General

LenderDock recently passed the SOC 2® Type 2 Examination. So, what does this really mean for you?

What is the SOC 2 Type II report?

It is a report on the suitability of the design and operating effectiveness of the controls used on our primary systems, supportive system components, and business processes that warrant our principal service. It also provides assurance to external parties with respect to the security and availability of the systems that validate LenderDock’s lienholder process automation and the confidentiality of the information that is processed by these systems.

How is LenderDock’s SOC 2 certification measured?

The certification is issued through outside auditors. They measure the ability that LenderDock has demonstrated in following five core trust principles, which are broken down as follows:

1. Security

This section of certification refers to the protection of system resources against unwanted and unauthorized access. Access controls help prevent abuse of the system, unauthorized removal or changing of data, theft, and software misuse.

Security tools used or installed by the IT department (e.g., web application firewalls, intrusion alerts, two-factor authorization) are helpful in preventing breaches that can lead to unauthorized access to company data and systems.

2. Availability

This principle refers to how accessible the system is, as well as the products and services that are stipulated in a contract or SLA (service legal agreement). The base acceptable performance level for the system’s availability is set by both parties.

While this principle does not include system usability or functionality, it does involve security-related items that could affect availability.

3. Processing Integrity

Processing integrity addresses if a system succeeds in its purpose (e.g., delivering data at the correct time). The data processing must be complete, timely, valid, accurate, and authorized.

4. Confidentiality

Data is labeled as confidential if its disclosure and access is restricted to specific personnel or organizations. Examples include business plans, intellectual property, company finances, and other types of sensitive information.

Encryption is important for the protection of confidential information during transmission. Both application and network firewalls and rigorous access controls can be used to safeguard company information that is being stored or processed on computer systems.

5. Privacy

The privacy section addresses the system’s ability to collect, use, retain, disclose, and dispose of personal information in compliance with LenderDock’s privacy notice, as well as the criteria set forth in the AICPA’s generally accepted privacy principles, also known as GAPP.

Personally identifiable information (PII) is information that can distinguish an individual (e.g., SSN, address, name). Some personal data related to sexuality, religion, health, and race is also considered sensitive and requires extra levels of security. Controls are required to protect all PII from unauthorized access.

Significance of SOC 2

SOC 2 audits are rigid, and SOC 2 Type 2 reports are attested per the SSAE-18 standards published by AICPA. The SOC 2 framework includes the 17 principles of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) Internal Control-Integrated Framework, along with supplemental controls. LenderDock’s use of security controls aligns with the COSO principles and the supplemental controls.

What this means for you

LenderDock has put in place monitoring of the health of these systems by automating most areas and has a dedicated team that oversees the performance.

In other words, your data is secure, and your process is simplified using LenderDock’s services.

Brace yourself for an economic hurricane. 

That was the advice given by JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon at a financial conference in June. Just a few days later, Tesla CEO Elon Musk echoed Dimon’s feelings, telling his executives that he has a “super bad feeling” about the current state of the economy amid plans to cut the company’s staff by 10 percent. 

What may be coming

While these major company CEOs feel the economy is trending in the wrong direction, they aren’t the only ones who feel this way. According to a survey by CNBC, more than 80 percent of Americans believe the country’s economy will fall into a recession by the end of 2022. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index is falling to levels not seen in over four decades. Even economists seem more gloomy than normal, saying the odds of a recession in the next year are at 30 percent – twice as high as they presumed just a few months ago. 

Add in worker shortages, supply chain issues, and the rise of inflation, and leaders in the business world are starting to grapple with the new reality, an economic recession that could be deep and lengthy. Companies are readying for a downturn, researching ways to insulate themselves from the worst of what is seemingly coming. 

The past is the key

To solve the issue and prepare themselves for what is next, business leaders would be wise to look to the past. After all, the last U.S. recession was only 15 years ago. Looking back can help companies survive, but also thrive once the recession has reached an end. That’s where Watermark Consulting comes in. 

For over ten years, Watermark has studied the connection between customer experience (CX) and shareholder return (via third-party feedback surveys and public company stock performance numbers). The resulting Customer Experience ROI Study has now become one of the most cited analyses of its kind. While the study showed how CX-leading companies outperform their competition over the long-term, we wanted to analyze the data from just the last recession (2007-09). The results were stunning. 

CX-leading companies weren’t safe from the effects of the last recession, but they clearly fared better than other businesses. While the market as a whole and the CX-lagging companies lost a large amount of their market value, the CX-leading ones actually netted positive shareholder returns.

Customer experience matters 

It has been shown through many different studies that a great customer experience in turn leads to financial performance. It helps raise revenues, and since loyal customers stay around longer, they tend to be less price sensitive. They also entertain ideas for other products and services and they refer new customers to your company. A great customer experience also helps control – if not even reduce – expenses, since less needs to be spent on new business acquisitions (thanks to referrals and repeat business). The cost of serving these customers also decreases as fewer complaints means less pressure on the company’s operating arm. 

There are other conclusions that can be found from Watermark’s CX ROI data, mainly that the company’s customer experience quality really does influence its chances of successfully navigating an economic downturn. 

CX-leading firms appear to be better cushioned from the more severe issues of a recession, and they also seem to bounce back sooner when the economy improves. That is likely due to how customer behavior is shaped by both great product and service experiences. Businesses that offer these outstanding experiences become one of the last places that people make budget cuts, while also being one of the first they return to when their budget is less restricted. 

When an economic downturn is near, many business leaders result to knee-jerk reactions by cutting expenses to try to overcome the impact – cutting travel, freezing hiring, postponing investments, etc. – but the data in the Watermark study shows that if cost-cutting begins to undermine the quality of a customer service experience, then it could damage the company’s ability to battle back following the recession. 

So, how does a CEO or business owner capitalize on client experience to protect their company from the worst effects of the looming recession? Here are three possible strategies: 

1. Give customers a reason to return 

We aren’t quite in a recession just yet, and both consumer and business spending are at strong levels. This means companies have many chances to shape customer impressions. Take advantage of the opportunity before people begin to cut back on spending. Polish and refine your customer experience now so that there is a reason to return in the future. 

2. Cut costs by anticipating avoidable customer questions 

Believe it or not, it is possible to cut costs while also enhancing the customer experience. Shift your focus to upstream improvements that eliminate downstream and costly customer inquiries. You could have better product assembly guides, clearer, and more detailed invoices, or make the process of returns easier. These upstream improvements enhance the customer experience and can be delivered at a more competitive cost. 

3. Reexamine what is important to your consumer 

As economic conditions change, so may your customer’s needs, wants, fears, and aspirations. Product features or experiences that were relevant previously may no longer be as important. New customer requirements may also present a chance to engage consumers in a different, yet more enticing way. 

Prepare your business now

While it is not entirely possible to avoid all the pitfalls of an economic recession, the Watermark analysis does show that a better customer experience can help protect a company from the worst impacts of a downturn while also setting it up for success when the economy improves. If you deliver an experience that customers love, they’ll reward you with their business, either now or in the future. 

An original, unedited version of this article first appeared on Forbes.com 

It’s no secret that the insurance verification process can be a real hassle. But is the extra time and effort required worth the cost? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of manual insurance verification and offer some tips on how to make the process as painless as possible.

When you consider how much time, energy, and resources go into manually verifying homeowners’ insurance, it is evident that the costly and tedious process is outdated.

Many costs involved

According to numbers gathered by a third party, the true cost of manually verifying insurance can be broken down into numerous categories and steps.

Loan officer and processor

A loan officer that tracks down a client to make corrections and gather information costs on average $1.61 per minute. If just those few details take only five minutes to assemble, the overall cost is now $8.

Add in the duties of the loan processor (follow-up calls, reviewing information, keying in data, etc.) at an average of $.60 per minute for 15 minutes of estimated work, and the total cost of verifying sits at just over $17.

The mortgage side

The responsibilities of the mortgage underwriter – loan parameters, setting and clearing conditions, etc. – cost an average of $.93 per minute. Adding a total of $4.65 for an estimated five minutes of work, the manual cost has increased to $21.70

A mortgage quality assurance assistant adds an extra $1.98 to the cost ($.66 per minute for an average of three minutes) to compare the policy against LOS.

The overall cost

With all the different steps and duties outlined, the cost of manually verifying homeowners’ insurance averages $23.68.

That is a lot of time, effort, and money to complete a somewhat simple task

How LenderDock helps

Through a lightweight integration, you can now couple specific policyholder data with LenderDock and instantly present third-party financial institutions with real-time, verifiable policy information.

When it comes to insurance verification, there are a few key things you need to know.

The process

First and foremost, insurance verification is the process of confirming that an individual has insurance coverage. This can be done through a variety of means, but typically involves contacting the insurance company directly.

There are a few different types of insurance that you may need to verify. The most common is health insurance, but you may also need to verify auto insurance, homeowners’ insurance, or renter’s insurance. Each type of insurance has its own process for verification, so it’s important to be familiar with the process for each type of insurance that you’re verifying.

COI

One of the most important things to remember when verifying insurance is to get a Certificate of Insurance (COI). A COI is a document that verifies that an insurance policy exists and that it meets certain standards. Be sure to get a COI from the insurance company before you begin the verification process.

Without a COI, you may not be able to verify that the insurance policy exists or that it meets the required standards.

Other steps

There are a few other things to keep in mind when verifying insurance. First, you’ll need to make sure that you have the correct information for the individual you’re verifying. This includes their name, date of birth, social security number, and policy number.

You’ll also need to know the dates of coverage for the policy. These are typically listed on the COI. Finally, you’ll need to contact the insurance company directly to verify the policy.

In conclusion

The insurance verification process can seem daunting, but it’s important to remember a few key things. With the right preparation, you can make sure that you have the correct information and confirm that an individual has insurance coverage.

By getting a COI, you can also be sure that the policy meets the necessary standards. With a little bit of effort, you can make sure that your insurance verification process is a success.

In this blog post, we discussed insurance verification and what you need to know about it. We covered topics such as the different types of insurance you may need to verify and how to get a COI. We also discussed some key things to remember when verifying insurance. By following these tips, you can make sure that your insurance verification process is a success.

Why choose LenderDock?

LenderDock is the leading provider of online Property and Casualty Insurance policy verification and automated lien holder process management services. Through a lightweight integration, you can now couple specific policyholder data with LenderDock and instantly present third-party financial institutions with verifiable policy information in real-time.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – June 20, 2022 – LenderDock Inc. and Palomar Insurance (Palomar) have announced a new partnership that strategically supports the goal of having a comprehensive lienholder process automation solution by fully digitizing lienholder verifications, mortgagee correction requests, and escrow payments.

As the company continues to expand, finding a solution that reduces operational costs related to mortgagee communication has been an ongoing effort for Palomar. Having a single provider that addresses the variety of tasks and requests from banks and lenders was pivotal in their decision. Recently, more and more time has been spent manually processing proof of insurance verifications, mass mortgagee change requests, and escrow billing errors. These tasks are impediments to the company’s growth.

In addition to utilizing LenderDock’s Verifi™ and Correxion™ base platform, Palomar looks to implement LenderDock’s Notifi™ and LenderPymts™ services which will facilitate the electronic delivery of loss payee, billing notifications, and digital escrow payment reconciliations.

Palomar is a rapidly growing and innovative insurer that provides specialty insurance to residential and commercial customers in underserved markets. Focusing on earthquake, hurricane, and flood insurance, they leverage proprietary data analytics and a modern approach to deliver unparalleled products and services.

“Palomar is an insurer partner that sees the value of new technology and the impact that it makes when tackling outdated workflows and business processes. We are excited about the opportunity to support their continued growth and expansion.” Frank Eubank, LenderDock CEO

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, LenderDock Inc. is the leading provider of online Property and Casualty Insurance policy verification and automated lien holder process management services. The policy verification-as-a-service (VaaS) platform offers banks, lenders and all financial third parties the ability to digitally verify and correct home and auto policy-related data in real-time.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, – June 15, 2022 – On Wednesday, LenderDock Inc. and Grange Insurance Association (GrangeAssociation) announced a new partnership that advances the goal of an all-digital lien holder process automation solution by fully digitizing lien holder verifications and mortgagee correction requests.

Grange receives a high volume of calls and policy change requests from lenders that monopolize the time of their Customer Service representatives and Operations team members. They have struggled to manage the volume of large lists received from lenders notifying them of the need to update lien holder information on their policies.

Without an automated and standardized process, it had forced them to review each policy and manually make changes within their system. Due to the number of mortgage transactions in the last few years, they would likely be forced to hire additional staff just to keep up. Yet this is how it has been done at Grange for more than a decade. They needed to find a way for them to better utilize their internal resources for more meaningful activities.

The decision to partner with LenderDock’s cloud-based lien holder process automation platform was based on their long-term strategic objective of improving their operational efficiencies. This partnership’s aim is to help drive down costs, save valuable time and conserve internal resources.

Founded in 1894, Grange Insurance Association has grown into a regional mutual insurance company serving the needs of farming families, “Main Street” communities in urban and suburban markets. They currently offer services in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

“We are thrilled to be partnered with Grange Insurance. They have a long history of being very customer-centric and adapting to the changing market. We are excited to help them leverage new technology that will help accomplish their goals of securing cost savings and operational efficiencies.” – Travis Rodak, LenderDock CTO

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, LenderDock Inc. is the leading provider of online Property and Casualty Insurance policy verification and automated lien holder process management services. The policy verification-as-a-service (VaaS) platform offers banks, lenders and all financial third parties the ability to digitally verify and correct home and auto policy-related data in real-time.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – June 13, 2022 – LenderDock Inc. and Hippo Insurance (NYSE: HIPO) announced a new partnership that advances the goal of an all-digital lienholder process automation solution by fully digitizing lienholder verifications and mortgagee correction requests.

Hippo has made a concerted effort to focus on improving the customer experience and mitigating friction in providing payment information for escrow billing.

Ease of use and data accuracy were also important enhancements the company is looking for. Despite having implemented its own basic lender portal over a year ago, the company decided to find a more robust and comprehensive solution. Their decision to partner with LenderDock’s cloud-based lienholder process automation platform was due to how closely it aligned with Hippo’s key business objectives; drive better customer experience and reduce manual activity as they scale.

Founded in 2015, the Palo Alto, CA-based insurance company is an Insurtech leader that uses technology to streamline the homeowner’s insurance process. Hippo is currently available in 37 states with more coming soon. The company plans for significant growth and has more than 620 employees, spread across locations in Austin and Dallas, Texas, Palo Alto, Calif., Bedminster, N.J., and Tel Aviv.

“Hippo Insurance embodies the spirit of technology and the critical role it plays in advancing growth, service, and operational efficiencies. It is exciting to work with a partner that shares the same vision of how cloud-based automation solutions are delivering real results in driving down operational costs and boosting internal efficiencies.” – Frank Eubank, LenderDock CEO

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, LenderDock Inc. is the leading provider of online Property and Casualty Insurance policy verification and automated lien holder process management services. The policy verification-as-a-service (VaaS) platform offers banks, lenders, and all financial third parties the ability to digitally verify and correct home and auto policy-related data in real-time.

Salt Lake City, Utah, – February 16, 2022 – LenderDock Inc., Universal Insurance Holdings (NYSE: UVE), Olympus Insurance, Cabrillo Coastal, and Citizens Property Insurance Corp. announced a new partnership that advances the goal of a fully digital lienholder process optimization solution by automating on-demand lienholder verifications and mortgagee correction requests.

LenderDock’s innovative policy Verification-as-a-Service platform and suite of services eliminate millions of unwanted lender-originated phone calls, emails, faxes, and letters while attaining the highest digital delivery of escrow billing and interested-party notifications in the industry. The complete end-to-end solution provides significant cost savings and operational efficiencies for insurance providers.

“LenderDock’s overall objective is to give insurance providers a complete end-to-end solution that drives down costs and sunsets antiquated and obsolete business processes that distract from serving, supporting and retaining customers.

In today’s competitive landscape, we are streamlining a way for carriers and insurance providers to get back to the business of focusing exclusively on their policyholders.” – Frank Eubank, LenderDock CEO

With headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, LenderDock is the leading provider of online Property and Casualty Insurance policy verification and automated lien holder data management services. The policy verification-as-a-service (VaaS) platform offers banks, lenders, and financial third parties the ability to electronically verify and correct home and auto policy-related data in real-time.

For more information, please call Frank Eubank at 801-358-7303 or email [email protected].

1. The Changing Work Landscape

Let’s look at the changing work landscape and its impact on auto sales, travel, and accident severity.

According to a survey by Workplace.com, 37% of US employees will work remotely in 2022.

The changing nature of work along with the cash pumped into the economy from federal aid prompted many people to buy their very first vehicle in 2020.

New vehicle registrations in New York City alone rose 37 percent between August and October 2020.

This year, U.S. auto sales are expected to rise from 15 million to 15.7 million, with short supplies limiting sales but boosting pricing power. Both point to strong recovery for the auto industry.

In 2020 and ’21 we saw unprecedented declines in miles driven. The new omicron variant is the big unknown in forecasting traffic volume in 2022, with inflation also clouding the picture.  Through September government data shows miles driven still down 5 percent from 2019, and it is anticipated that miles driven will continue to recover in 2022, but where and when people are driving will be different.

2. The Growth of ADAS

The second trend is the increase in the overall number of vehicles equipped with ADAS and connected car technologies.

According to data from MarketWatch, ADAS is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate between 2022 and 2027.

Recent reports from OEM’s suggest that nearly 80% of vehicles purchased in the U.S. market between Sep 1, 2020, and Aug 31, 2021, were minimally equipped with automatic emergency braking.

Access to that connected car data is a central part of the Right to Repair legislation now making its way through the courts. And with more vehicles now coming equipped with semi-autonomous features, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s interest in understanding more about the impacts of these systems on real-world driving drove the issuance last year of a Standing General Order outlining reporting requirements the OE’s and other companies must now meet.

3. Climate Change

The third trend is Climate Change. The P&C insurance industry has been at the forefront of feeling the effects of climate change, as the number and severity of severe storms have grown.  And more frequent catastrophic events combined with evolving regulatory requirements could threaten company business models and make insuring some risks unaffordable for customers or unfeasible for insurers.

4. Changing Customer Experiences

Next are changing customer expectations where digital, mobile, and personalized experiences have become table stakes.

According to a recent study of P&C insurance customers conducted by JD Powers, while the industry is investing heavily in back-end technologies like straight-through processing to improve the claims experience, there’s still room for improvement.

The study found that while the technology is there, adoption may be a barrier.

5. Complexity

Our last trend is complexity. The year ahead promises more vehicle technology such as ADAS, more data, and more disruptive entrants turning heads and turning traditional business models upside down. In 2022, the industry will continue to turn to technology and connected systems to simplify and streamline processes to ultimately create better customer experiences.

The original, unedited article was first featured on cccis.com

PropertyCasualty360 sat down with business development coach Kitty Ambers to discuss the process of change management ― especially in a world in which change is being forced on insurance professionals. Ambers has held several top executive positions with insurance trade organizations, and she is a member of the PropertyCasualty360 editorial advisory board. Currently, she serves as chief growth officer for AVYST, an InsurTech that streamlines policy submissions.

PC360: What is “change management”?

Kitty Ambers: The term “change management” sounds daunting and clinical. So I like to call it “managing change” instead.

In short, to make change happen, you have to do the work. There is no replacement for actually doing the work. It’s no different than starting something new. For example, if I’m going to start an agency, I have to dig in, do the training, attract markets, and read the policies.

PC360: Can you be more specific about what you mean by “doing the work”?

Ambers: I’ve distilled managing change into what I call “The 5 Ds.”

1. Decision: Think about some of the things we’ve been forced to do differently today with the pandemic. That’s change — doing something different. What is the process we instinctively went through to get there? We had to make a decision. It might be an external or internal thing that forces us to try something new; the old way’s not working. Sometimes it can be scary. What if you get bad news from the doctor? You will have to change something. It might take weeks and months, but you’re having to change because of a situation. Or maybe your flight is canceled. You have decisions to make.

2. Design: Next, you have to design a solution. What are the steps you have to take? We have to think about an action to get where we want to be. We can get really technical in designing what the solution looks like. We’re talking here about planning.

3. Deploy: Now it’s time to do something. How will we implement this decision? Who’s involved? What are the roles and responsibilities? How long will it take? What are the costs? Who will continue it? People get stuck here. They don’t implement. Execute the plan and deal with whatever comes next.

4. Deal: Part of managing change will involve dealing with distractions. It could be a naysayer employee when you’re implementing a new technology solution. Or it could be the child at home who doesn’t want to get up at 7 a.m. and do his schoolwork at the kitchen table. During the ‘design’ stage, these potential objections often come to the surface.

5. Drive: This is the momentum piece. Once you start to change, you very much want to keep it going. One change leads to another change, which leads to yet another change. And so on. We start to open our horizons.

Making time for change

PC360: Why does managing change seem so difficult?

Ambers: Because people are people. They’re too busy on the wheel to step off and look around.

If there is any benefit to the COVID-19 lockdown, it’s that a lot of people have paused and taken an inventory of “Hey, what’s important?” With my businesses, we are now so much more productive when we’re not running all over the country because we’re having meaningful one-on-one conversations on the phone and on video calls. People can actually turn on their computers, have a productive conversation, and make decisions. People are available, they’re listening, they’re connected, and they’re willing to jump on a call. They’re making lemonade out of lemons.

PC360: You’ve said you like the Michael Jordan book, “I Can’t Accept Not Trying.”

KA: His book is really based around fundamentals. He emphasizes, “The minute you get away from fundamentals, the bottom falls out of your game.”

When you think about change, you have to be secure on the direction you want to go. Another quote I like is from Jimmy Dean: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” I can swerve around that pothole, or I can plow right into it because I don’t want to change. People are stubborn.

Are you prepared?

PC360: What about independent agents — how are they managing change these days?

Ambers: Where it becomes most obvious is to ask, “How prepared were agencies to support a remote workforce?” That, in turn, points to something else: How prepared are you for a natural disaster scenario? How quickly can you spin up a support desk for your agency in the event your office is blown away?

This is a great opportunity to test those disaster-recovery plans. A lot of folks have struggled there because it’s been on the back burner. The agents who hadn’t tested their business-continuation plans are having to implement on the fly, which is hard. It’s not as simple as thinking I can just take my laptop and be fine. It might be fine for a snowstorm, but not in a pandemic.

What are some big lessons here? I think it’s critical to think through answers to serious questions we’ve been faced with:

  • How do I show up?
  • How do we stay connected?
  • How do we communicate?
  • How do we keep morale up?
  • How do we care for our clients and reach out to them?
  • Do we have a tool that’s easy to deploy messaging to clients and staff?
  • Have we collected all the cell phone numbers and email addresses?

This has been a real test of an agency’s “emergency broadcast system.”

It’s about leadership

PC360: Why is change easier for some organizations?

Ambers: Having a fundamental core value of being agile is key. That’s what change is. It’s being able to pivot.

I also think we should look to other places on how they’re managing change. For example, what are restaurants doing to be resourceful? Many are doing carryout only. Grocery stores are retooling their traffic flow, with one-way aisles. They’re adopting new floor plans. What can we adopt for our firms?

If we look around, we realize the whole idea that change is constant is true. So don’t be so resistant. Go with the flow.

PC360: What is the most important piece of managing change?

Ambers: Leadership.

It’s not that we can’t change. It just gets scary when you have the intentional conversation about how we change. We say, “We’re going to change.” It has to be part of the culture. We focus too much on process versus outcomes. If you do this it’s going to make your life easier. Good leaders do this. It’s intuitive.

We are adaptive people by nature; if you follow Darwin and nature at all. Look at the new species that came about. That’s change. Nobody stopped the world and said, “We have this new thing.” It just evolved. As a leader, if you think of evolution as opposed to revolution, you will have better results in the end. Don’t do the herky-jerky, stop this and start that. It’s just a flow. Why not always keep your eyes out for something new?

Why do we make change sound so punitive as opposed to positive? It all goes back to leadership.

The original, unedited article was first featured on www.propertycasualty360.com