'Knowledge is Power': Taking Classes for Credit

Sharing her experience as a volunteer Continuing Education instructor
is just one way NCS' Fran Ratkovich helps colleagues in the lending industry.

Understanding a potential borrower's ability to repay is key to originating a loan. But it is only part of what a mortgage professional needs to know.

Loan officers must be aware of constantly changing rates and regulations, and in this era of recovery and tougher requirements, they need to be able to read between the line items of a credit report.

"Credit reports are such an integral part of the mortgage industry that it's really important for loan officers to have a thorough understanding of all the information they contain," said Fran Settanni-Ratkovich, an NCS Senior Account Executive who is volunteering her time to share her experience as an instructor in the New Jersey SAFE Continuing Education program.

"In addition to providing a general knowledge of how the three bureaus arrive at credit scores," she added, "I will teach loan officers exactly what the FNMA and FHA now considers acceptable and how in some cases a bankruptcy may be allowable.

In Woodbridge, New Jersey on September 25 and again in Atlantic City on October 14, the day before the opening of the Northeast Conference of Mortgage Brokers, Ratkovich will teach a course on Recovering Credit Conditions. The class will address the different types of bankruptcies, identify Fannie Mae FHA credit conditions and recovery requirement rules, and lastly discuss the NJ Residential Licensing Act (RMLA).

With nearly three decades in the industry, Ratkovich has an unusual depth of hands-on experience. Before joining NCS earlier this year she worked for CREDCO Corelogic for eight years. Before that she was a Regional Sales Manager for Equifax following several years in the residential lending divisions of Manufacturers Hanover and Merrill Lynch.

Part of the Job

Her classroom instruction isn't that different from her day-to-day job meeting with lenders and assisting them in improving their operations. The verification products and credit solutions she offers are designed to provide greater efficiencies and compliance and help mortgage professionals close more loans in the process.

"I see my role as a consultant," she said. "My main goal is to provide banks and mortgage companies with solutions that enhance the loan process so they can provide better customer experience and grow their business. For example, a product called Credit Expert can provide opportunities to improve an applicant's score."

She and fellow NCS sales Account Executive Matt Burke are also dedicated to showing lenders how to fully utilize their loan origination system (LOS) to improve workflow. NCS recently integrated its TRV® Services with Calyx Point® for processing the IRS form 4506-T, and is expected to have additional integrations running by fourth quarter 2013.

"My passion for personally helping clients with their credit and verification needs fits perfectly with the emphasis at NCS," Ratkovich said. "Although our company has a national footprint and industry-wide reputation, all members of the development, sales, and support teams are focused on the customer experience. The process is consultative: our primary goal is to meet our clients' needs."

Ratkovich, Burke, and other members of the NCS team will be at the MBA's 100th Annual Convention in Washington DC from October 27-30. If you will be attending the MBA Conference, stop by Booth 343 and say hello. To schedule a one-on-one meeting with an NCS consultant, visit our MBA conference webpage.