Finance

Mortgage and Finance News: (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced its latest point-of-sale (POS) release, bringing document validation powered by Aiva Intelligence to the earliest stage of the lending process. By validating borrower documents at upload instead of later in the review process, lenders can identify issues sooner, provide immediate guidance to borrowers and reduce downstream conditions and rework.

Mortgage and Finance News: (DENVER, Colo.) ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced the release of its quarterly ACES Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report covering Q1 of 2026. The report analyzes post-closing quality control data derived from the ACES Quality Management & Control® software.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TROY, Mich.) Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that it has acquired Allstate Appraisal, one of the nation's longest continuously operating valuation firms. Founded in 1959 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Allstate Appraisal brings more than six decades of experience delivering credible, compliant and timely valuation and review services to lending institutions, mortgage insurance companies, government entities, law firms and other organizations nationwide.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading affordability intelligence platform, today announced that Brad Cardwell, vice president of sales and business development, has been named to The Mortgage Collaborative's (TMC) Partner Advisory Council. The council brings together TMC's preferred partners to promote fair, transparent and efficient practices through open dialogue and coordinated initiatives.

Mortgage and Finance News: (SEATTLE, Wash.) Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced expanded support for non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) and other non-agency lending programs, enabling lenders to evaluate a broader range of complex borrower scenarios against investor-specific guidelines before underwriting.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TORRANCE, Calif.) DocMagic®, a leading provider of digital mortgage solutions, has been named one of the 2026 Best Places to Work in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal. The annual program, now in its 20th year, recognizes companies that demonstrate a strong commitment to employee engagement.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading affordability intelligence platform, today announced it has earned a spot on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing privately owned companies after achieving significant revenue growth from 2022 to 2025. DPR was also honored on the 2023 and 2025 Inc. 5000 lists.

Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its July 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage activity softened as rising rates weighed on both purchase and refinance demand. Total rate-lock volume declined 11% month over month (MoM) but remained 5% above July 2025.

Mortgage and Finance News: (VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group LLC (Atlantic Bay) is proud to announce it has been recognized among Hampton Roads' Top Workplaces by the Virginian-Pilot. The annual recognition honors employers that create exceptional workplace experiences, with recipients determined through confidential employee survey feedback.

Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today announced the general availability of Virtual Economist, the first on-demand forecasting tool for mortgage capital markets leaders powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). Revealed in beta at the annual Optimal Blue Summit in February 2026, Virtual Economist is now available to all Optimal Blue Product, Pricing, and Eligibility (PPE) Engine and CompassEdge clients at no added cost.

Mortgage and Finance News: (COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich.) Halo Programs, formerly Continuity Programs, today announced the launch of self-service online registration across its industry-specific CRM and relationship marketing platforms serving mortgage lenders, real estate brokerages and residential contractors. Professionals can now activate an account in a few clicks, eliminating the wait for a sales call before getting started.

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) Argyle, the leading consumer-permissioned verification platform, today announced two executive promotions-longstanding leaders stepping into expanded roles, backed by deep product knowledge built from growing within the company. John Hardesty has been named chief revenue officer and Daniel Esquibel has been promoted to vice president of mortgage.

Mortgage and Finance News: (DENVER, Colo.) ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, today announced that Garry Manley, assistant vice president of client success, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider. The award recognizes operational leaders across the mortgage, real estate and homebuilding industries whose behind-the-scenes work drives measurable impact within their organizations.

Mortgage and Finance News: (BOULDER, Colo.) Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Sol Klein, head of customer experience and business operations, has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Insiders list. The annual program recognizes the operational leaders who are vital to their organizations' success and making a measurable difference in the housing industry.

Mortgage and Finance News: (GARDEN GROVE, Calif.) Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced that Shana Garrie, senior marketing specialist, has been name among the 2026 HousingWire Insiders. The award honors the leaders working behind-the-scenes to drive innovation and efficiency in the mortgage and real estate industry.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that Adam Nicholson, director of professional services, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider. The award recognizes operational leaders across the mortgage, real estate and homebuilding industries whose behind-the-scenes work drives measurable impact within their organizations.

Mortgage and Finance News: (HOUSTON, Texas) NotaryCam®, a Stewart-owned company and a pioneering provider of remote online notarization (RON) and identity verification / authentication technology for real estate and legal transactions, today announced that Quality Assurance (QA) Manager Olen Dalton has been recognized as a HousingWire Insider. The award honors operational leaders working behind the scenes to drive innovation, efficiency and growth in mortgage and real estate.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TORRANCE, Calif.) DocMagic® announced today that David Garrett, director of integration and technical services, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider. Garrett first received the honor in 2023, making this his second HousingWire Insider recognition.

Mortgage and Finance News: (SEATTLE, Wash.) Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced that Lisa Casner, its head of engineering, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider. Now in its 11th year, the Insiders Award recognizes operational all-stars working behind the scenes to drive innovation and support growth across the mortgage and real estate industries.

Mortgage and Finance News: (VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group LLC (Atlantic Bay) is proud to announce that Vice President of Operations Strategy Julie Watson has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider. Now in its 11th year, the Insiders Award recognizes operational all-stars working behind the scenes in companies across the housing industry to drive innovation and underpin business growth.

Mortgage and Finance News: (GARDEN GROVE, Calif.) Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced the launch of the next iteration of AccountChek®, its flagship verification solution. Rebuilt from the ground up and unified with the IR Verification Platform, AccountChek is designed to scale as lenders' verification needs evolve and is expected to deliver faster performance, improved reliability and a smoother borrower experience.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) Velocity Credit Union is making it easier for members to protect what matters most by offering access to a wide range of insurance solutions through trusted industry partners. From home and vehicle insurance to business protection and specialty coverage, members can now explore insurance options designed to fit their unique needs and budgets.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homeownership programs, today released its Q2 2026 Homeownership Program Index (HPI) report, identifying 2,746 programs nationwide. The total represents an increase of 67 programs from Q1 2026, reflecting continued expansion of resources designed to improve affordability and access to homeownership, and is a new survey high.

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) Argyle, the leading consumer-permissioned verification platform, and The BIG Point of Sale today announced they have been named winners of the 2026 Connections Award by PROGRESS in Lending. The award honors the most impactful partnerships, integrations and acquisitions advancing the mortgage industry, recognizing the companies for an integration that embeds verification of income and employment (VOIE) directly into the loan origination process through ICE Mortgage Technology's Encompass Partner Connect® framework.

Mortgage and Finance News: (GARDEN GROVE, Calif.) Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced the promotion of Ajay Trilokeshwaran to chief technology officer (CTO). In his new role, Trilokeshwaran will lead the company's product and technology execution, overseeing platform development, application engineering, infrastructure and cloud strategy to support business growth.

Mortgage and Finance News: (SEATTLE, Wash.) Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced support for USDA loans. The new capability enables lenders to identify documentation gaps, eligibility issues and changes that require updated Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS) findings before loan files reach underwriting, helping reduce rework and deliver a more predictable path to closing for both lending teams and borrowers.

Mortgage and Finance News: (SAN DIEGO, Calif.) The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, today released results from its June 2026 Pulse of the Network survey. The biannual survey gathered input from mortgage lenders, including independent mortgage banks, credit unions and depository institutions, on strategic priorities heading into the second half of 2026.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, received a USDA 2026 Top Wholesale Lender award. The award was presented today at USDA Rural Development's National Lender of the Year Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Mortgage and Finance News: (HOUSTON, Texas) NotaryCam®, a Stewart-owned company and a pioneering provider of remote online notarization (RON) and identity verification/authentication technology for real estate and legal transactions, today announced that President Brian Webster has been recognized as a 2026 Inman Best in Finance award winner.

Mortgage and Finance News: (CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.) LodeStar Software Solutions (LodeStar), the leading provider of mortgage closing cost and fee data, today announced that it is integrated with Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®). LodeStar's Closing Cost Calculator is now available in Empower® loan origination system (Empower), developed in conjunction with the Dark Matter Developer Platform.