Joseph A. Smith Jr., Monitor of the National Mortgage Settlement, has filed a report with the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia that certifies that Residential Capital LLC, Ally Financial Inc. and GMAC Mortgage LLC (collectively known as "Ally") have satisfied their consumer relief obligations and partially certifies completion of Ally’s mandatory solicitation requirements under the settlement.Click to continue

The Certification Committee of NAMB—The Association of Mortgage Professionals has been very productive to date in 2012, achieving a 300 percent increase in Certified Mortgage Consultant (CMC), Certified Residential Mortgage Specialist (CRMS) and General Mortgage Associate (GMA) designees.Click to continue

To keep up with today’s ever-increasing regulatory environment, the National Credit Reporting Association Inc. (NCRA) has developed a certification program designed for the users of credit reports (employees of mortgage lenders, and property managers/landlords) to assist them in understanding the various federal laws and national credit repository guidelines that regulate their access to credit data. Access to consumer credit data is critical to their business operations and for continued access, tight compliance with these regulations is mandatory.Click to continue

I am often asked by mortgage professionals, "Why should I become NAMB-certified?" and "What does becoming certified do for me?" Let me explain the reasons why the Certified Mortgage Consultant (CMC), Certified Residential Mortgage Specialist (CRMS), and the General Mortgage Associate (GMA) programs were developed and why many of your colleagues have led the way to becoming certified by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB).Click to continue

It’s July 4 at 5:45 a.m. I woke up thinking about the year being half over. Where will the second half take us? We have already dealt with many challenges and more appear to be on the horizon. I cannot figure out whom or what is really driving this environment. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are still with us. Congress cannot figure out what to do with them or what to do about anything else.Click to continue

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) has announced the first class of members who have met all the qualifications and have received their Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) designations. NMMLA's first round of CRMP designees include:

►Henrietta Belcher-Stack, reverse mortgage assistant vice president at WSFS Bank

►Clarence “Buck” Harbuck, Gulf Coast area sales manager for Financial Freedom

►Eric Kirschbaum, reverse mortgage manager for Cambridge Senior CapitalClick to continue

The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), the Association of Mortgage Professionals, has recognized June as National Homeownership Month, an important time for the American economy and American consumer as the housing industry continues its recovery. “NAMB applauds Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA) for his resolution recently passed by the House of Representatives recognizing June as National Homeownership Month, and for his hard work on and commitment to the recovery of the housing industry,” said NAMB President, Jim Pair, CMC.Click to continue

As I approach this, my last article as Certification Committee Chair of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), I am amazed at how quickly time seems to fly by in our daily lives. As we have all been preparing for SAFE Act Licensing and watching events in our industry unfold, time seems to be moving more for us than we may expected. Reflecting on the basic priorities this past year or two has strengthened some individuals, saw others leave our industry, and still has everyone evaluating what we should continue to do.Click to continue

As part of Paramount Residential Mortgage Group (PRMG’s) ongoing quest to preserve the mortgage brokers and the wholesale channel they serve, PRMG is “putting their money where their mouth is” and has announced that they are budgeting more than $100,000 toward helping provide continued education for mortgage brokers and originators.Click to continue

AllRegs, a publisher of guidelines for the mortgage industry, has announced that 26 professionals have recently earned the Certified FICO Professional (FICO Pro) certification. Congratulations to the following industry professionals for their hard work and commitment to completing the FICO Pro curriculum, delivered through AllRegs Academy:Click to continue