Heartland Financial USA Inc. has added Cypress Software Systems LP’s Mortgage Processor Module and New Account Setup Module to the bank’s existing installation of Cypress’ Mark IV loan software. The enhanced system is helping Heartland meet regulatory requirements, including changes in the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and increase overall lending efficiency.

Kate Barth, loan member bank support manager at Heartland, said the Mortgage Module brings additional automation to the bank’s mortgage application process that will help it remain compliant with current and future federal regulations.

“Mark IV has been a great lending tool for our bank, and adding the Mortgage Module gives us additional peace-of-mind, knowing that we have the necessary forms and lending calculators necessary, should examiners pay a visit,” said Barth. “In addition to the underwriting consistency that Mark IV provides, features like their New Account Setup Module offer additional cost-savings by streamlining and automating manual and repetitive processes.”

The New Account Setup Module helps banks increase lending efficiency by automatically transferring new account information into the institution’s document preparation system, thus eliminating excess paperwork and reducing redundant data entry.

Heartland Financial USA Inc. is a 10-bank holding company headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa with banking operations in eight Midwestern and western states. Its flagship bank, Dubuque Bank & Trust, was founded in 1935 and operates eight offices in the Dubuque area. With assets of more than $1 billion, it's among the largest commercial banks in Iowa.

“Heartland Financial has been long-standing Cypress and Mark IV clients, and we’re excited to expand our business relationship with them,” said Steven Croft, senior vice president at Cypress Software Systems. “As financial institutions face a murky future of complex economic and regulatory environments, we stand ready to assist them with a wide range of services and technology designed to meet those challenges while increasing market share and improving the customer experience.”

Cypress’ Mark IV is a software platform that automates the consumer loan application and decisioning process, and helps institutions with risk management issues. With Mark IV, service associates electronically input application information while interviewing customers. The software then quickly retrieves credit reports, efficiently analyzes the capacity for repayment, and deploys the institution’s loan policies. The result is a fast, quality loan decision.

For more information, visit www.htlf.com or www.go-cypress.com.