Each morning I start my work day by reading through online mortgage publications and for the most part all the content is similar… housing/tax reform, the CFPB, this bank was acquired, this mortgage company was acquired, another mortgage company is looking for an experienced sales manager (see what I mean?). During my reading last week, I came across Mortgage Women’s Magazine and I was fascinated by the content. As the son of a single working mother, I really enjoy reading about the successful women in the mortgage industry and the importance of retaining women in a generally male dominated workforce. I highly suggest a visit to their site and fully support the mission over at Mortgage Women’s Magazine.
At the beginning of this month, San Francisco played host to the 2017 ComplianceEase Risk and Compliance Summit. Topics included our industry’s focused development around digital mortgages, regulatory changes/concerns, and the increased importance around cyber security. However, the most notable topic (specifically for me) was the discussion around blockchain technology and its potential uses in the financial industry. HousingWire put out a great article detailing the specifics, but I do think it’s worth noting that this technology is not just for tracking the famous crypto-currency, Bitcoin. Rather, it can be used to make an impact in other areas of the financial industry such as tracking chain of title
and documenting servicing transfers… to name a few. As the world changes our industry must adapt. Now, I’m not saying that anyone will be accepting lender fees in Bitcoin (which is an interesting thought), but using the blockchain concepts for better/safer validation purposes is definitely something worth thinking about.
For many of us we have a 3-day work week… which could either be a really great thing (much needed time to rest) or a punch to the stomach when realizing that the year is almost over. I hope for everyone that this time is used for some much-needed rest heading into the holiday season, but I also know that’s not always case. It’s funny we all have certain expectations of what our year is going to be and once Turkey Day comes around. What happens is that our expectations begin to surface… did I accomplish what I set out to do? There were a lot of resolutions made, but did I stick to any of them? What does 2018 have in store? That’s a lot to chew on, I know. That said, I really do hope that everyone had a great 2017 (to date… we still have some year left) and that this time off is spent enjoying time with family and friends!