On Friday May 6, Liza Warner was a presenter on the Fair and Responsible Lending and Fair Servicing Panel for the Chicagoland Compliance Association. This was a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual access. Fair lending encompasses the entire lending cycle including servicing. Liza discussed servicing activities that financial entities should be addressing within… Read more »
ABA Reference Guide to Regulatory Compliance

Do you know what’s current in compliance? The American Bankers Association’s (ABA’s) Reference Guide to Regulatory Compliance is an ideal resource for compliance professionals and those preparing for the Certified Regulatory Compliance (CRCM) exam. Our team of compliance experts worked closely with the ABA on updates to the 31st edition which include: Advisories on Predatory… Read more »
Florida Bankers Association (FBA) Consumer Compliance Seminar

Sara McGinnis spoke at the 35th Annual Florida Bankers Association’s Consumer Compliance Seminar which ran from April 13 – April 15 in Orlando, Florida. Sara’s topic for the General Session on Friday, April 15 was “Beyond the Basics – Meeting Board and Regulatory Expectations for all Types of Audits”. FBA applied for 20 CRCM credits… Read more »
Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association (WMBA)

On 4/7/22, Heidi Wier spoke at the Fourth Annual WMBA Mortgage Boot Camp. She gave an overview of the mortgage regulations you need to know as a mortgage lender and the regulator impact on the lending environment.
Avoid Fair Lending Pitfalls – California MBA Webinar

On March 24th, Daniel Johnson participated in a California MBA Mortgage Quality and Compliance Committee fair lending webinar. The webinar covered pricing exceptions, underwriting exceptions, and marketing. Along with Daniel, the speakers also included Marty Allred, Chief Compliance Officer, American Pacific Mortgage, and Paula Leber, VP of Compliance and Licensing, CMG Financial. The three panelists… Read more »
Texas Mortgage Bankers Association Mortgage Symposium

The Texas Mortgage Bankers Association (TMBA) held its 4th Annual Mortgage Symposium on November 8th and 9th at the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West hotel. This year, the focus was on redefining company culture, including employee engagement and motivation, communicating change, training, and diversity & inclusion. Debbi Roberts was a facilitator for a discussion… Read more »
Avoiding UDAAP Pitfalls

On Tuesday, October 26th Tracey Levandoski presented a webinar for the Suncoast Bankers Compliance Association (SBCA). The topic of this webinar was Avoiding UDAAP Pitfalls: Recognizing Risk in Marketing and Advertising. Attendees learned the UDAAP considerations related to the target audience, qualifying conditions, support for claims, testimonials, language and disclosures. This webinar also covered marketing’s… Read more »
CrossCheck Compliance LLC Announces New Partners


CrossCheck Compliance LLC is pleased to announce that Liza Warner and Todd Krell have been promoted to partners in the firm.
Utah Bankers Association Compliance Conference

The Utah Bankers Association hosted its Fall Compliance Conference – Unmasked from October 19-21 in Park City, Utah. This was a hybrid event. Participants chose whether to attend either in person or via Zoom. On Tuesday October 19th, Tracey Levandoski presented one session on UDAAP and one on Fair Lending for Commercial Loans. The… Read more »
Daniel Johnson Joins CrossCheck Compliance as Director

CrossCheck Compliance LLC is pleased to announce that the firm has hired Daniel Johnson as a director in its fair lending and regulatory compliance practice.
Georgia Bankers Association Compliance Conference

October 20 to October 22, the Georgia Bankers Association hosted its annual Compliance Conference at the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort in St. Simons, GA. On October 21, Jim Treacy presented Online Account Opening Compliance. This event covered the full spectrum of compliance topics and provided participants the opportunity to network, share best… Read more »
Best Practices for Monitoring Servicing Performance

On September 29, Bradley Teplin and Liza Warner presented a webinar for the American Bankers Association (ABA) – Best Practices for Monitoring Servicing Performance. This webinar helped participants be better prepared to address common regulatory and investor concerns, improve consumer complaint management, and differentiate between the unique roles of quality assurance and quality control in managing loan… Read more »
American Bar Association Business Law Section

On September 23, as part of the American Bar Association Business Law Section Annual Meeting 2021, Monika McCarthy participated on a panel – Fair Servicing Spotlight and CARES Act Challenges. This panel discussed best practices to avoid fair servicing risks, predictions for fair servicing supervision and enforcement activity, and priorities of consumer advocates in the… Read more »
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) – Regulatory Compliance Conference

On Tuesday September 14th, Monika McCarthy participated on a panel at the MBA’s Regulatory Compliance Conference. The panel’s topic was Working with Your Vendors to Solve Common Compliance Challenges. Attendees learned best practices for engaging with vendors to solve common compliance challenges based on scenarios presented by industry practitioners.
Mission Impossible? Overcoming Fair Lending Challenges in Non-mortgage Products
In the September/October issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Jennifer Paradise, CRCM, discusses managing fair lending risks in all loan products offered, not just mortgage loans reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). While managing fair lending exposure outside the realm of home mortgage lending can be challenging, it is not an impossible mission. Learn… Read more »
CrossCheck Compliance Added to Fitch List of Third-Party Review (TPR) Firms

CrossCheck Compliance announced today that the firm has been assessed by Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch), a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, and added to their list of TPR firms that are acceptable for conducting loan-level diligence for private-label residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) transactions. “We are pleased that Fitch has recognized our capabilities as a third-party… Read more »
Compliance Management for First-Line Operations

On August 25th, Jocali Nakao, CRCM and CAMS, and Tracey Levandoski, CRCM, presented a webinar for the American Bankers Association (ABA). The topic of the webinar was Compliance Management for First-Line Operations. Called the first line of defense, the bank’s frontline and back-office operations together own compliance risk for the products it sells and services.… Read more »
Fair Lending Risks in Originations, Servicing and Small Business

On August 19, Liza Warner presented a webinar on Fair Lending Risks in Originations, Servicing and Small Business for the Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA). The current administration and the CFPB are both focused on equity and inclusion which extends to lending activities. Banks have always been expected to provide lending related services in a fair… Read more »
Post Covid, How Healthy is your Fair Lending Program


In the Summer issue of ACUMA Pipeline, Patti Katzban and Liza Warner address the anticipated regulatory focus by the National Credit Union Association (NCUA) on consumer protection and fair lending. Specific to federally insured credit unions, NCUA’s 2021 Supervisory Priorities state that examiners will assess a credit union’s Fair Lending Compliance Management System. Learn more… Read more »
Northern Illinois Compliance Association (NICA) Presentation

On Friday July 16, at the NICA July meeting, Tracey Levandoski presented – Developing a Fintech Compliance Roadmap. This presentation focused on the factors bank management should consider in selecting a fintech lending partner, and then after making the selection, how the bank can help their fintech strategic partners develop a compliance roadmap and compliance… Read more »
Sara McGinnis Joins CrossCheck Compliance as Director
“Sara brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our clients and team.” said Liza Warner, managing director, practice leader for regulatory compliance, internal audit, and fair lending.” Sara’s has internal audit and compliance management positions at USAA, U.S. Bank, Associated Banc-Corp, Johnson Financial Group and Wipfli LLP. For more information on Sara, please see… Read more »
American Bankers Association (ABA) Servicing Webinar

On September 29, Brad Teplin and Liza Warner presented a webinar for the American Bankers Association (ABA) – Best Practices for Monitoring Servicing Performance. This webinar helped participants be better prepared to address common regulatory and investor concerns, improve consumer complaint management through analysis, trending of data, and root cause determination, and differentiate between the… Read more »
American Bankers Association (ABA) Regulatory Compliance Conference

Liza Warner participated on three different panels at the American Bankers Association’s Regulatory Compliance Conference which was held June 22-24. These panels are: 1) Fair and Responsible Lending Risks for Mortgages Part 1: Product Design, Marketing and Originations, 2) Fair and Responsible Lending Risks for Mortgages Part 2: Fair Servicing and Debt Collections, and 3)… Read more »
Four Pillars of an Effective HMDA Compliance Program

In the July/August issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Heidi Wier authored an article entitled, Four Pillars of an Effective HMDA Compliance Program, Keys to Successful Data Integrity and Accurate Fair Lending Performance Analysis. Complete and accurate HMDA data is essential to understanding where and to whom loans are being made. Regulators have signaled that continued and… Read more »
Central Florida Compliance Association (CFCA) HMDA Webinar

At the June 17th meeting of the Central Florida Compliance Association (CFCA), Heidi Wier presented a webinar entitled, HMDA: Keys to Successful Data Integrity.
American Bankers Association (ABA) Webinar – Avoiding UDAAP Pitfalls

On June 10, Tracey Levandoski presented a webinar for the American Bankers Association (ABA) entitled Avoiding UDAAP Pitfalls: Recognizing and Addressing Risk in Marketing and Advertising. Enforcement actions for UDAAP violations are likely to increase, and UDAAP risk should be on the minds of every bank’s marketing manager. Supervisory highlights from the CFPB include references… Read more »
Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA) Bank-Fintech Webinar
On June 9, Tracey Levandoski presented a webinar for the Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA). Her presentation focused on the factors bank management should consider in selecting a fintech lending partner, and then after making the selection, how the bank can help their fintech strategic partners develop a compliance roadmap and compliance infrastructure that meets the… Read more »
The Compliance-Audit Partnership – ABA Webinar


On May 20, 2021, Heidi Wier and Jim Treacy presented a webinar for the American Bankers Association (ABA). During this webinar, The Compliance-Audit Partnership, participants learned how auditors can collaborate with compliance officers to fully understand the bank’s compliance risk and develop an audit plan to best address that risk while maintaining independence as the… Read more »
Avoiding UDAAP Pitfalls: Recognizing and Addressing Risks in Marketing and Advertising

Tracey Levandoski authored this informative article published in the May/June 2021 issues of ABA Bank Compliance. Enforcement actions for UDAAP violations are likely to increase, and UDAAP risk should be on the minds of every bank’s marketing manager. Supervisory highlights from the CFPB include references to misleading advertisements of bonus offers on deposit accounts, misleading… Read more »
Wisconsin Bankers Association Real Estate Compliance School

In March 2021, Jim Treacy taught TRID and ATR/QM for the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s Real Estate Compliance School.
Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association

In March 2021 Heidi Wier presented a Compliance Bootcamp for the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association.
Wisconsin Bankers Association Real Estate Compliance School

In March 2021, Heidi Wier taught HMDA for the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s (WBA) Real Estate Compliance School. Heidi has been a long-standing teacher for the WBA.
Fair Lending Consultant – Data Analytics Position Available
CrossCheck Compliance is seeking an experienced professional to join its fair lending team. The location is flexible. For highlights of the position requirements, please download the attached, or for more detail, the full job description can be viewed or downloaded from our careers page.
Promotion of Tracey Levandoski to Managing Director

CrossCheck Compliance LLC announced today that the firm has promoted Tracey Levandoski to managing director in its regulatory compliance and internal audit practice. In her expanded role Levandoski will be responsible for a portfolio of clients, leading strategic partner engagements, and engagement teams.
HMDA: Submit With Confidence, Keys To Successful Data Integrity

On January 20, 2021 Heidi Wier presented a webinar for the Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA) – HMDA: Submit with Confidence, Keys to Successful Data Integrity. Heidi discussed strategies for validating HMDA data prior to submission and ways to keep your HMDA data accurate going forward. The agenda included: Verifying your data Performing final reviews Understanding… Read more »
Analyzing Complaints – How to Understand Your Bank’s Complaint Data

In the January/February 2021 issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Liza Warner provides insight into how a bank can use the results of the March 2020 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Consumer Response Annual Report as a reference point to analyze its own complaints. In 2019, the period covered by this report, there were over 350,000… Read more »
California MBA Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference

On January 12, 2021 at the California Mortgage Bankers Association’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference, Monika McCarthy moderated a General Counsel Roundtable. The other general counsel panelists included Ann Savage-Davis, Mountain West Financial, Inc., Lauren Ingersoll, Inspire Home Loans, Inc., Marc Ely, Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. and Philip Schild, Homebridge Financial Services, Inc.… Read more »
Managing Consumer Complaints for Compliance Professionals – New MBA Resource

If you are looking for more information about implementing a consumer complaint response process, there is a new resource available through the MBA’s education program. Managing Consumer Complaints for Compliance Professionals, is a new course that Heidi Wier worked on with the MBA. This course presents foundational concepts to help companies improve their consumer complaint… Read more »
Combating Current Legal Threats

In the Fall 2020 issue of California Mortgage Finance News, Monika McCarthy authored an article entitled, Combating Current Legal Threats, Tips for Mortgage Lenders and Servicers. She addresses three key threats that have emerged since the pandemic that impact California mortgage lenders and servicers: 1) fair servicing issues, 2) fair lending issues, and 3) the… Read more »
MBA’s Mastering HMDA Data for Compliance Professionals Course

CrossCheck Compliance was honored to have its managing director, Heidi Wier, work with the MBA to develop Mastering HMDA Data for Compliance Professionals. This course is available as a standalone course or as one of the 12 courses in the MBA’s Level II Certified Mortgage Compliance Professional Certificate and Designation (CMCP) curriculum. For more information… Read more »
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Regulatory Compliance Conference

At the MBA’s 2020 Regulatory Compliance Conference, Monika McCarthy co-presented with Laura LaRaia, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation. Their presentation, Reviewing Processes for Compliance Professionals, was part of the CMCP Track and provided guidance on advertising and marketing compliance.
CrossCheck Compliance LLC Added to S&P Global Ratings List of Third-Party Due Diligence Firms
CrossCheck Compliance LLC, a leading provider of regulatory compliance and due diligence services, announced today that the firm has been added to the S&P Global Ratings’ (S&P) list of reviewed firms that conduct third-party due diligence for U.S. residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS).
Mitigating Risks of Banking Money Service Businesses

In the November/December issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Jim Treacy addresses how banks can build an appropriate BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance Program. Jim covers performing an enterprise-wide BSA/AML/OFAC risk assessment, as well as developing a customer risk profile for each individual money service business (MSB). He also describes ongoing monitoring of MSB customers and MSB red flags… Read more »
Best Practices for Choosing a Fintech Lending Partner

In this article, published in the Utah Banker, Tracey Levandoski discusses the risks to consider and the decisions to be made as banks accelerate their digital strategies through partnerships with fintech lenders. In addition to reviewing the regulatory guidance for managing third-party risk, she addresses the evaluation process in terms of lending experience and expertise… Read more »
Utah Bankers Virtual Compliance Conference

At the Utah Bankers Virtual Compliance Conference, Liza Warner moderated the Compliance Officers Roundtable. The panel discussed hot topics that compliance officers are facing. Overall the conference offered a mixture of general and breakout sessions designed to help compliance professionals stay current with and function confidently in the rapidly changing regulatory environment.
Utah Bankers Association Compliance Conference – Fintech Compliance Session

Tracey Levandoski presented at the Utah Bankers Compliance virtual conference at one of the breakout sessions on Tuesday October 27. She addressed, Developing a Fintech Compliance Roadmap. Her presentation focused on the factors bank management should consider in selecting a fintech lending partner, and then after making the selection, how the bank can help their… Read more »
ACUMA Virtual Conference – Quality Control Panel

On September 22nd, Todd Krell participated on a quality control panel for ACUMA’s Annual Conference. The theme, “Celebrating Credit Union Mortgage Heroes”, was dedicated to all the front-line financial workers who play a vital role in making it possible to put people in homes every day, especially during the pandemic. Panelists included: Todd Krell, Managing… Read more »
American Bankers Association (ABA) Reference Guide to Regulatory Compliance
CrossCheck Compliance was honored to work with the American Bankers Association (ABA) as the author of the most recent updates to the Reference Guide to Regulatory Compliance. This guide is a comprehensive and detailed resource for compliance professionals and those preparing for the CRCM exam. This latest edition is available at https://www.aba.com/news-research/references-guides/reference-guide-regulatory-compliance.
Avoiding Surprises in Mortgage Servicing

In the September/October issue of ABA Bank Compliance, co-authors Jim Shankle and Brad Teplin address the importance of establishing internal monitoring systems for servicing. The article includes a comparison of quality assurance and quality control as well as considerations for reporting results and exceptions, the regulatory change control process for servicing, servicing transfers and loan… Read more »
Common Compliance Findings – TRID & Beyond


On July 17, Tracey Levandoski and Jim Treacy presented a webinar for the Northern California Compliance Association (NICA) about TRID, including TRID challenges, common regulatory findings and recent TRID updates.
Choosing Your Fintech Mortgage Partner Wisely


In this article, published in the Summer 2020 issue of ACUMA Pipeline, Patti Katzban and Liza Warner discuss the best practices for credit unions in vetting financial technology partners (fintechs) to optimize the overall mortgage experience. There are many risks to consider and decisions to be made. Learn more about the key considerations from these… Read more »
Fair Servicing During the COVID-19 Emergency and Beyond
A part of the ABA’s Risk and Compliance Virtual Conference, July 28-30, Karen Cullen participated in an on-demand webinar regarding how servicers can manage the risk of fair lending and UDAAP concerns as they navigate through the COVID-19 national emergency and its aftermath. Karen was joined by Greg Schwager, Senior Counsel, PNC Bank. The panel… Read more »
Subprime Auto Market Webinar

On July 15, Todd Krell was a Special Guest in a subprime auto market webinar offered by the Davis & Gilbert Insolvency, Creditors’ Rights & Financial Products practice group. The focus of this webinar was on how subprime RMBS serves as a roadmap for future subprime auto ABS litigation. Davis & Gilbert speakers included Joseph… Read more »
Monitoring in the Time of COVID-19, Keeping Pace with Change

In the July/August issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Mollie Newsome Sudhoff discusses compliance monitoring in the time of COVID-19. Learn more about the best practices in keeping pace with change, especially in some of the key impact areas.
How to Audit Compliance Effectively

In the July/August issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Heidi Wier discusses how auditors can partner with compliance, while still maintaining independence, ease the impact of ongoing regulatory changes and emerging issues such as COVID-19, increase audit effectiveness and add additional value to the organization.
California Mortgage Bankers Association (California MBA) Podcast

Check out the latest episode of the California MBA’s Connect podcast program. Monika McCarthy spoke with Dustin Hobbs, about her journey in the mortgage industry, how the new forbearance requirements have impacted lenders and servicers, what to look out for in the legal/regulatory space, and much more!
Common Compliance Findings – TRID and Beyond


On June 18th, Tracey Levandoski, CRCM, and Jim Treacy, CPA and Certified BSA Officer, presented a webinar for the Central Florida Compliance Association (CFCA). Both Tracey and Jim have deep compliance backgrounds in the financial services industry. For more information about membership in the CFCA, about TRID, or to obtain the recording, please e-mail Mollie… Read more »
Emerging from Quarantine: Unmasking Key Considerations for Small Dollar Lenders

On June 3rd, Debbi Roberts participated on a panel discussing initial considerations for the small dollar lending businesses as consumers re-enter the world. The issues discussed include qualifying consumers who were recently unemployed or underemployed, addressing forthcoming consumer bankruptcies and having policies and procedures in place for the future. The other panelists included Jeremy Pope… Read more »
How to Help Your Fintech Partners Develop a COMPLIANCE ROADMAP

In this article published in the May/June 2020 issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Tracey Levandoski, CRCM, describes how banks can help their fintech partners develop an effective path to building a compliance infrastructure. She addresses the various points of the “journey” to the destination of a fully functional compliance management system (CMS) that meets the… Read more »
Fair Lending Audit – Seeing the Forest for the Trees

In this new ABA Bank Compliance article, Fair Lending Audit – Seeing the Forest for the Trees, Liza Warner discusses how a fair lending internal audit helps an institution gain a clear and objective understanding of fair lending compliance risk. As a key area of regulatory scrutiny, and one that garners a lot of public… Read more »
Fair Lending Webinar – CFPB’s Focus on Redlining and Marketing Discrimination
On February 19 Karen Cullen of CrossCheck Compliance LLC and Richard Horn of Garris Horn PLLC led a one-hour webinar regarding the CFPB’s fair lending focus on redlining and marketing discrimination claims. The CFPB has noted in recent public reports that its fair lending efforts in the mortgage industry are focused on redlining and marketing discrimination. This… Read more »
CrossCheck Compliance Added to Kroll Bond Rating Agency List
CHICAGO, IL – January 13, 2020 – CrossCheck Compliance LLC (CrossCheck), a leading provider of regulatory compliance and due diligence services, announced today that the firm has been reviewed and added to the Kroll Bond Rating Agency’s (KBRA) published list of accepted third-party review firms whose review diligence grading, results, and reports conform to KBRA’s… Read more »
Sovereign – CrossCheck Compliance Agreement
Chicago, IL – January 7, 2020 – CrossCheck Compliance LLC (“CrossCheck”) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of Sovereign Mortgage Services, Inc. (“Sovereign”). The acquisition strengthens CrossCheck’s position in the financial services industry as a high-quality provider of mortgage quality control services and expands its client base… Read more »
MBA Webinar – Effective Internal Audit Function: The Fundamentals


On January 30, 2020 MBA Education and CrossCheck Compliance held part one of the Internal Audit webinar series. MBA webinars are complimentary to MBA members. The continuing regulatory focus by the CFPB, the GSEs, and other investors has driven the need for mortgage companies to enhance their corporate governance structures by implementing effective internal audit… Read more »
MBA Webinar – Effective Internal Audit Function: Beyond the Basics


On February 13, 2020, MBA Education and CrossCheck Compliance held part two of the Internal Audit webinar series. Building on themes in part one, we discussed how effective internal audit programs evolve over time. What does it mean to have an effective internal audit function? What is the best structure for your internal audit function?… Read more »
Health Check of Your Fair Lending Program
Published in Western Banker, this article addresses how strong compliance programs effectively navigate the challenging environment of fair lending compliance. This informative article describes how the key ingredient to success is establishing a connection between risk assessment and performance analysis.
Mortgage Women Magazine – Back to School
In the September 2019 issue of Mortgage Women Magazine, Chris Ortigara addresses how women are taking their careers to the next level with a CMB® (Certified Mortgage Banker) designation. She shares not only her own experience, but the experiences of three other very successful women including Jennifer Roe Whip, Christy Moss, and Leora Ruzin. … Read more »
Chicagoland Compliance Association Event at Northern Trust

On December 6th, the Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA) held an event at Northern Trust. The event included Legislative and HMDA Updates and a discussion of Complaint Management How-To’s. Karen Cullen presented How to Prepare Your HMDA Submission. Liza Warner, along with Donald Piattoni, Business Analytics Lead, PNC Bank, spoke about classifying complaints and key metrics… Read more »
Financial Service Centers of America (FISCA) Money Trends Conference

On Monday, October 21, Heidi Wier was a co-presenter with Allen Denson, Partner of Hudson Cook, LLP, at the FISCA Money Trends Conference in Miami, FL. Their topic was entitled: The CFPB Examination Process and Critical Compliance Issues. This workshop provided attendees with the fundamentals of compliance management systems, examination preparations, and post-examination processes.
RegList On The Ocean

November 4-6, RegList held their Fall 2019 Compliance event in Huntington Beach, CA. The two full days of content included presentations on timely and impactful topics, as well as opportunities to work alongside fellow RegListers to share knowledge and network. On Day Two, Monika McCarthy presented with Rich Horn, Managing Member, Garris Horn, on CFPB’s… Read more »
Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IMBA) Mortgage Market Update

On October 25th, the IMBA held its Mortgage Market Update event at the Wintrust Mortgage office in Rosemont, IL. Topics included an economic forecast, updates from Fannie Mae, a non-QM product discussion, and the impact of MI risk-based pricing on secondary and origination. Chris Ortigara moderated the non-QM panel.
Arch MI Executive Roundtable

On October 15th in Rosemont, IL, Chris Ortigara participated in the Arch MI Executive Roundtable. At this complimentary panel luncheon for Chicago-area mortgage executives, Chris addressed new regulatory requirements facing lenders. Other panelists included Bernard Nossuli, iEmergent Chief Operating Officer, Brett O’Daniell, HomeTraq Co-Founder and Laura Kay Sheely, Arch MI Account Manager. Sheely co-hosted the… Read more »
Western Bankers Association (WBA) Servicing Webinar

On November 7th Jim Shankle presented a webinar entitled – Avoiding Surprises in Mortgage Servicing. As banks face competitive challenges and increased regulatory and investor scrutiny, establishing internal monitoring systems to provide ongoing feedback on critical servicing components should be an integral part of the management structure for all loan servicers. Preventing surprises that can… Read more »
Utah Bankers Association (UBA) 2019 Fall Compliance Conference

October 23-25, 2019 in Park City, Utah This year’s annual UBA Fall Compliance Conference, named Compliance Superhero Conference, offered compliance professionals in-depth, content-rich discussions that addressed critically important topics. Tracey Levandoski, director in CrossCheck’s Regulatory Compliance and Internal Audit practices, was one of the featured speakers. Tracey presented: CMS Auditors: Superheros or Your Bank Nemesis?… Read more »
Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association (WMBA) Mortgage Boot Camp

November 12-13, WMBA held its Second Annual Mortgage Bootcamp. Designed for those who work in the mortgage industry, this highly recommended one-and-a half day seminar walked attendees through the mortgage loan cycle and everything they needed to know to be a stronger mortgage professional. On Day Two, Heidi Wier, managing director in CrossCheck’s Regulatory Compliance… Read more »
MBA Webinar – Fair Lending
On November 6, Karen Cullen presented a fair lending webinar for the MBA entitled: Checking the Effectiveness of Your Fair Lending Program. As of October 1, MBA webinars are complimentary to MBA members. History has taught us that the regulatory landscape is ever evolving, and strong compliance programs are able to adjust to changes when… Read more »
MBA HMDA/Fair Lending Webinar

On October 30, Heidi Wier and Karen Cullen presented a webinar for the MBA entitled: What Your HMDA Data Says About Your Fair Lending Performance. As of October 1, MBA webinars are complimentary to MBA members. In this webinar, Heidi and Karen addressed how to implement an ongoing monitoring process to ensure the integrity of… Read more »
Central Florida Compliance Association (CFCA)
On Thursday September 26th, Karen Cullen, director in CrossCheck’s Regulatory Compliance and Fair & Responsible Lending practices, presented at the CFCA’s annual meeting, held in Orlando, FL. Karen’s presentation covered how to perform a Health Check of Your Fair Lending Program – Connecting Risk Assessment and Performance Analysis. **The Full Fall 2019 Compliance Conference was… Read more »
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Servicing Webinar


On Tuesday, October 1st at 2:00 ET, Jim Shankle and Chris Ortigara presented a webinar entitled Monitoring Mortgage Servicing and Avoiding Surprises. As mortgage servicers face competitive challenges and increased regulatory and investor scrutiny, management must rely on internal systems to provide ongoing feedback on critical servicing components. Establishing internal monitoring systems should be an… Read more »
Western Bankers Association (WBA) Education Summit and Regulatory Compliance Conference

On Tuesday August 27 at the WBA conference in Huntington Beach, CA, Jim Shankle, managing director, Regulatory Compliance and Internal Audit, spoke on the topic: Avoiding Surprises in Mortgage Servicing. His presentation included the challenges that mortgage servicers have had regarding compliance with CFPB servicing rules, servicing transfers, regulatory and investor quality control requirements, and… Read more »
Enterprise Risk Management for Attorneys: A How-To on Mitigating Risk

On Wednesday, August 7th, Monika McCarthy participated in the American Law Institute Continuing Education (ALI CLE) webcast/telephone seminar on Enterprise Risk Management for Attorneys: A How-To on Mitigating Risk. Participants learned how they can have a positive impact on their client’s risk management practices. This practical webcast benefited business attorneys, corporate counsel, in-house counsel, insurance… Read more »
Debbi Roberts Announcement

Debbi Roberts has joined CrossCheck Compliance as a business development director with responsibilities for managing client relationships across all of the firm’s services.
Western Bankers Association Fair Lending Webinar
On July 31, Karen Cullen, director in the Regulatory Compliance and Fair & Responsible Lending practices, presented a webinar entitled, Health Check of Your Fair Lending Program: Connecting Risk Assessment and Performance Analysis for the Western Bankers Association. In this webinar, participants discovered how risk assessment drives the priority of performance analysis and, in… Read more »
Northern Illinois Compliance Association (NICA)
On July 19, fair lending expert, Karen Cullen spoke at NICA’s July meeting. Her presentation, Health Check: Fair Lending, addressed how to understand your fair lending risk and right size your compliance.
Central Florida Compliance Association (CFCA) Webinar

On Wednesday, July 10th, Jim Treacy presented a webinar entitled, Overdraft Programs Compliance Best Practices. Jim is a CPA and a Certified BSA Officer with over 20 years of operational, financial and compliance experience in the financial services industry.
How to Maintain Fair and Responsible Servicing Practices

The cover story of the July-August issue of ABA Bank Compliance magazine, How to Maintain Fair and Responsible Servicing Practices, was co-authored by Liza Warner and Karen Cullen. In this article, the authors address how compliance officers can guide their organizations in successfully navigating an evolving compliance landscape by identifying and mitigating compliance risk in… Read more »
Chicagoland Compliance Association Fair Lending and CRA Symposium
On July 26, Karen Cullen, director in the Regulatory Compliance and Fair & Responsible Lending practices, spoke about what’s next in fair lending. Her presentation covered AI and the fair lending risk associated with using models; even when one thinks there is no discretion in decision.
Iowa Mortgage Association Boot Camp

Tracey Levandoski presented What You Need to Know as a Mortgage Lender at the Iowa Mortgage Association Boot Camp held May 16-17, 2019.
MBA’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference

On Monday May 6th, Monika McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, participated on a panel at the MBA’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference. This panel was part of the Applied Compliance Track and specifically addresses UDAAP Compliance. The other panelists included Anthony (Tony) Alexis, partner at Goodwin; Michelle Rogers, partner at Buckley LLP; and… Read more »
We Are Change Leaders

The cover story of the 2019 May-June issue of ABA Bank Compliance was written by Liza Warner. The article is about adapting and advancing in the evolving financial services landscape. She covers the role that compliance officers play in supporting banks’ strategic goals through change management and provides a framework for how compliance professionals can… Read more »
Understand Where Your Data and Programs Meet to Control Risk
Published in the April 19, 2019 issue of Compliance Action, this article addresses lessons learned from past fair lending consent orders. Adequate fair lending risk management requires not only awareness of potential fair lending risk, but an understanding of how that risk is affected by the institution’s programs and how those programs are executed. Only… Read more »
Mindset Matters: Are You Set Up for Quality Control Success?


Mindset Matters – Mortgage Compliance Magazine In the April 2019 issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine, co-authors Tim McWay and Aaron Soule discuss how decreasing volumes and shifts toward new products have led to a new mindset regarding quality control. The article discusses how lenders who are successful with quality control adopt strategies that not only… Read more »
Florida Bankers Association 34th Annual Consumer Compliance Seminar

In Orlando, FL on April 5, Monika McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, presented “Banking Ethics, Governance & Risk Mitigation Best Practices”.
ABA Intermediate Compliance School
On April 1 in Tucson, AZ, Karen Cullen, director in CrossCheck’s Regulatory Compliance and Fair & Responsible Lending practices, was a panelist at the ABA’s Spring 2019 Intermediate Compliance School. The panel addressed Compliance Hot Topics.
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Real Estate Compliance School


On March 11th, Jim Treacy, director, and Heidi Wier, managing director, taught Regulation Z, TRID and Ability to Repay. On March 15th Heidi Wier taught HMDA.
Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Servicing Conference

On Wednesday, February 27th, Jim Shankle, managing director, participated on a panel, Quality Control for Major Operational Risk Areas, at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Servicing Conference. The panel identified the top operational risk areas for servicers and recommended how to ensure adequate quality control. These risk areas include vendor management, customer handling and response,… Read more »
Ensuring Quality Originations

In the Winter 2019 issue of ACUMA PIPELINE, Todd Krell provides insights for credit unions to the question – Is It Time to Review Your Quality Assurance Program and Your Quality Control Plan?
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Mortgage Lending School

On February 19th, Heidi Wier, managing director, taught the following topics: Regulation Z, Fair Lending, HMDA, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, SAFE Act and Flood, among other topics.
Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IMBA) Risk Management Committee HMDA Webinar

On Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, IMBA’s Risk Management Committee in conjunction with Neighborhood Loans and CrossCheck Compliance, offered a complimentary webinar: HMDA: Submit with Confidence, Keys to Successful Data Integrity The presenters included: Karen Cullen, Director, CrossCheck Compliance Heidi Wier, Managing Director, CrossCheck Compliance Moderator: Nathan Britsch, Executive VP, Compliance, Neighborhood Loans
California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) HMDA Webinar

On Thursday, January 24th Heidi Wier, managing director, and Karen Cullen, director, presented a webinar for the California MBA’s Mortgage Quality and Compliance Committee entitled HMDA: Submit with Confidence, Keys to Successful Data Integrity. Participants learned ways to finalize their LAR submissions and handle last minute integrity issues all while not falling behind with 2019… Read more »
Silver Linings Playbook: Compliance Edition

WBA Compliance Article January 2019 In the January 2019 issue of Wisconsin Banker, Heidi Wier was interviewed by the author of this article which discussed strategies for turning compliance into a competitive advantage. Among the topics that Heidi addressed were the importance of demonstrating to customers that the bank has a culture of compliance, performing… Read more »
Fair Lending for Commercial Loans: Within the Sight Lines of the Regulators
Fair Lending for Commercial Loans – Western Banker Nov-Dec 2018 Published in the November-December 2018 issue of Western Banker, this article addresses the challenges of doing a fair lending review of commercial lending.
Chicagoland Compliance Association
HMDA: Get Answers to Your Most Pressing Questions! On December 7th in Chicago, IL, industry experts and front-line subject matter experts provided an update on HMDA related topics. Karen Cullen, director, Regulatory Compliance and Fair & Responsible Lending, spoke on HMDA Data Integrity: Importance of Systemic and Logic Reviews.
Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IMBA) Year-End Mortgage Market Update

On December 4th in Chicago, the IMBA presented an economic and mortgage market overview. Chris Ortigara, director, who chairs the IMBA Secondary Marketing Committee, moderated a panel which included Peter J. Taglia, senior VP, FTN Financial Capital Assets Corporation; Paul Lueken, CEO, Draper & Kramer Mortgage; Jeremy Collett, executive director, Capital Markets, Guaranteed Rate; and… Read more »
HMDA, Trust but Verify Webinar for Total Training Solutions/CU Webinars

On December 4th from 1:30 to 3:30 Central Time, Heidi Wier presented a webinar through Total Training Solutions and CU Webinars.com on the methods credit unions can use to ensure that their HMDA data is accurate. This webinar was beneficial for anyone who has responsibility for HMDA data integrity or analyzing the information to help… Read more »
California Mortgage Bankers Association Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference

At the California MBA Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference in Newport Beach California, December 3 – 4, 2018, Monika McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, moderated the General Counsel Roundtable with the following panelists: Je Yon Jung, AmWest Funding Corp., Tom Noto, Stearns Lending, Lauren Ingersoll, Inspire Home Loans, and Ken Block, New American… Read more »
The Future is Digital Mortgages – Are You Choosing Your Fintech Partner Wisely?


In the winter issue of California Mortgage Finance News, Liza Warner and Monika McCarthy address the considerations lenders face when reviewing the options for partnering with fintechs. Finding the right fintech solution partner and implementing compliance protocols and best practices to mitigate risks is a win-win for consumers, lenders, technology innovators, investors, and the industry… Read more »
Western Bankers Association – Overdraft Programs, Compliance Best Practices


On November 29th at 9:00 pacific time, Heidi Wier and Jim Treacy presented a webinar program entitled Overdraft Programs, Compliance Best Practices. Attendees of this webinar learned the regulatory ‘requirements’ relating to overdraft programs as well as the regulatory ‘guidance’ and best practices on the topic.
Two Days to Perform M&A Due Diligence – ABA Bank Compliance

Mergers and acquisitions (“M&As”) continue to increase, and compliance personnel play an important role in the process. In the November-December 2018 issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Heidi Wier addresses what compliance should focus on if you only have two days to perform a due diligence review. A strong roadmap that covers as many high-risk areas… Read more »
Chicago Bar Association Fair Lending Presentation

On November 14th, Liza Warner, managing director, presented Preparing for Internal and External Fair Lending Audits as part of a panel on Fair Lending Enforcements, Audits, and New Frontiers to the Financial Institutions Committee. The panel included Illinois Assistant Attorney General Vijay Raghavan and John Mussman, Rimon P.C., Partner.
HMDA Data Integrity – Leveraging Technology to Ensure Your HMDA Data Is Accurate

On December 11th at 9:00 PT Heidi Wier presented a webinar for the Western Bankers Association on HMDA Data Integrity. Participants will learn how to manage HMDA risk, how leveraging technology can help increase the accuracy of HMDA data, and how to test for issues before the regulators do to avoid resubmissions.
A Strong Risk Assessment Can Lower Audit Costs and Improve Audit Effectiveness

In the November issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine, Heidi Wier discusses how a risk assessment is the basis of an efficient and cost-effective internal audit plan. Learn how to identify inherent risk and consider the adequacy of internal controls to define residual risk and then create the audit plan.
Conference on Consumer Finance Law (CCFL)

This conference on consumer financial services law took place on November 5 and 6 at the Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas. Monika McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, moderated a panel on ethics for financial services lawyers with panelists Sabrina Neff, Husch Blackwell and Sanford Shatz, McGlinchey Stafford. 12 hours CLE… Read more »
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Compliance Forum
Karen Cullen, CRCM, and director in the regulatory compliance and fair & responsible lending practices, presented HMDA Rule Changes at three sessions of the WBA’s Compliance Forum – 10/30 in Stevens Point, 10/31 in the Wisconsin Dells and 11/1 in Pewaukee. With HMDA submission right around the corner, it is a good time to review… Read more »
Operationalizing UDAAP: Building a Strong Foundation to Control Risk

Published in the September/October issue of Western Banker, this article discusses the challenges in operationalizing and controlling UDAAP risk. In part, the challenge stems from the lack of implementing regulations. More so, the real challenge is the broad applicability of UDAAP throughout the organization and across the customer experience including products, pricing, marketing and advertising,… Read more »
Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association (WIMBA) Boot Camp
November 13-14 in Delafield, Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association hosted a new one-and-a-half day seminar was designed for mortgage professionals of all levels of experience who to increase their knowledge of the business and grow sales potential. On Day Two, November 14th, Karen Cullen, CRCM, director in the regulatory compliance and fair & responsible… Read more »
Western Bankers Association Webinar – Fair Lending for Commercial Lenders
On October 10th at 9:00 pacific time, Karen Cullen, director in the Regulatory Compliance and Fair Lending practices, presented a webinar for the Western Bankers on the subject of Fair Lending for Commercial Lenders. In this webinar, participants gained a better understanding of fair lending regulations, learned how to develop a risk assessment and controls,… Read more »
Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA)

On October 4th, at the CCA’s annual conference, Jim Shankle participated on a panel, Mortgage Servicing Rules for Servicers. The panel also included Solomon Maman, Partner, Noonan Lieberman. Sharon Michnuk, Head of Consumer Risk/Risk Management, CIBC Bank was the moderator.
Western Bankers Association Regulatory Compliance Conference


On Thursday, October 4th, CrossCheck at this conference Heidi Wier, managing director, presented on HMDA Data Integrity Review – Methods for Ensuring HMDA Data Accuracy and Liza Warner, managing director, presented on Compliance Risk Assessment.
Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IMBA) Regulatory Update

On November 1st in Oakbrook, Illinois, Tracey Levandoski, CRCM, and a manager in the regulatory compliance and internal audit practices, presented on risk assessment at the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association Regulatory Update.
MBA Webinar – Effective Audit Function: Beyond the Basics
This webinar, presented on September 27, is now available for purchase on the MBA’s website. The presenters discussed how effective internal audit programs evolve over time. While previous MBA internal audit webinars focused on basic elements of the program, this webinar provided more advanced information. The panel, moderated by Chris Ortigara CMB®, included CrossCheck presenters,… Read more »
Appraisal Considerations of the EGRRCPA
In the Compliance Action newsletter, Mollie Sudhoff, manager in the Regulatory Compliance practice, discusses The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA”). Frequently referred to as “S2155” by the industry, this law has been hailed by many as “relief” from certain terms of the Dodd Frank Act. In this article, Mollie addresses what… Read more »
Northern Illinois Compliance Association/Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IBA)
On September 14th, NICA, in partnership with the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA), held an informative one-day workshop. Karen Cullen, CRCM, and a director with CrossCheck Compliance, presented HMDA Follow Up (Tips and Tricks and What We Have Learned). Do you know the integrity of your HMDA data? This interactive session included a discussion of how… Read more »
American Bar Association Annual Business Law Section Meeting

On Thursday, September 13th, Monika L. McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, moderated a general counsel roundtable. This dynamic panel from banking, mortgage, and fintech companies discussed current risks they face and mitigate, their expectations and requirements for outside counsel, and best practices for in-house counsel.
HMDA Data – Trust but Verify Webinar for bank webinars.com

On August 21st Heidi Wier presented a webinar on the methods lenders can use to ensure that their HMDA data is accurate. This webinar was beneficial for anyone with responsibility for HMDA data integrity or analyzing the information to help manage fair lending risk, including senior management, compliance officers, attorneys and auditors.
Mortgage Bankers Association Regulatory Compliance Conference

On Sunday September 16th, Mike Forester, managing director, participated on the Anti-Money Laundering, Know Your Customer and Fraud panel at the MBA’s Regulatory Compliance Conference in Washington D.C. This panel was part of the Emerging Compliance Risk Track.
Mitigating Fraud Risk Through the Loan Life Cycle


In the August 2018 issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine, Todd Krell and Tim McWay discuss how a fraud prevention program that encompasses the entire loan life cycle can help mortgage lenders mitigate fraud risk. Given that industry data shows that once again, fraud has been increasing, this is a very timely article.
California Mortgage Bankers Association (California MBA) 23rd Annual Mortgage Technology and Loan Servicing Conference

Western Bankers Association Webinar – Understanding and Controlling UDAAP Compliance Risk

On August 2nd, Karen Cullen and Heidi Wier presented a webinar for the Western Bankers Association on the topic of UDAAP compliance risk. In this webinar, participants learned the best practices for incorporating UDAAP into a compliance management program, how to develop a UDAAP risk assessment and measure UDAAP risk, and how applying customer service… Read more »
Northern Illinois Compliance Association Meeting
On July 20th, Karen Cullen, director in the Regulatory Compliance and Fair Lending practices presented on Fair Lending: Strong Compliance Management and Understanding/Controlling Risk. This meeting was held at Giovanni’s in Rockford, Illinois.
Leveraging Technology to Improve the Accuracy of HMDA Data

Ensuring the accuracy of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data has always been a challenge. In the July issue of Housing Wire, Heidi Wier, managing director, shares how systemic data integrity reviews can help manage risk.
Are You Leaving Money on the Table?

Are-You-Leaving-Money-on-the-Table In a special supplement to Illinois Banker, 2018 Banking Trends: Management and Operations, Heidi Wier, managing director, and Kelli Schoon-Saxsma, manager, discuss how a lack of focus or dedication of resources toward Regulation E and claims processing could lead to unintended errors, or even ‘over compliance’, which may increase operating losses and leave money… Read more »
State Attorneys General Ramping Up – Are You Ready?

State Attorneys General Ramping Up In the summer issue of California Mortgage Finance News, Monika McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, addresses the ramp up in supervision and enforcement by the state regulators in areas where the CFPB is pulling back.
Controlling the Narrative: Now Is the Time to Understand Your Data
Controlling the Narrative – Now is the Time to Understand Your Data Published in the June issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine, this article addresses the key elements that your institution needs to consider in understanding how your HMDA data relates to your business.
Annual Consumer Financial Services Conference (CCFL)

At the Conference on Consumer Finance Law, held in Chicago, Illinois at Loyola University, Chicago School of Law May 31-June 1, 2018, Monika McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, moderated a panel on Cybersecurity.
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Lending Boot Camp

Heidi Wier, managing director, presented on Lending Compliance at the WBA’s Lending Boot Camp which was held in Madison, Wisconsin May 15-17, 2018. Her topics included fair lending, HMDA, Regulation Z, Regulation X, flood insurance, SAFE Act, Regulation B, FACTA, FCRA and UDAAP.
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Real Estate Compliance School


Heidi Wier, managing director, and Jim Treacy, director, taught at the WBA’s Real Estate Compliance School held March 13-15, 2018. Their topics included Regulation Z and HMDA, the 2018 requirements and early lessons learned.
Financial Institutions Conference (FIC)

On Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, Jim Treacy presented a regulatory compliance update. Jim is a CPA and a director in CrossCheck’s regulatory compliance and internal audit practices. His presentation included a discussion of the current regulatory environment and recent regulatory changes impacting banks, including the July 2017 updates to… Read more »
Texas Mortgage Bankers Association 102nd Annual Convention

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country, Todd Krell, managing director, moderated a panel on fraud for the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association. During this session, the panel addressed the potential for the increase of fraud with the growth of electronic document processes.
MBA Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference
On Monday, April 30, 2018, at the MBA Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference in Los Angeles, California, Karen Cullen, director in CrossCheck’s compliance and fair & responsible lending practices was on a panel entitled Controlling the Narrative: Using Internal Data for Better Market Penetration.
Karen Cullen joins CrossCheck Compliance
Karen Cullen has joined CrossCheck Compliance as a director in our Compliance and Fair & Responsible Lending practices. Karen is a regulatory compliance and fair lending leader with over twenty-five years in financial services including banking, mortgage banking and electronic payment services. She has both corporate and organizational expertise in detailed compliance program implementation, quality control… Read more »
Florida Bankers Association Consumer Compliance Seminar
Mollie Sudhoff, a manager in CrossCheck’s regulatory compliance and internal audit practices moderated three sessions at the 33rd Annual Consumer Compliance Seminar, April 11-13, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. The first session was the Regulator Panel: Current Examination & Enforcement Focus, Findings & Expectations”. The second was the “Florida Attorney Panel Potpourri: ADA, Collections, Florida TCPA,… Read more »
Staffing Up for CMS

Staffing-up-for-CMS-ABA-Bank-Compliance.pdf. In this article, seen in the March-April issue of ABA Bank Compliance, Liza Warner, managing director, discusses how financial institutions of all sizes must continue to evolve their compliance teams to set the culture of compliance throughout the organization, resulting in a more effective Compliance Management System (CMS).
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Residential Lending School

Heidi Wier, managing director, taught compliance for residential mortgage lenders at the WBA’s Mortgage Lending School on February 20, 2018. The topics she covered included ECOA (Regulation B), TILA/RESPA (Regulation Z), Ability to Repay and Qualified Mortgages, Fair Lending, HMDA (Regulation C) and the SAFE Act. Students gained the knowledge they need to be successful… Read more »
Avoiding Surprises

Avoiding Surprises – Servicing Quality Assurance and Quality Control Monitoring Systems can be Management’s Best Friend This article, co-authored by Jim Shankle and Bill Tyner, was the cover story for the February 2018 issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine.
The Mortgage Servicing Rule – Are You Prepared?


This article was originally published as the cover story of the September-October 2017 issue of ABA Bank Compliance. Jim Shankle and Liza Warner discuss the challenges faced by loan servicers in implementing the 2016 Servicing Rule.
The Ongoing Challenges of Servicing Transfers


Mortgage Banking Magazine Servicing Article In this article published in Mortgage Banking Magazine, Chris Ortigara and Jim Shankle address the need for loan servicers to carefully review the loan-boarding processes to ensure compliance with the CFPB’s mortgage servicing rules.
Preparing for the unexpected

Viewpoints CrossCheck In this Viewpoints article in the December 2017/January 2018 issue of Housing Wire, Jim Jorgensen, president, CEO and founder of CrossCheck Compliance, discusses how lenders can get in front of major risks through an enterprise risk management framework.
Hot Topics for Regulatory/Compliance Pros

Hot Topics for Regulatory – Compliance Pros This article is the latest in a series dealing with the issues facing the real estate finance industry. Each issue CMBA experts are asked for their thoughts on the issues at hand. In this issue of CMFN, Monika McCarthy, Managing Director and General Counsel, participated in a roundtable… Read more »
California MBA Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference 2017

Monika McCarthy, managing director and general gounsel, moderated the General Counsel Roundtable at this conference which was held on December 4 and 5 in Irvine, California.
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) – Deposit Compliance Alumni Update Seminar

On November 8th, Jim Treacy, director, addressed the Regulation CC changes. This seminar was geared specifically towards compliance officers.
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Compliance Forum 2017

Heidi Wier, managing director, presented HMDA – The Recent Finalized Amendments. The Forum was held October 31, November 1 and November 2 at different locations in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Real Estate Compliance School 2017


Heidi Wier, managing director, and Jim Treacy, director, taught a class on Reg Z and TRID, and Heidi also taught a class on HMDA, at the WBA’s Real Estate Compliance School on September 27th and 28th at the Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center in the Wisconsin Dells. This school was designed to provide attendees with… Read more »
Compliance Essentials/CMCP Interactive Session: Common Help Desk and Operational Questions for Compliance Officers

On Sunday September 17th at the MBA’s Regulatory Compliance Conference, Monika McCarthy, managing director & general counsel, spoke, along with H. Burton Embry, executive vice president & chief compliance officer, Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc. This interactive session provided participants an opportunity to solve compliance problems and identify the tools and methods for solutions.
California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) Member Profile – The Big 3

CrossCheck Compliance LLC was recently profiled by the California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA). Our CEO, Jim Jorgensen, responded to the “Big 3” questions posed by the association about the state of the market and what to look forward to in the future.
Northern Illinois Compliance Association (NICA) 2017 Workshop

Jim Treacy, director, presented Final TRID and Mortgage Servicing Clarifications on Friday, September 8th at the NICA workshop. Jim “clarified” the clarifications and technical amendments on the final TRID rule issued by the CFPB July 7th. He also discussed the impact of the final rules issued by the CFPB on August 4, 2016 amending certain… Read more »
Distinguishing Between a Real Internal Audit and an ‘Imitation’

Chris Ortigara discusses the key considerations for independent mortgage companies as they look to outside resources for internal audit support. Cross Check MCM Internal Audit – August 2017
California Mortgage Finance News – Regulatory/Compliance Outlook

Chris Ortigara, participating in this roundtable article, reflects on MSAs, challenges facing the mortgage industry and what lenders can do to better protect their data and information.
Effective Partnerships Between Banks and Marketplace Lenders – Managing Third-Party Risk


Jim Shankle and Chris Ortigara discuss the three critical components of successfully managing third-party risk of fintechs.
Compliance Management – Working Smarter

Liza Warner discusses best practices for managing the compliance function in this article published in ABA Bank Compliance.
California Mortgage Bankers Association (California MBA) Western States Loan Servicing and Technology Conference

Jim Shankle, managing director in the Regulatory Compliance and Internal Audit practices, spoke on the servicing compliance panel at this conference which took place August 6-8th in San Diego, CA. Servicing related articles can be found in the Related Resources section of Regulatory Compliance.
What Is Your Time Worth?

In Mortgage Compliance Magazine, Todd Krell discusses how you can have a more effective quality assurance program.