What the M
Do you ever wonder who is behind the scenes collecting and processing all those monthly mortgage payments throughout the entire country? In the world of residential mortgages, the mortgage servicing industry is a critical but not always visible player in the lending and home ownership process. Unveiling how mortgage servicers manage the residential homeownership industry is the concept behind “What the M,” a new podcast that discusses the complex issues facing default services and the path forward for the mortgage industry and homeowners alike. The industry is comprised of more than 160 mortgage servicers representing more than 80% of the outstanding principal balances on mortgages in the U.S. Without the involvement of these vital mortgage servicers, obtaining and maintaining a home mortgage as we know it would not exist.“‘What the M’ features industry movers and shakers discussing the challenges faced by mortgage servicers, law firms and the American homeowner,” said Stephen Hladik, one of the co-hosts for the podcast and chair of the Advisory Council of the Legal League 100. “We will discuss trends in the economy, regulatory oversight, changes in the law, changes in technology and a myriad of other factors affecting the industry.”Hladik and co-host Kent McPhail are experienced attorneys with multistate practices in the default servicing industry. Both have decades of experience representing secured creditors; however, each host brings his own unique perspective to the podcast. McPhail hails from the Deep South (think boiled peanuts and shrimp & grits), while Hladik hails from the Northeast (think cheesesteaks and scrapple). “With this Yin and Yang, we hope to bring an entertaining and informative approach to the industry and those who make it hum,” McPhail said.Episodes of “What the M” begin airing mid-September and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.
Episodes
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Courtney Thompson, Executive Vice President and Head of Servicing at CMG Financial.
Courtney has a BA from Western Michigan University and a JD from Michigan State University. She began her career at Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller, PC. She has been in the mortgage and default servicing industry for over 19 years and was the SVP of...
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Renardo “Rick” Hicks from Eckert Seamans, LLC.
Rick received his BA in Government from Hamilton College, his JD from Northeastern University, his LLM from Temple University. Rick also holds honorary Doctorate degrees from Allen University, Central Pennsylvania College, Morris Brown College, and Turner Theological Seminary.
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Mark Calabria. Mark is an author, advisor, economist, and the former Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
Mark received his BA in Economics, as well as his PHD in Economics, from George Mason University. He then worked as a Senior Staff Member for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. From 2009 to 2017,...
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M!
This week, Kent and Steve interview Jason Myers, Vice President of Business Development at MCS (Making Communities Shine). MCS is a nationwide property services provider working across commercial properties, single-family rentals, and the property preservation industry.
Jason received his BS in Advertising and Public Relations from Texas Christian University (Go Horned Frogs!) ...
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M!
This week, Kent and Steve are honored to bring you an interview with the Honorable Annette M. Rizzo. Judge Rizzo was gracious enough to drop by to discuss mortgage foreclosure mediation programs, how the model was developed for courts, the success rates seen by these programs, and how the model program spread throughout the United States.
Judge Rizzo served as a Judge in the Fir...
This week on What the M, we have a very special guest…host!
With Kent out of the office, his law partner, Brooke Sanchez (literally) stepped up to the mic! Brooke is not only the Managing Partner of McPhail Sanchez, LLC, she is also the firm’s Managing Bankruptcy Attorney. Naturally, Steve was eager to pick her brain about current bankruptcy trends, rule changes, and more!
Brooke received her undergraduate degree from the Univer...
“Father Time is undefeated.” – Erik Qualman
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve are excited to bring you an interview with internationally renowned author and speaker Erik Qualman. Erik stopped by “What the M” to discuss his latest book, The Focus Project, and how it can help leaders, lawyers, and anyone else who struggles with prioritizing their to-do list!
Erik has written nume...
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M!
This week, Kent and Steve interview Jesse Randall, COO of Black Dome Services, LLC. This episode focuses on the topic of property preservation in relation to mortgage servicing industry, as well as its interplay with handling defaulted mortgages. Since Black Dome is one of the fastest-growing property preservation companies in the country, Jesse was the perfect person to interv...
Happy Holidays from all of us here at What the M! Steve is a little under the weather this week, but he and Kent both wanted to send this message out to thank the listeners for all of your support, and to wish you a very happy and safe holiday season!
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A huge thank you to our Season 2 sponsor, Guardian Asset Management -
Guardian Asset Management is *the* one-stop shop for lenders, ser...
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Allen Chapman, Executive Vice President with Hub International. HUB International is a leading insurance brokerage company that provides employee benefits, business, and personal insurance products and services.
Allen graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi (Go, Golden Eagles!) where he received his BS in recreational therapy....
Happy Thanksgiving from What the M!
Kent and Steve wanted to drop in and thank all of the listeners for your support. It's been a great first year for the podcast and we look forward to many more!
For this week's holiday episode, Kent and Steve flash back to one of What the M's most popular episodes from Season 1 - "Latinas in Power."
The Latinas in Power ("LIP") incl...
It’s time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Daren Blomquist, Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com.
Daren began his career as a reporter for the Daily News Tribune, where he focused on county government and courts. He then moved on to Realty Trac, where he rose from Customer Service Representative to Director of Marketing Communications, focusing on mortgage trends nationwide. I...
Happy Fall to all!
It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Alicia Stewart, Assistant Vice President at BSI Financial Services.
Alicia has over 20 years of experience in the default servicing industry. She began her career as an AVP with Fay Servicing. She then worked for Penny Mac Loan Services as a Business Analyst. From there, she became an AVP of Default Operations for Rushmore L...
It’s that time again… for a new episode of "What the M," Kent McPhail and Steve Hladik's podcast about the default mortgage servicing industry!
This week, Kent and Steve discuss the continuing surge of the post-COVID “work from home” movement. Their guest on the topic, Michael Merritt, is the Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Default Mortgage Servicing at BOK Financial.
Welcome to Season 2 of What the M!
Last season, we were fortunate enough to interview an incredible roster of talented professionals about their insights and predictions for the default servicing industry. We wanted to kick off our new season by looking back at where the industry was a year ago versus where it is today. As one of the country’s most frequently-quoted sources on real estate, mortgage, and foreclosure trends...
Did you miss us?
Kent and Steve *were* taking a brief summer hiatus before Season 2 of “What the M” drops in September. But when a fascinating U.S. Supreme Court decision was issued, Kent and Steve couldn’t wait that long to talk about it with you!
In this case, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians v. Coughlin, the Court departed from prior law and abrogated the Tribe’s sovereign immunity in ba...
Welcome to the season finale of What the M! You won’t want to miss this episode.
Since the podcast began in September 2022, Kent and Steve have interviewed amazing, thoughtful, and brilliant guests. Every season 1 guest has been uniquely qualified to speak about different aspects of the default servicing industry, and has provided valuable information to What the M’s listeners. Each guest is unique, but they all have one thing in ...
This week on What the M, Kent, and Steve returned to the faithfully commerce-driven city of Dallas, TX in anticipation of the Legal League Servicer Summit. While there, Kent met with the Latinas in Power ("LIP") for a fun evening of dinner and fantastic conversation and camaraderie, recording the podcast the next morning with Steve and a few of the LIP ladies: Emily Chavarriaga, Jackie Vazquez, and Rosalie Escobedo.
Emil...
This week on What the M, Kent and Steve have a very special guest!
In advance of next week’s Legal League Annual Spring Summit, Kent and Steve decided that an interview with one of Legal League’s rising stars, Brooke Sanchez, was in order!
Brooke received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Alabama (Go Jags!) and her JD from Cumberland School of Law. Brooke represented debtors in consumer bankruptcy for more th...
This week on What the M, Kent and Steve interview Toniqua Green, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Mr. Cooper. Mr. Cooper prides itself on challenging the loan servicing status quo – so as an industry innovator, Toniqua is right at home there!
Toniqua attended Roberts Wesleyan College, where she received her Bachelors Degree in organizational management. She then earned her Masters Degree in Education from Univer...
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