Rob Chrisman

No Comments What should we talk about today? How about “follow the money”? Costco will be offering branded Medicare plans. Meghan and Harry are moving back to the UK. The U.S. national debt passed the $40 trillion milestone for first time ever, five months after crossing $39 trillion.

No Comments I remember when “drink responsibly” meant not spilling it. I remember when mortgage company owners weren’t in the headlines (as UWM’s Mat Ishbia finds himself with “Phoenix Suns’ billionaire owner is getting slammed on Wall Street” but that “business has never been stronger”), or when “AI” meant “artificial insemination.” Speaking of artificial intelligence, everyone’s racing to bolt AI onto their lending process.

No Comments While Lake Powell and the Colorado River are at their lowest levels ever, and states like Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington are in a drought, would you like a short clip of what they’re experiencing in Hawai’i? So far, the North Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) has been light, which pleases homeowners, servicers, lenders, and insurance companies.

No Comments My cat Myrtle was not a fan of some things… the CFPB (under some directors) jumps to mind. Others are not fans of artificial intelligence, and here’s someone starting a line of “AI adversarial clothing.” Some aren’t a fan of new federal escrow laws. Ten states have sued the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency over new federal rules that would prevent them from enforcing laws requiring national banks to pay homeowners interest on money held in mortgage escrow accounts.

No Comments Remember in 2020 and 2021 when our industry was grappling with appraiser and underwriter shortages, raising margins to slow volumes, crazy-low rates, and moving overnight to a “work from home” environment? Lending is not alone in facing adverse conditions. In warfare it’s important to have lots and lots of ammunition to shoot your adversary, right? But a project lasting several years to shore up the United States’ stock of 155 mm artillery shells has turned into a huge mess.

No Comments If you think that profit per loan, or gain per unit, is based purely on size, think about this short video. “Profit” can also be a personal measure in terms of income versus expenses. Owning a home is all about having a job and spending less than you earn. Bankrate’s 2025 Wage to Inflation Index revealed that prices rose 23 percent since the start of 2021 while wages were up a cumulative 22 percent.

No Comments Innovation… Did you know that the moon landing happened before wheeled suitcases were invented? The Apollo 11 moon landing occurred on July 20, 1969, while the first commercial rolling luggage with a patent application by Bernard Sadow was introduced in 1970 and patented in 1972. Innovation, compliance, and affordability were key themes at this week’s Western Secondary.

No Comments One of the panels during this year’s California MBA Western Secondary focused on the ramp up of non-Agency/equity lending. Why has it increased as a portion of the overall residential origination pie? It is attributed to a changing economy and changing borrowers, along with record equity. Add in the high percentage of borrowers who have first-lien mortgage rates below 5 percent (the “lock in effect”).

No Comments What are folks talking about here at the Western Secondary? Small things and big things. There’s a brand-spankin’ new private MI company: Anza. (Contact Melissa Gemma with questions.) Lenders are doing interesting things to help communities: for example, here’s Fairway Independent not leaving a dry eye in the house. That UWM has filed a lawsuit in federal court regarding the Two Harbor/CrossCountry deal is no surprise, although $500 million is attention-grabbing.

No Comments Here in the hallways at the Western Secondary in L.A., there isn’t a lot of talk about GSE reform, although this short clip from Sam Valverde, ex-acting president of Ginnie Mae, revisits the subject: The GSE reform trigger nobody’s watching closely enough. More of the talk is about 2nd quarter earnings, and I received this note: “Rob, I am a broker in Missouri. Last week there was a lot of news about UWM. All I try to do is help my clients.