Steve Staid, Senior Vice President of Servicing for PHH Mortgage. "For lender members looking for a subservicing provider who is a natural extension of its team, PHH is the right partner for your organization. Our servicing operation is based on a risk and compliance structure built to bank-like standards, and a team of mortgage professionals dedicated to flawless execution and delivering exceptional customer service."

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 PHH Mortgage:

Headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, PHH Mortgage, a subsidiary of PHH Corporation (NYSE:PHH), is one of the largest subservicers of residential mortgages in the United States. PHH Mortgage provides servicing solutions to companies who own mortgage servicing rights, including purchase and refinance loan originations to their customers. The company has been providing mortgage lending and servicing solutions since 1984 and is dedicated to responsible and ethical practices while delivering an exceptional customer experience. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.phhmortgage.com/business.

The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, today announced a new strategic partnership with PHH Mortgage, a leading subservicer and portfolio retention provider. The new relationship with PHH Mortgage adds an experienced, best-in-class subservicer to their preferred partner network.

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

VanDyk Mortgage Enables Borrowers to Automate Asset Verification Using AccountChek by FormFree for Faster Mortgage Closings

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced that VanDyk Mortgage Corporation (VanDyk Mortgage) has selected its flagship AccountChek(R) service for automated asset verification. Loan officers at VanDyk have already begun offering AccountChek as an alternative to manual, paper-based asset verification. In addition, borrowers can choose AccountChek as a faster alternative to uploading bank statements when using VanDyk's self-service mortgage portal, powered by Ellie Mae(R)'s Encompass Consumer Connect(TM).

AccountChek eliminates the hassle of gathering asset documents for loans by letting consumers easily and securely transmit their online banking, retirement and investment account data for automated analysis. In just minutes, AccountChek delivers asset data to lenders in a standardized report along with a ReIssueKey(TM) that enables secure and streamlined sharing with the secondary market. The result is an easier, safer and more accurate process that closes loans up to 15 days faster.

"VanDyk Mortgage embraces technology's role in enhancing borrower communication and improving the overall mortgage experience," said Jeanie Nivison, Chief Operating Officer of VanDyk Mortgage. "As we prioritize adoption of automated asset verification throughout our organization, we expect AccountChek's uniform asset report to enable faster processing and underwriting times. At the end of the day, we'll be able to close loans days sooner, which is a real win for both VanDyk and our customers."

"We are delighted to partner with VanDyk Mortgage to bring automated asset verification to its loan officers and their customers," said FormFree Founder and CEO Brent Chandler. "We believe AccountChek delivers appreciable value to lenders like VanDyk that place a priority on an efficient and consumer-friendly mortgage transaction."

VanDyk Mortgage is a Fannie Mae direct lender, a seller and servicer of Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae loans and an early adopter of Fannie Mae's landmark Day 1 Certainty(TM) program, which speeds mortgage underwriting and reduces lender risk by providing freedom of representations and warranties on key aspects of the mortgage origination process. FormFree was a pilot participant in Day 1 Certainty and the initiative's earliest approved asset verification provider.

About FormFree(R):

Leading lenders trust FormFree's automated verification solutions to streamline the lending process and provide better intelligence on borrowers' ability to pay. FormFree's flagship app, AccountChek(R), eliminates the hassle of gathering asset documents for loans by letting consumers transmit their online banking, retirement and investment account data for automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using FormFree's secure ReIssueKey(TM). To date, AccountChek has securely placed more than one million asset reports for over 1,000 U.S. lenders. A HousingWire TECH100(TM) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.formfree.com or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

About VanDyk Mortgage Corporation:

Founded in 1987, VanDyk Mortgage is a nationwide lender with over 475 employees at 92 branch office locations. VanDyk Mortgage is licensed in 38 states, including the District of Columbia. A Fannie Mae-approved direct lender and a seller and servicer of Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae loans, VanDyk Mortgage also holds direct endorsement (DE) authority to approve FHA/VA loan applications and has a servicing portfolio of over $400 million. The company credits its accomplishments and continued growth to its focus on delivering great service, competitive rates and treating employees and customers with respect, integrity and care.

IMAGES FOR MEDIA:
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FormFree today announced that VanDyk Mortgage Corporation has selected its flagship AccountChek(R) service for automated asset verification. Loan officers at VanDyk have already begun offering AccountChek as an alternative to manual, paper-based asset verification. In addition, borrowers can choose AccountChek as a faster alternative to uploading bank statements when using VanDyk's self-service mortgage portal, powered by Ellie Mae's Encompass Consumer Connect.

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

The Mortgage Collaborative Unveils New Lender Member Benchmarking Solution

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, has released its monthly benchmarking solution to its Lender Members. The first reports were made available this month and will be provided to participants on a month-to-month, real-time basis.

TMC Benchmark(TM), a new innovative solution, is available to TMC's Lender Members as a supplementary benefit of membership at no additional cost. TMC Benchmark requires just 32 production, operational, staffing, and execution metrics on a monthly basis. Participating Lender Members receive a customized report that compares their performance benchmarks against TMC lenders and peer groups within the network.

"TMC Benchmark was created in response to direct feedback from our Lender Members, wanting a cost-effective, close to real time measurement of their performance month-over-month," said Rich Swerbinsky, Chief Operating Officer of The Mortgage Collaborative. "We worked closely with our 20-lender beta group to ensure the most meaningful metrics were incorporated. The platform is easy to use, requires no more than an hour of work each month, and delivers a report that is impactful to the participants."

"TMC Benchmark gives us near instant access to measure our operational metrics against some of the nation's best mortgage bankers and financial institutions," said Peter Kenny, Senior Vice President/CFO at Jersey Mortgage Company. "We find it to be a valuable tool and have incorporated it into our management reporting for discussion purposes."

The Mortgage Collaborative network has 117 lenders with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The network caters to lenders of all sizes, with a strong mix of independent mortgage bankers, community banks and depositories.

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

Based in San Diego, Calif., The Mortgage Collaborative was founded in 2013 to empower mortgage lenders across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise and improved compliance, as well as helping our 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); 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.

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

The Mortgage Collaborative, the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, has released its monthly benchmarking solution to its Lender Members. The first reports were made available this month and will be provided to participants on a month-to-month, real-time basis.

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

Advanced Technology Development Center Adds LBA Ware to Its ATDC Signature Portfolio

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 the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) - Georgia's technology incubator - has accepted LBA Ware to into its ATDC Signature portfolio. As an ATDC Signature company, LBA Ware will have access to ATDC coaching and programming, potential investment capital and additional resources from the Georgia Institute of Technology, including intellectual property and talent.

LBA Ware is the first Macon startup to be accepted into ATDC Signature. The company also is in the financial technology (FinTech) space, a sector of particular focus at ATDC. In 2015, Worldpay US made a $1 million gift to Georgia Tech to create a FinTech program at ATDC.

"Being part of ATDC has been invaluable to LBA Ware's success, and with the promotion from ATDC Accelerate to ATDC Signature, our potential for additional growth only increases," said Lori Brewer, founder and president of LBA Ware. "Moving to the next stage of incubation also validates the ability of our CompenSafe and LOS Talker solutions to improve back-office efficiency for mortgage lenders, and we look forward to extending the reach of LBA Ware's solutions in the market, using the additional resources we will now have at our disposal."

ATDC Signature is a rigorous, metrics-driven and milestones-based program for companies with transformative technology or life sciences products. Companies accepted into the ATDC Signature program must be located in or willing to relocate to Georgia and support ATDC's goal of bringing economic value to Georgia. Entry into the program is by invitation only.

To be considered for ATDC Signature, companies must possess:
* A committed, full-time leadership team with clearly defined goals;
* Industry-changing, disruptive technology or deep intellectual property;
* A scalable product or service;
* A coachable management team; and
* The capacity to accept strategic investments or government grants.

"As Georgia's technology incubator, we are focused on helping to develop and support tech-oriented startup ecosystems across the state," said Jeff Gapusan, ATDC's FinTech catalyst. "The company has a promising technology that serves a market need. Financial institutions continue to adapt to changing consumer demands and a stringent regulatory and compliance framework, and LBA Ware ensures they are able to do so. We're excited to welcome our first Macon-based startup."

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 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.

About ATDC:

The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), a program of the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the state of Georgia's technology startup incubator. Founded in 1980 by the Georgia General Assembly which funds it each year, ATDC's mission is to work with entrepreneurs in Georgia to help them learn, launch, scale, and succeed in the creation of viable, disruptive technology companies. Since its founding, ATDC has grown to become one of the longest running and most successful university-affiliated incubators in the United States, with its graduate startup companies raising $3 billion in investment financing and generating more than $12 billion in revenue in the state of Georgia. To learn more, visit http://atdc.org/.

LBA Ware, a leading provider of automated compensation software and systems integration solutions for mortgage lending and retail banking, announced that the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) - Georgia's technology incubator - has accepted LBA Ware to into its ATDC Signature portfolio. As an ATDC Signature company, LBA Ware will have access to ATDC coaching and programming, potential investment capital and additional resources from the Georgia Institute of Technology, including intellectual property and talent.

Related link: http://lbaware.com/

National Appraisal Management Company (AMC) Strengthens Market Position

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. /ScoopCloud/ -- Pendo, a nationwide appraisal management company (AMC), announced that Paul Wholley has been hired as VP of Sales, responsible for leading the company's national sales team.

Wholley, who has an expansive career in the financial services industry, joins Pendo after spending the last 5 years at First American Mortgage Solutions in their National and Mid-Market division. Throughout his successful sales career, he has led numerous sales teams as well as built and sold a technology company that serviced the financial industry.

"Paul is a proven leader with a commitment to building strong, successful client relationships," said Jeff Sandman, co-founder. "His industry reputation, entrepreneurial drive and scale of experience are huge assets for Pendo as we continue to grow and expand our national presence."

In addition, Steve Rouse has joined Pendo's sales team as Regional Account Executive for the Midwest. He comes to Pendo with more than 25 years of mortgage industry experience after working with companies such as Verus, First American Mortgage Solutions and Credit Suisse.

"Steve is a great addition to our sales team. His enthusiasm, honesty and client dedication are core traits we look for when selecting team members," noted Paul Wholley, VP of Sales. "In addition, his vast industry experience, especially in the Midwest, will help us build upon many great client relationships and open doors for new ones."

About Pendo:

Pendo is a nationwide appraisal management company based in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The company was co-founded by two successful tech professionals, Jeff Sandman and Mike Peck, specifically to disrupt the appraisal management segment using advanced technology and severely elevated service standards.

The company's proprietary QC technology boasts numerous unique features that assure the highest levels of quality and compliance, while also reducing wait times, elevating service levels, boosting client engagement, and minimizing redundant activities. Pendo was founded in 2009 and is licensed to conduct business in all 50 states.

For more information, visit http://www.pendomanagement.com/, email contact@pendomanagement.com or call 816-332-6627.

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Pendo, a nationwide appraisal management company (AMC), announced that Paul Wholley has been hired as VP of Sales, responsible for leading the company's national sales team. The company's proprietary QC technology boasts numerous unique features that assure the highest levels of quality and compliance.

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

Mortgage Capital Trading Again Named Best Places to Work – for the Sixth Year Consecutive Year

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that it earned a spot on the San Diego Business Journal's (SDBJ) Best Places to Work list for the sixth year in a row.

MCT ranked number 18 out of 29 companies in the medium-size company category (50 - 249 U.S. employees). Nominees were judged in the categories of privately held company, public company, nonprofit organization, business non-profit, education, family-owned business, and government agency.

Organizations that make the annual list go through a rigorous, two-part process over the course of several months that: 1) Evaluates company benefits, compensation, corporate culture, policies and philosophies. 2) Compiles data from extensive employee satisfaction surveys, which are done with anonymity. The combined scores determined the top companies and final rankings.

"MCT fosters a culture that ensures employees enjoy a comfortable, dynamic work environment that offers many unique benefits to keep them motivated and help grow their skill sets," stated Curtis Richins, president of MCT. "Our employees are comprised of a close-knit, top-notch, highly devoted team. They are paramount to providing excellence in support to our growing client base."

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in downtown San Diego, MCT has grown from a pipeline hedging services firm into a fully-integrated provider of capital markets business services that also developed award-winning secondary marketing mortgage software. In addition to MCT's headquarters overlooking Petco Park, with field offices in in Philadelphia, Santa Rosa, Los Angeles and Dallas.

The award recipients were honored at a prestigious awards ceremony at Paradise Point Resort & Spa on September 14. In addition, each winner's business is profiled in a special focus issue of the SDBJ on September 25. More information on the SDBJ's Best Places to Work in San Diego program can be found at http://www.bestplacestoworksd.com/.

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

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

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949.378.9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing software firm, announced that it earned a spot on the San Diego Business Journal's (SDBJ) Best Places to Work list for the sixth year in a row.

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

Rich Eagar of EPIC to Present on Retirement Advisory Practice Team Structures at 2017 PLANADVISER National Conference

ORLANDO, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Retirement Consultant Rich Eagar will present at the 2017 PLANADVISER National Conference (PANC) on Thurs., Oct. 12 at the JW Marriot, Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.

Eagar will present on a "Team Structures" panel alongside First Eagle Investment Management, LLC's Head of Retirement Platforms and Strategy Joseph P. Lee. Eagar will discuss how to divide the roles when an advisory practice grows into a team and whether or not to make certain advisers the lead adviser/customer relationship manager. He will also provide insight on whether it is beneficial in a multi-office team practice to centralize certain functions in the headquarter office to ensure consistent customer service or permit branch offices some autonomy.

Click here for more information: http://www.planadviser.com/newevents/agenda.aspx?id=10737431859.

About Rich Eagar, Retirement Consultant, EPIC:

Rich Eagar is a consultant on the EPIC Retirement Consulting Team. In this capacity, he is responsible for client and vendor management, plan design consulting, RFP vendor searches, implementations, mergers and acquisitions, compliance assistance and various other projects.

Eagar is also a co-CIO and adviser at Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc. (AWAI). In this role he is responsible for oversight of the firm's strategic approach to analysis and due diligence on fund companies and investment strategies to be used in client retirement plans, delivery of quarterly investment reviews, and assisting committees manage and fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities.

Eagar has worked with the Retirement Team since October of 2008, and he currently holds his Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designations, as well as his Series 65 registered investment adviser's license.

Prior to joining the Retirement Team, Eagar began working at Ascende - a Division of EPIC as an associate in the Health & Welfare practice in July of 2007. His main role in this position was to provide support for the managing consultants and help clients' structure benefit packages that achieved various objectives.

Eagar is a graduate from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration concentrating in Finance and Marketing. He also obtained a minor in Communications Management.

About PLANADVISER National Conference:

The PLANADVISER National Conference (PANC) is the retirement plan industry's premier networking and business strategy event for specialist retirement plan advisers. Annually, the top tier of retirement plan advisers from across the U.S., including the PLANADVISER Top 100 and the PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Advisers of the Year gather for half a week of discussion and debate about the cutting edge of the retirement plan industry.

About Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc.:

Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc. (AWAI) is an SEC registered investment advisory firm dedicated to providing unbiased investment advice by acting as either an ERISA 3(21) co-fiduciary or an ERISA 3(38) investment fiduciary to corporate sponsored qualified and nonqualified plans, as well as international and offshore savings arrangements.

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 1,100 team members operating from 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 approaching $300 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 http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

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*Photo Caption: Rich Eagar of EPIC Insurance Brokers.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Retirement Consultant Rich Eagar will present at the 2017 PLANADVISER National Conference (PANC) on Thurs., Oct. 12 at the JW Marriot, Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.

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

Leading Education Platform for Stock Market and Forex Traders Live Traders Announces Launch of its Scholarship Program

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Celebrating the breakthrough success of their education and training programs for Stocks, Options and Forex professional traders Live Traders have decided to give back to the financially less fortunate. The educational platform recently celebrated the launch of the Live Traders Scholarship Program where qualified students have a chance to go through the Live Trader training program for free or at dramatically deep discounts. Applications are being accepted by Live Traders online and the enthusiasm surrounding the new program is high.

"While there's no shortage of aspiring traders across the globe we fully realize not everyone is going to have the finances in place to join our training program, no matter their level of motivation," said Anmol Singh, Founder of Live Traders. "Our goal with the new Scholarship Program is to help qualified individuals change their lives and brighten their future opportunities by putting stock market, options and Forex trading within their reach."

According to the education platform, after an application is screened and approved it will have the chance to be selected in a random drawing on a daily basis to fill open Scholarship spots. The three different Tiers of the Live Traders Scholarship Program include: the Tier One Scholarship Program, which covers 100 percent of education costs; the Tier Two Scholarship Program where 75 percent of education expenses are covered; and the Tier Three Scholarship Program, which handles 60 percent of education costs. Which Tier a potential student falls into depends on a number of factors looked at by the professional Live Traders team.

Live Traders training is considered the #1 Stock Market, Forex and Options educational platform every year since 2015. Over 10,000 students have benefited from the training delivered by the Live Traders' deeply experienced team of professional traders, with some even going on to earn over $3000 a week, working part time.

Feedback for the platform continues to be positive across the board.

Live Traders is a collaboration of professional traders who not only have a vast amount of market knowledge and experience, but also a hunger to help other aspiring traders become great. Here at Livetraders.com we wanted to be different. We wanted to show folks what REAL trading looks like. We offer various strategies and techniques that will suit the majority of aspiring traders. We educate on intra-day trading, swing trading, core trading and even options trading as well. Our goal at LiveTraders.com was to build a trading community, of traders, for traders and of course by traders. Learn more at: https://livetraders.com/.

To learn more about the Live Traders Scholarship Program be sure to visit: https://scholarship.livetraders.com/optin15925887.

VIDEO (YouTube):
https://youtu.be/xKzTSHJ-FD0

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Jared Wesley
of LiveTraders LLC
+1-800-947-4027 Ext#1
info@livetraders.com

Celebrating the breakthrough success of their education and training programs for Stocks, Options and Forex professional traders Live Traders have decided to give back to the financially less fortunate. The educational platform recently celebrated the launch of the Live Traders Scholarship Program where qualified students have a chance to go through the Live Trader training program for free or at dramatically deep discounts.

Related link: https://livetraders.com/

NAMB Appoints Valerie Saunders as Its New Executive Director

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- NAMB, the organization that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced that it has appointed Valerie Saunders as the organization's new executive director.

In her role as executive director, Saunders is responsible for directing the day-to-day operations that support the organization's goals to increase its footprint among its target member base of mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers and mortgage businesses. Her role will involve collaborating with NAMB's board to develop strategies, and developing and implementing processes that bring those strategies to fruition.

Saunders previously served as vice president of NAMB and has been with the organization, both as a member and as a board member, for over 15 years. In addition to her role as NAMB's executive director, Saunders is vice president of Florida-based mortgage brokerage RE Financial Services, Inc.

"NAMB has experienced a great resurgence over the past several years, and our goal is to build upon that momentum and continue to grow our member base," said Saunders. "A lot of originators and mortgage businesses don't realize how much NAMB membership can protect their interests and increase opportunities for them. We have aggressive goals for educating our target members and growing the number of people who benefit from NAMB's offerings."

"Valerie has a proven track record of creating programs that benefit members and homeowners, as well as NAMB," said Fred Kreger, president of NAMB. "We're looking forward to further leveraging her knowledge, creativity and vision in growing our member base and NAMB's influence in the coming year."

NAMB is the largest mortgage-related individual member-based organization in the U.S. and was established in 1973. In addition to educational opportunities and business resources, NAMB actively lobbies and advocates for originators and homeowners on both state and national levels. NAMB's membership includes brokers, bankers and businesses that include individual originators and small to midsize organizations.

ABOUT NAMB:
NAMB has been representing the interests of small mortgage businesses, mortgage loan originators and their clients since 1973. The organization represents loan originators in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and supports its members through initiatives and opportunities that help increase productivity and lower business costs, such as education, training and advocacy. NAMB offers rigorous certification programs that support the highest levels of professional knowledge and education. Its lobbying and advocacy efforts focus on national and state issues.

For more information, visit http://namb.org/ or follow @NAMBpros.

NAMB, the organization that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced that it has appointed Valerie Saunders as the organization's new executive director.

Related link: http://namb.org/

‘Optimal Nonprofit Financial Management through Outsourcing’ by Rocky Davidson, CPA available from Qbix Accounting Solutions

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Qbix Accounting Solutions announces a new eBook by Rocky Davidson, CPA. The 8-page eBook, "Optimal Nonprofit Financial Management through Outsourcing" is written for Nonprofit Executive Directors who are looking to improve their accounting function.

The content of the eBook includes:
* Why outsourcing is a 21st century best practice
* Consider the statistics before you begin the hiring process
* Talent drought exacerbated by nonprofit employee churn
* Managing overhead costs
* The old model - 20th century model investment
* The new model - the 21st century model investment
* The benefits of outsourcing accounting for nonprofits.

"Any type of administrative cost for a nonprofit has to yield maximum value and efficiency because, understandably, Executive Directors want the majority of funding to go towards fulfilling the mission," explains Mr. Rocky Davidson, CPA. "Outsourcing the accounting function of the organization allows the nonprofit to have expert accounting talent managing the accounting processes using best-of-breed software solutions."

The eBook addresses the challenges most nonprofits face with regard to accounting, beginning with a limited budget and market conditions that make it increasingly difficult for nonprofits to recruit accounting talent with the necessary skill set.

"Technological advances, particularly in the area of solution delivery via the cloud, has created new options for nonprofits. It's a new business model that replaces the old mindset of a do-it-yourself, in-house accounting structure," says Davidson.

The eBook is free and available for download at Qbix Accounting Solutions http://qbixas.com/accounting-help/.

"Executive Directors understand that accountability and transparency begin with sound financials," notes Davidson. "What they may not understand is that outsourcing their accounting function can help them attain accountability and transparency much sooner and at a lower cost than hiring and building the necessary infrastructure themselves."

About Qbix Accounting Solutions:
Founded by Rocky Davidson, CPA, Qbix Accounting Solutions provides outsourced accounting solutions to nonprofits. Working with Qbix, nonprofits are serviced by a team of accountants who specialize in nonprofit accounting, reporting, and compliance, and perform the organization's accounting duties.

Learn more: http://qbixas.com/.

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Qbix Accounting Solutions announces a new eBook by Rocky Davidson, CPA. The 8-page eBook, "Optimal Nonprofit Financial Management through Outsourcing" is written for Nonprofit Executive Directors who are looking to improve their accounting function.

Related link: http://qbixas.com/

EPIC adds Broker-Producer Tim House in Fresno, California Office

FRESNO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Tim House has joined the firm as a Property & Casualty Insurance Broker/Producer in EPIC's Fresno, California office.

House will be responsible for new business development and the design and management of property & casualty insurance and risk management programs for clients in a wide range of industries. He will report to Terri Parreira, Managing Principal of EPIC's Fresno operations.

Said Brian Quinn, President of EPIC's Pacific Central Region, "We are excited to add Tim to our growing operations serving Fresno and the Central Valley Region. His discipline, strong consulting skills and history of customer service excellence will be of great value to our EPIC clients."

A life-long Central Valley native, House attended Oakdale High School where he played football and earned multiple honors, including being recognized as an All State running back. He continued his athletic pursuits in college, first throwing discus at Modesto Junior College and then playing football at California State University, Fresno.

Tim House can be reached at:
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
tim.house [at] epicbrokers.com
559-451-3205 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 1,000 team members operating from 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 approaching $300 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 http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

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*Photo Caption: Tim House has joined EPIC as a Property & Casualty Insurance Broker/Producer.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Tim House has joined the firm as a Property and Casualty Insurance Broker/Producer in EPIC's Fresno, California office.

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

Certified Credit Reporting Joins The Mortgage Collaborative’s Preferred Partner Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, announced a new preferred partner relationship with national credit information service provider, Certified Credit Reporting. As a result of this new partnership, lender members of The Mortgagee Collaborative will receive discounted pricing on Certified Credit's suite of credit and verification services.

"We at Certified Credit are so excited to be partnering with The Mortgage Collaborative. For over 30 years we have demonstrated our ability to stand out in the marketplace. Our commitment to passionate service and innovative products has created a more profitable and more efficient lending environment for our clients," said Certified Credit CEO Lucy Kereta-Block. "We now look forward to sharing our expertise and build long-lasting relationships with The Mortgage Collaborative lender members."

"The Mortgage Collaborative is thrilled to add Certified Credit as a national credit service provider that is truly focused on best-in-class execution and customer satisfaction for its clients," said TMC COO Rich Swerbinsky. "Certified Credit's diverse offering positions itself, as well as our lender members, to effectively adapt to emerging trends in the mortgage industry."

The Mortgage Collaborative network is more than 116 lenders strong, with an aggregate annual origination volume of nearly $200 billion and a preferred partner network of over 60 top vendors to the mortgage industry. The 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 Certified Credit Reporting:

With the passion of a startup and the experience of thirty plus years in business, Certified Credit is a nationwide leader in the credit information industry. We have earned a reputation for offering excellent service, technological efficiency and a full spectrum of products, including third party verifications, fraud, flood certificates, 4506T and SSA89, lead generation, pre and post close products and more. We are proud to be a Dodd Frank Section 342 Vendor which mandates more supplier diversity in the financial sector. Our diverse makeup offers unique and fresh perspectives, allowing us to effectively reach emerging and diverse markets.

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

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's only independent mortgage cooperative, announced a new preferred partner relationship with national credit information service provider, Certified Credit Reporting. As a result of this new partnership, lender members of The Mortgagee Collaborative will receive discounted pricing on Certified Credit's suite of credit and verification services.

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

Pendo Makes Enhancements to Its Appraisal Review Tool

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. /ScoopCloud/ -- Pendo, a nationwide appraisal management company (AMC), has made enhancements to their Appraisal Review Tool, which is part of their proprietary technology solutions for appraisal management.

Pendo's Appraisal Review Tool assists their quality review team in managing the process of checking each and every appraisal, ensuring reports are accurate, complete and most of all compliant. Among its enhancements, the tool now has over 100 automated checks, eliminating errors and redundancies in double and triple checking for missing or incorrect information. Within the automated checks there are several that perform subjective analysis, which impacts the number of revisions and lower CU scores. The finished outcome is a completed file that now shows the details and comments from the appraiser and Pendo's quality review team.

"Managing hundreds of appraisals each day requires reviewing lots of details which can slow down the appraisal process, put quality and compliance at risk, or both," said Mike Peck, co-founder of Pendo. "The enhancements we made to our Appraisal Review Tool places automatic checks and balances into the quality review process while providing better outcomes and quicker files to our clients."

Pendo's quality and compliance efforts center on a configurable proprietary technology that allows each client to customize its quality control process according to its own unique requirements. Enhancements to major technology tools such as the Appraisal Review Tool are one of many steps the company continues to take in offering the most accurate, timely and compliant appraisals.

About Pendo:
Pendo is a nationwide appraisal management company based in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The company was co-founded by two successful tech professionals, Jeff Sandman and Mike Peck, specifically to disrupt the appraisal management segment using advanced technology and severely elevated service standards.

The company's proprietary QC technology boasts numerous unique features that assure the highest levels of quality and compliance, while also reducing wait times, elevating service levels, boosting client engagement, and minimizing redundant activities. Pendo was founded in 2009 and is licensed to conduct business in all 50 states.

For more information, visit https://www.pendomanagement.com/, email contact@pendomanagement.com or call 816-332-6627.

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Pendo, a nationwide appraisal management company (AMC), has made enhancements to their Appraisal Review Tool, which is part of their proprietary technology solutions for appraisal management. Pendo's Appraisal Review Tool assists their quality review team in managing the process of checking each and every appraisal, ensuring reports are accurate, complete and most of all compliant.

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

Quandis Adds New Imaging Functionality to its Military Search Service for SCRA Compliance

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Quandis, Inc., a leading default management mortgage technology provider, announced that it has added new functionality that allows servicers and default attorneys to more easily manage images of official certificates from the Department of Defense (DoD) to demonstrate proof of compliance for adherence to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).

The SCRA requires that organizations take various measures before beginning default and foreclosure proceedings on active duty military personnel. Non-compliance with the SCRA can result in steep fines, lawsuits and the potential to rescind foreclosures.

Quandis' Military Search Service streamlines searches on delinquent loans by automatically combing the DoD's database to identify borrowers that have active duty status, who are protected under the SCRA. The searches are very thorough, complete with name permutations, which catches slight variations of different names. Searches return a detailed, documented certificate from the DoD demonstrating proof of compliance.

Quandis has now added imaging functionality to meet all internal and external compliance requirements. The new functionality delivers a number of newfound efficiencies.

"One of the ongoing problems that organizations are faced with when it comes to SCRA compliance is not only verifying that a delinquent borrower is on active duty, but also in how they process, organize, or redact certificates provided from the DoD," stated Greg Kent, vice president of data services at Quandis. "By adding imaging capability, clients now have the flexibility to take DoD certificates, centralize them, and store them internally for future reference and proof of compliance. This saves huge amounts of time spent by FTEs to manually perform the same task."

The typical process for default servicing entities starts with collecting a superset of all DoD SCRA certificates. Multiple copies are then created and adjusted for the content within them to be compliant. Law firms have to prove to servicers and courts that they interface with all SCRA information and documentation, and they all have their own internal requirements and procedures on how to handle SCRA certificates.

This manual process becomes hard to manage, significantly increases the element of human error, is laborious, time consuming and heightens the risk of non-compliance. Quandis' new imaging functionality remedies this and provides detailed, well-organized proof of SCRA compliance in the event of an audit.

"Quandis' SCRA image packages has allowed us to ensure compliance with searches for active military personnel across the board for all of our cases," stated Matt Barr, director of information technology at BWW Law Group, LLC. "The simplification of the overall process gives us more time to focus resources in other areas, which produces a significant ROI for us."

The Quandis Military Search Service for SCRA compliance can be used as a standalone solution or as integrated with leading law firm case management systems (CMS) and servicing platforms.

Quandis' Military Search technology also addresses compliance for the Military Lending Act (MLA) rule. The MLA helps protect U.S. servicemembers in other areas of consumer lending outside of mortgage such as payday loans, vehicle title loans, refund anticipation loans, deposit advance loans, installment loans and credit cards. Under the MLA, servicemembers have additional protections that must be complied with. Quandis expanded its footprint into protection of servicemembers involving high-cost loans and predatory lending when new changes were implemented to the MLA in 2015 and again in 2016.

About Quandis:
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Quandis is a leading default management software provider specializing in web-based solutions for the mortgage industry. Quandis' solutions include foreclosure process automation, short sale portals, skip tracing systems, a valuations hub, military search services, bankruptcy status searches, collection solutions, vendor solutions, as well custom application development. The company's clients range from servicers, to foreclosure attorneys, lenders, banks, GSEs outsourced service providers, and agents and brokers.

For more information, please visit http://www.quandis.com/ or call (949) 525-9000.

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

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Quandis, Inc., a leading default management mortgage technology provider, announced that it has added new functionality that allows servicers and default attorneys to more easily manage images of official certificates from the Department of Defense (DoD) to demonstrate proof of compliance for adherence to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).

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

NAMB Rebrands to Better Reflect the Professional Diversity of Its Member Base

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced a rebranding that includes a new logo and marketing campaign. NAMB's new brand identity emphasizes the diversity of its member base, which includes individual loan originators and small and midsize mortgage origination businesses of all kinds-brokers, bankers and correspondent lenders.

NAMB's new logo depicts incorporates a graphic of a house divided into five segments, which represent the five regions of the country that align with NAMB's bylaws and member representation. Its marketing campaign reinforces NAMB's emphasis on each member's individuality and freedom to define its own business and focus.

"A lot of people don't realize that NAMB is not limited to brokers," said Fred Kreger, president of NAMB. "NAMB is an association for all state licensed and registered mortgage loan originators-as well as the small to midsize businesses that originate mortgages. This rebranding reflects the diversity of our member base."

NAMB was established in 1973 as the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, and later changed its name to NAMB - the National Association of Mortgage Professionals before this rebrand shortened the organization's name to simply NAMB.

NAMB is the largest mortgage-related individual member-based organization in the U.S.

ABOUT NAMB - The Association of Mortgage Professionals:
NAMB has been representing the interests of small mortgage businesses, mortgage loan originators and their clients since 1973. The organization represents loan originators in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and supports its members through initiatives and opportunities that help increase productivity and lower business costs, such as education, training and advocacy. NAMB offers rigorous certification programs that support the highest levels of professional knowledge and education. Its lobbying and advocacy efforts focus on national and state issues.

For more information, visit http://namb.org/ or follow @NAMBpros.

NAMB (formerly National Association of Mortgage Brokers), an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced a rebranding that includes a new logo and marketing campaign. NAMB's new brand identity emphasizes the diversity of its member base, which includes individual loan originators and small and midsize mortgage origination businesses of all kinds-brokers, bankers and correspondent lenders.

Related link: http://namb.org/

Matic Insurance Services and LendingQB Partner to Eliminate Stress, Mortgage Delays Caused by Homeowner’s Insurance

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Matic Insurance Services (Matic), a digital insurance agency that enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the home-buying transaction, today announced a new partnership with LendingQB, a provider of "lean lending" loan origination technology. Matic announced the news as part of a live demonstration at San Francisco's Digital Mortgage conference.

Matic's integration with LendingQB's flagship loan origination software (LOS) makes it easy for borrowers to upload or secure a homeowner's insurance policy during the mortgage application process. The result is a less stressful experience for borrowers and the elimination of costly insurance-related delays for LendingQB's lender clients.

Loan officers, processors and closers can initiate the process by issuing a one-click invitation from within the LendingQB LOS. Alternatively, borrowers can request a quote with the click of a button from within their lender's self-service mortgage portal. The entire process, from requesting a quote to securing a policy, can be completed in minutes.

"Matic simplifies the often-frustrating process of getting homeowner's insurance and moves it within the mortgage transaction for greater convenience and faster loan closings," said Matic Co-founder and COO Ben Madick. "Borrowers no longer have to enter a bunch of personal information or attempt to answer detailed questions about the subject property. Instead, LendingQB delivers this data to top-rated insurance carriers through Matic."

"For the typical home loan, securing homeowner's insurance takes two to three days. With LendingQB and Matic, borrowers can secure a policy in two to three minutes," said LendingQB President Tim Nguyen. "Borrowers appreciate the more streamlined and easy-to-understand process, and because there's no extra effort required on the lender's part, the time savings go straight to the lender's bottom line. By partnering with leading-edge technologies like Matic, LendingQB is making every step of the lending process more efficient and customer-friendly."

About Matic Insurance Services:

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

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

About LendingQB:

LendingQB is a provider of Lean Lending solutions for residential mortgage banking organizations. The Lean Lending solution consists of a 100 percent web browser-based, end-to-end loan origination system, best of breed integrations with key industry partners and 'adoptimization' services that result in faster cycle times and lower costs per loan. For more information, call 888-285-3912 or visit https://lendingqb.com.

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Matic Insurance Services (Matic), a digital insurance agency that enables borrowers to purchase homeowner's insurance during the home-buying transaction, today announced a new partnership with LendingQB, a provider of "lean lending" loan origination technology. Matic announced the news as part of a live demonstration at San Francisco's Digital Mortgage Conference.

Related link: https://maticinsurance.com/

EPIC’s Retirement Consulting Team Named to 2017 Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Plan Advisers List

HOUSTON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Director of Retirement Rob Massa and Ascende Wealth Advisers Inc., EPIC's Retirement Consulting Team, has been named to the 2017 Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Plan Advisers. This list recognizes the top financial advisers who specialize in serving Defined Contribution (DC) retirement plans.

This is the third annual FT 401 list, produced independently by the Financial Times in collaboration with Ignites Research, a subsidiary of the FT that provides business intelligence on asset management. Applicants were graded on seven criteria: DC assets under management (AUM), DC AUM growth rate, specialization in DC plans, years of experience, advanced industry credentials, compliance record and DC plan participation rate.

"It is an honor for Rob Massa and his team to be named a 401 Top Retirement Plan Adviser," said Jim Watt, EPIC Southwest Region President and National Employee Benefits Practice Leader. "This recognition validates our team's commitment to continue to deliver a higher standard of care to help our clients meet their retirement goals. Our team has earned a well-deserved place among the industry's most prominent retirement plan advisers."

The final FT 401 represents an impressive cohort of elite advisers: the "average" adviser in this year's FT 401 has 19 years of experience advising DC plans and manages $1.6 billion in DC plan assets. The FT 401 advisers hail from 38 states and Washington D.C., and DC plans on average account for 74% of their total assets under management.

The FT 401 is one of a series of rankings of top advisers developed by the FT in partnership with Ignites Research, including the FT 300 (independent RIA firms) and the FT 400 (broker-dealer advisers).

About Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc.:

Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc. (AWAI) is an SEC registered investment advisory firm dedicated to providing unbiased investment advice by acting as either an ERISA 3(21) co-fiduciary or an ERISA 3(38) investment fiduciary to corporate sponsored qualified and nonqualified plans, as well as international and offshore savings arrangements.

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 1,100 team members operating from 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 approaching $300 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 http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

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EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Director of Retirement Rob Massa and Ascende Wealth Advisers Inc., EPIC's Retirement Consulting Team, has been named to the 2017 Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Plan Advisers. This list recognizes the top financial advisers who specialize in serving Defined Contribution (DC) retirement plans.

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

Now Hiring: Over 400 Independent Restaurant Owners Share What They do to Recruit their Best Employees

PHOENIX, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- RestaurantOwner (RestaurantOwner.com) today released the results of their 2017 Independent Restaurant Recruiting Survey. The report summarizes input gathered from over 400 independent restaurant owners and operators regarding their proven recruiting practices.

A copy of the report is available at: https://www.restaurantowner.com/Recruiting2017/.

Survey Results:
The days of the Help Wanted sign are numbered. Only a third (34%) of independent restaurant owners reported using signs placed in their restaurant to announce job openings. Instead, resourceful restauranteurs are turning to technology in their search for new talent, with 57% indicating that they use internet classifieds, 56% social networks, and 44% internet job sites in their search for new talent.

Despite technology-based solutions, word-of-mouth is still the best recruiting tool. An overwhelming majority (86%) of independent restaurant operators rely on employee referrals to find new team members. And when asked where they found the best employees, 48% responded with employee referrals.

Surprisingly, only 26% of respondents had a formal referral program. For independent restaurants that rewarded successful candidate referrals, employees typically earned $100 per referral once a referred candidate was employed for 90 days.

A positive restaurant culture (48%) was the most cited response to, "What's the #1 reason people want to work in your restaurant?" Culture was more important than a desirable schedule (8%), the need for a job (10%), and even good pay/benefits (22%). Despite this, only 39% of respondents included information about their restaurant culture in job postings.

The two most cited hurdles currently faced by independent restaurant operators are a lack of qualified applicants (78%) and competition for employees (44%). Savvy restaurateurs shared that they overcame these hurdles with continuous recruiting, employee referrals, and by actively recruiting the employed.

Additional insights, graphs, figures, and statistics are included in the report.

About Restaurant Owner:
With over 46,000 members since 1998, RestaurantOwner.com's mission is to change lives by educating and inspiring independent restaurant owner operators to create restaurant success stories. It's committed to providing practical, proven insights, and resources to enable members to build a better restaurant, a better business, and most importantly, a better life.

Information: https://www.restaurantowner.com/.

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*Image Caption: A selected metric from the RestaurantOwner 2017 Recruiting Survey Report.

Restaurant Owner today released the results of their 2017 Independent Restaurant Recruiting Survey. The report summarizes input gathered from over 400 independent restaurant owners and operators regarding their proven recruiting practices.

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

FormFree, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Expand Alliance to Provide Liens and Judgments Data

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced the impending launch of AccountChek Plus(TM), a new tool for lenders that combines the features of AccountChek(R), the nation's most trusted asset verification app, with liens and civil judgments data from LexisNexis(R) Risk Solutions. By giving lenders a more complete picture of borrower ability-to-pay before loans go to underwriting, AccountChek Plus cuts costs, reduces risk and empowers better lending decisions.

Underwriters of mortgage loans and other types of financing use liens and judgments data to assess consumers' payment history and ability to pay future debts. Historically, lenders have sourced this data from consumer credit reports furnished by the nation's top credit reporting agencies, but on July 1, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion eliminated a significant portion of all liens and judgments data from their reporting.

LexisNexis RiskView(TM) Liens & Judgments Report, available to FormFree customers as part of the new AccountChek Plus service, fills the liens and judgments data gap. The report, which is Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) compliant, employs industry-leading technology and hundreds of the most current data points available to ensure more than 99 percent precision in linking debts with the correct consumer.

The liens and civil judgments data is delivered along with the award-winning AccountChek asset verification report. AccountChek by FormFree is the new standard in automated asset verification and was the first such service selected for Fannie Mae's Day 1 Certainty(TM) initiative.

Secure and simple to use, AccountChek is a digital app that eliminates the hassle of gathering documents for loans by letting consumers link their online banking, retirement and investment accounts and transmit directly to their lenders the information needed to verify loan eligibility. The result is an easier, safer and more accurate process that closes loans up to 15 days faster.

"Lenders rely on liens and judgments data to limit their risk exposure and meet investor guidelines," said FormFree CEO Brent Chandler. "We are impressed with the exceptional reliability of LexisNexis RiskView report and believe lenders will find added value in accessing liens and judgments data early in the application process and bundled with a standardized asset report."

"Our research shows that consumers with liens or judgments are twice as likely to default on a loan as those with no outstanding liens or judgments," said Tim Coyle, senior director of real estate and mortgage at LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "There is no question that lenders have a business need to fill this information gap, and we are pleased to make this data available through AccountChek Plus by FormFree."

About FormFree(R):
Leading lenders trust FormFree's automated verification solutions that streamline the loan origination process and provide better intelligence on borrowers' ability to pay. FormFree's flagship app, AccountChek(R), eliminates the hassle of collecting paper statements from borrowers by using direct-access data untouched by human hands to consolidate, analyze and verify assets. AccountChek has securely delivered automated asset verification data and on-demand reports to more than 1,000 leading U.S. lenders. A HousingWire TECH100(TM) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.formfree.com/ or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.
About LexisNexis Risk Solutions:
At LexisNexis Risk Solutions, we believe in the power of data and advanced analytics for better risk management. With more than 40 years of expertise, we are the trusted data analytics provider for organizations seeking actionable insights to manage risks and improve results while upholding the highest standards for security and privacy. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, LexisNexis Risk Solutions serves customers in more than 100 countries and is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk.

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FormFree today announced the impending launch of AccountChek Plus, a new tool for lenders that combines the features of AccountChek, the nation's most trusted asset verification app, with liens and civil judgments data from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. By giving lenders a more complete picture of borrower ability-to-pay before loans go to underwriting, AccountChek Plus cuts costs, reduces risk and empowers better lending decisions.

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

Built Named Preferred Partner of The Mortgage Collaborative

NASHVILLE, Tenn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Built was named to The Mortgage Collaborative's Preferred Partner Network, providing solutions for digital draw management and collaboration software for the network's lenders active in construction lending.

The Mortgage Collaborative represents 115 of the nation's mortgage lenders with aggregate annual origination volume of over $190 billion. With Built, members of The Mortgage Collaborative will simplify construction loan administration with real-time transparency and faster access to draws. With a completely digital process, lender members will be able to use the data for proactive risk management and portfolio insights.

"Our strategic partnership with The Mortgage Collaborative is an important step in our mission to change the way the world gets built," said Chase Gilbert, president of Built. "Lender members using Built have a streamlined experience for borrowers, builders and internal staff and the transparency to power their efficient operations while reducing risk."

"Our mission at The Mortgage Collaborative is to empower our lender members across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise and improved compliance," said Rich Swerbinsky, chief operating officer for The Mortgage Collaborative. "We're proud to bring Built to the Preferred Partner Network to give our construction lending members a distinct advantage in the growing construction loan market."

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

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

About Built:

Built is the leading provider of secure, cloud-based construction lending software. Built's collaboration platform helps lenders streamline the draw management process and revolutionizes the experience delivered to their borrowers and builders through real-time transparency and faster access to draws. With a completely digital process, lenders are also able to use the data for proactive risk management and unprecedented portfolio insights. Built serves small, regional and national lenders coast-to-coast. To find out more visit http://www.getbuilt.com. join Built Technologies on LinkedIn or follow Built on Twitter at @BuiltTechnology.

Built was named to The Mortgage Collaborative's Preferred Partner Network, providing solutions for digital draw management and collaboration software for the network's lenders active in construction lending. Built is the leading provider of secure, cloud-based construction lending software.

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

EPIC’s Tom Mackey to Present on Protecting Operations from Cyber Security Threats at Next Generation Manufacturing Event

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Risk Management Consultant Tom Mackey will present at the Seventh Annual Next Generation Manufacturing Signature Event on Thursday, Sept. 28 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

Mackey's presentation, titled "Manufacturer's Guide to Protecting your Operations from Increased Global Cyber Security Threats" will identify the key cyber risks threatening manufacturing operations, proactive risk management tactics for hedging cyber risk, and the insurance considerations for transferring and financing risk of financial loss due to cyber liability for manufacturing firms.

Next Generation Manufacturing provides a business forum for manufacturers and their resources to exchange best practices relating to innovation, people and processes to create the next generation of manufacturing. The EPIC-sponsored event will feature globally recognized manufacturers who are leading in innovation, expanding their company's access to global markets, preparing for 21st century workforce demands and developing and maintaining their company's culture.

Click here for more information: http://www.nextgenerationmfg.org/Events.aspx.

About Tom Mackey, Risk Management Consultant, EPIC:

As a Risk Management Consultant at EPIC, Mackey specializes in the design and implementation of complex risk management programs for clients, primarily focusing on Management Liability and Professional Liability coverages. This includes the identification and analysis of client exposures, insurance program benchmarking and design, negotiation of coverage terms and pricing and ongoing monitoring of risk evolution and marketplace changes.

Mackey is responsible for developing new business relationships and connecting current clients with strategic partners in various industry verticals. Mackey also advises EPIC's private equity and corporate clients on insurance-related matters from due diligence through deal close and post-merger integration of target companies.

About Next Generation Manufacturing:

Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM) provides a business forum for manufacturers and their resources to exchange best practices relating to innovation, people and processes to create the next generation of manufacturing. NGM does this through programming that encourages growth through competitive innovation and the building of relationships amongst manufacturers across all verticals. Next Generation Manufacturing is advised by a select group of Georgia-based manufacturers.

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 1,100 team members operating from 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 approaching $300 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 http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

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*Photo Caption: Tom Mackey, Risk Management Consultant, EPIC.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Risk Management Consultant Tom Mackey will present at the Seventh Annual Next Generation Manufacturing Signature Event on Sept. 28, 2017 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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