Hedging, Verification, CRM, AI, Automated Pricing, Fraud Detection Tools; STRATMOR on AI
What is something that small and mid-sized lenders can’t offer? Chase rolled out a program for borrowers to earn 100,000 Chase Points. (Bilt and UWM rolled out something similar a while back.) But, nearly every lender can help borrowers with the cost of a mortgage, and STRATMOR’s current blog is “Pricing That Can Help Borrowers.” In addition, in the credit world two new automated features for the FICO Score Mortgage Simulator were announced yesterday designed to help lenders move beyond manual “what-if” credit simulations and generate personalized borrower action plans more efficiently. The program “automates credit action planning for borrowers based on target score goals or budget, offers early score potential estimates, and is built directly on the mortgage FICO Scores used in lending decisions (FICO Scores 2, 4 and 5). (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s ‘casts are sponsored by NFTYDoor, the white-label HELOC platform for banks, credit unions, and brokers. Close in zero days with warehouse funding. Power your home equity lending with NFTYDoor. Today’s features an interview with Sagent’s Sridhar Sharma and Shane Leonard on how the latest and greatest in underwriting technology is reducing friction in the mortgage origination process.)
Lender and Broker Products, Software, and Services
“500 loans or 50,000. You get the same elite servicing platform. At MSF Servicing, no portfolio is too big or too small. That's because we've eliminated the minimum loan count requirements that leave smaller servicers locked out of top-tier platforms. Whether you're managing 500 loans or 50,000, you'll have access to the same experienced team, the same state-of-the-art technology, and the same high-touch level of service, with no thresholds, no gatekeeping, and no compromises. Our servicing platform was purpose-built to scale without sacrificing quality. Boutique relationships and complex portfolios run on the same infrastructure that grows as you do. Finally, your borrowers will love the MSF mobile app, which delivers real-time account access, seamless payment tracking, and intuitive self-service, on their schedule. All backed by a dedicated borrower portal and multilingual support in 200+ languages that enhances your brand at every touchpoint. For more information, contact Rick Smith (860-989-9006).
Mortgage fraud continues to be a hot topic in the industry and it’s imperative to stay up to date with the latest trends. On June 3 at 10am PT, join experts from Cotality and ACES Quality Management at the Cotality Fraud Summit, a must-attend virtual event designed for mortgage lenders, servicers and risk professionals who need practical strategies to detect, prevent, and respond to evolving fraud threats. From synthetic identity and income manipulation to emerging AI-driven schemes, today’s risk landscape is more complex and costly than ever. The Cotality Fraud Summit brings together experts across data, analytics, and operations to share real-world insights, actionable best practices and technology-driven solutions that help you stay ahead of risk without slowing down your pipeline. Attendees will gain perspective on fraud and compliance best practices, and how advanced data and intelligence can strengthen decisioning across the loan lifecycle. If protecting margins, preserving borrower trust and safeguarding your organization are priorities in 2026, this event belongs on your calendar. Register here.
If your pipeline feels tight, it may not be a volume problem, but an overlooked opportunity. While many brokers are working the same deals, a $14.5 trillion senior equity market sits just outside the traditional mortgage lens. Reverse mortgages could help you drive more applications this month by turning existing conversations into action. For experienced brokers, the difference between a stalled conversation and a submitted application often comes down to how the opportunity is positioned and guided. With a financial assessment that does not rely on income, you could expand production without changing your business flow. Finance of America could help you identify opportunities and move more loans forward while protecting your reputation with standards that protect you and your client. Connect with an Account Executive to get started. Finance of America | NMLS #2285
Still pricing loans manually? It might cost you more than you think. From missed adjustments to outdated investor guidelines, manual pricing creates risk at every step. In today's market, the teams that respond fastest win the business. This breakdown covers how automated pricing helps mortgage teams work faster, quote more accurately and deliver a better borrower experience without the added complexity. Read the blog now.
Miss the recent webinar on AI in mortgage? JazzX AI had a candid conversation with lenders from PRMI and Revolution Mortgage on what it really takes to move from pilot to production. Hosted and moderated by JazzX AI, the discussion highlights how lenders are moving beyond point solutions to drive real results across the loan lifecycle. Think real talk on ROI, cost per loan, and what’s actually working versus hype. If AI is on your roadmap, this one’s worth a watch. See it now.
Confusing. Bloated. Expensive. Sound familiar? Your CRM shouldn't require a manual just to get your marketing out the door. LoanSquirrel by KensieMae does what a mortgage CRM is supposed to do: get out of the way and let you close. It starts with a vast content library of ready-to-go marketing; just grab what you need and send it. Want something more tailored? A visual content builder lets you create exactly what you have in mind. Your marketing goes out polished, on-brand, and on time. Layer in automated borrower nurture, referral partner campaigns, lead follow-up that runs itself, email, print, direct mail, on-demand flyers, and gift marketing, all in one platform. Centralize at the corporate level or let individual loan officers run their own. Either way, autopilot. No bloat. No steep learning curve. It just works. Everything you need. Nothing you don't.
Less back-and-forth. More first-time-right verifications. Truework replaces manual verification waterfalls with a single automated platform, so underwriters, LOs, and ops can cut down the document chasing, conflicting numbers, and last-minute corrections. Lenders see up to 50 percent cost savings on verifications, with faster turn times, higher accuracy, and stronger R&W relief. Trusted by top lenders in the U.S., Truework gives your team verification results they can rely on. Learn more.
The Mortgage Companies Winning with AI Aren’t the Ones Moving Fast… They’re the Ones Doing It Right. AI is quickly becoming the backbone of high-performing mortgage companies, but success isn’t about plugging in the latest chatbot or chasing hype. It’s about building an operation that scales production while staying compliant, auditable, and defensible. Sponsored by Brody-Gapp, LLC, join Ignite on June 4 at 12 Noon ET for Anatomy of an AI-Enabled Mortgage Company, a practical session designed for lenders, compliance leaders, and mortgage executives navigating the realities of AI adoption. Learn how to establish AI governance across lending, underwriting, pricing, and marketing; reduce bias and strengthen fair lending compliance; and deploy AI-powered marketing and CRM workflows that respect UDAP and TCPA guardrails while driving pipeline growth. You’ll also discover how leading companies evaluate AI vendors, build internal AI literacy, and create feedback loops that continuously improve performance safely and confidently.
The Chrisman Marketplace is a centralized hub for vendors and service providers across the mortgage industry to be viewed by lenders in a very cost-effective manner. We’re adding new providers daily, so check back often to see what’s new. To reserve your place or learn more, contact us at info@chrismancommentary.com.
STRATMOR, AI, and Borrower Trust
What happens when your borrower’s most trusted relationship during the mortgage process is AI? In his latest CX Tip, STRATMOR Group Director of Customer Experience Mike Seminari explores how artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping borrower trust, expectations, and engagement. As AI becomes more embedded in the customer experience, lenders face a new challenge: ensuring technology enhances relationships instead of replacing them. Seminari offers a thoughtful look at what this shift could mean for the future of mortgage lending and why the industry needs to start preparing now. It’s a timely read for lenders thinking about the evolving role of trust in the AI era.
Capital Markets
With refinance volume slowing and lenders leaning on every basis point of margin to stay competitive, the cost of legacy pricing engines and manual loan-commit workflows is harder than ever to absorb. In MCT's new case study, Secondary Market Analyst Matthew Bickerton walks through how the bank replaced an archaic rate sheet structure with the Base Rate Generator, layered in real-time best execution across agencies through MCT Marketplace, and compressed full loan sales from hours to 15–20 minutes; capturing two to five incremental basis points on every trade in the process. The case study and video also detail how a lean secondary desk built a runway to scale production without adding headcount, using MCTlive! to bring pricing, hedging, and execution into a single automated workflow. Join MCT's newsletter to stay informed with the latest market commentary and mortgage capital markets education.
To nobody’s surprise, markets remain highly sensitive to geopolitical developments; hopes for a peace deal with Iran are currently dominating headlines, sentiment, and market movement. The Trump administration, while continuing air strikes, has signaled that a potential agreement with Iran may still take several days to finalize, keeping headline risk elevated and oil markets volatile.
Even so, Treasury yields have continued to retreat from last week’s highs, with the 10-year yield falling more than 20-basis points as investors increasingly price in easing geopolitical fears, month-end demand for duration, and a Federal Reserve seemingly more inclined to remain patient than aggressively tighten policy. Technical momentum has become increasingly supportive for bonds, though absent a major deterioration in economic data or a decisive de-escalation in the Middle East, the rally may struggle to extend materially in the near term.
Mortgage-backed securities tend to follow the Treasury markets, and those were relatively quiet before yesterday's $70 billion 5-year note auction, which met weaker demand than Tuesday's solid 2-year note sale, and reacted only modestly afterward, suggesting the results were viewed as solid but not strong enough to materially shift market sentiment (the auction was almost exactly in line with expectations). The 5-year notes yielded 4.18 percent and overall demand matched historical averages, as reflected by the unchanged 2.34x bid-to-cover ratio. Foreign and institutional buyers (“indirects”) showed especially strong participation, taking nearly 75 percent of the auction, while direct bidders participated far less than normal and dealers absorbed slightly more supply than average. Recent 5-year auctions have struggled to attract strong demand, particularly from foreign buyers, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty is limiting investor appetite despite the more attractive yields now available.
At the Federal Reserve, recent commentary has reinforced the idea that policymakers are gradually shifting away from an easing bias toward a more neutral (and potentially more hawkish) stance as inflation risks tied to energy prices remain elevated and the broader economy continues to show resilience. Stronger-than-expected economic data, improving GDP growth estimates, and a still-firm labor market have pushed recession fears into the background and reduced expectations for near-term rate cuts, with markets now assigning growing probability to a rate hike by year-end.
Continuing with thoughts about the Fed, investors will be closely watching upcoming speeches, particularly traditionally dovish members, for confirmation of whether the Committee is becoming more comfortable holding rates steady for an extended period or even reopening the door to additional tightening. Attention is also beginning to shift toward the June FOMC meeting and updated dot plot projections, where even modest changes in policymakers’ rate expectations could further reinforce the market’s growing acceptance of a “higher-for-longer” interest rate environment. The Fed has made it clear they are unhappy to see inflation stuck above their 2 percent target.
Today’s economic calendar kicked off with revised Q1 GDP (revised upward to 1.6 percent), April Personal Income (flat) and Spending (+0.5 percent), Fed-favorite April PCE (+0.4 percent month-over-month and 3.8 percent year-over-year) and Core PCE (+0.2 percent month-over-month and 3.3 percent year-over-year, as expected), April Durable Goods Orders (+7.9 percent month-over-month), and Initial Jobless Claims (215k, 1.786 million continuing). Real GDP growth for the first quarter was expected to be revised higher, reflecting upward revisions to consumer spending; inflation in the first quarter, as measured by the PCE price index, was expected to rise to around 4 percent in April as gas prices climbed; solid gains in personal income did not materialize, making that figure even worse than it appears due to inflation.
On the docket today: April New Home Sales, remarks from NY Fed President Williams and St. Louis Fed President Musalem, and a Treasury auction of $44 billion 7-year notes alongside a buyback of TIPS ranging from 10 to 30 years for up to $500 million. After the heavy spate of data, we begin Thursday with Agency MBS prices worse .125 to .250 versus yesterday’s close, the 2-year yielding 4.05 percent, and the 10-year yielding 4.49 after closing yesterday at 4.48 percent.