ACUMA ONpoint

If AI shows up in your mortgage operation tomorrow, does it make your credit union feel more personal or less? We sit down with Ayo Opeyemi, co-founder of Vertyx, to tackle the fear head-on and replace it with a clearer, more useful framework: technology can deepen human relationships when it’s built to serve the member, not to dodge the conversation.

We talk about what Ayo calls “tech-enabled empathy” in c...

Housing affordability isn’t just a headline; it’s the daily reality of members who earn good incomes and still can’t clear the down payment and payment hurdles for the home they actually need. We sit down with Eric Berg, co-founder of Duome, to unpack a practical idea that fits the credit union ethos: add a new tool alongside the 30-year mortgage so more buyers can reach homeownership without turning the process i...

Most training programs create smarter note-takers, not better performers, and you can feel the difference when the pressure is on. We sit down with Alex Kutsishin, CEO of Fuel, to challenge the way the mortgage and credit union world thinks about learning, leadership development, and talent growth. Alex shares his journey from immigrating from Kyiv to building multiple businesses, then makes a clear case for why “information&...

A “very partial” shutdown sounds harmless until you realize it sits inside DHS, home to FEMA, and intersects with disaster timelines, loan pipelines, and homeowner resilience. We sat down with Annmarie Conboy-DePasquale, Senior Policy Advisor from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, to open the hood on what’s actually paused, what keeps running, and how this narrow shutdown can still nudge housing markets, travel, an...

Ever feel like the compliance goalposts won’t stop moving? We sat down with regulatory expert Michael Christians, Regulatory Compliance Counsel from Michael Christians Consulting, to cut through the noise and focus on what actually protects your members and your institution. From Fair Housing’s disparate impact to ECOA’s discouragement standard and the ever‑sharp edges of RESPA Section 8, we walk through the real ...

Leadership that earns trust, mortgages ready in 7–10 days, and a mission that puts people before profit, this conversation with Joe Rosado, SVP of Real Estate Lending and Business Services at Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, is a masterclass in how credit unions can win with speed, empathy, and purpose. We pull back the curtain on Joe’s journey from Series 7 and banking rotations to a multidiscipline executive role,...

Most homeowners are sitting on record equity and aren’t eager to refinance into lower first-mortgage rates. That’s the opening. We invited Andria Lightfoot, VP of Client Services at FirstClose, to break down how credit unions can turn HELOC demand into real growth without sacrificing risk or member trust.

We start with the big picture: why home prices remain resilient, how a glide toward 6% rates changes borrower...

Want a sturdier path to relevance in credit union mortgages? We sit down with Andrew Harris, VP of Mortgage Development at Truity Credit Union in Oklahoma, to unpack how servant leadership, consistent culture, and innovative use of technology create durable member loyalty. Andrew shares the turning point in his career, from high-output producer to leader who listens first, removes roadblocks, and treats every file like a family&rsq...

Headlines keep screaming doom, but the data tells a different story. We sit down with Bill Bodner, Founder and CRO at Tabrasa, to unpack why last year was quietly strong for mortgages, how the spread between mortgage rates and the 10-year Treasury snapped back toward historical norms, and what that means for pricing, locks, and strategy right now. The big idea: measure behavior, not vibes. Applications and pending home sales say bo...

A bed behind a safe door shouldn’t feel extraordinary, yet for many families it is. We sit down with former MMA fighter and Fight for the Forgotten founder Justin Wren to unpack how land, water, and shelter form a chain that pulls people from survival to stability. Justin shares the turn from fighting people to fighting for people, and the practical steps his team uses to help communities secure land rights, drill wells, buil...

The market didn’t get easier last year, so we sharpened our approach. We invited mortgage loan officer Allie Hager to discuss a year of stretching her skills, finding her voice at ACUMA's Make Your Mark Annual Conference in Denver, and transforming a 10-minute ACUMAx talk into a playbook for sustainable growth at a credit union. The big idea is bold and straightforward: grow where you’re rooted. Instead of chasing new l...

Housing policy is moving, stalling, and evolving all at once, so we brought in policy analyst Joel Herberman, from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, to cut through the noise. We begin with the Road to Housing Act, its removal from the defense bill, and how the House’s Housing for the 21st Century Act could still deliver meaningful reforms. From streamlined permitting to higher FHA loan limits and modern definitions that encomp...

Year-end reflections are only useful if they’re honest, and that’s exactly where we go. We relive the moments that truly moved our community, an after party that validated creative risk, a rock paper scissors icebreaker that turned strangers into allies, and a pet partners activation that brought calm and joy to a packed annual. Alongside the wins, we get candid about what fell short: convention center logistics that th...

A budget standoff ends, the lights come back on in Washington, and the housing world braces for what comes next. We examine the real consequences for lenders and borrowers when Congress relies on short-term fixes, including delayed hearings, stalled reauthorizations, and programs like flood insurance that are repeatedly pushed to the next deadline. With the continuing resolution in place, HUD and the CDFI Fund are back to full stre...

Ready to rethink mortgages as more than a product line? We sit down with Jerry Reed, President and CEO of Member First Mortgage, to unpack why home lending is the most powerful lever credit unions have to build member wealth, stabilize neighborhoods, and win long-term relationships. Jerry makes a compelling case that mortgages are more than just loans — they’re a mission. They collect the richest data in consumer financ...

When Washington grinds to a halt, households and lenders feel the tremors long before the headlines fade. We break down the current full federal shutdown, why ACA subsidy deadlines hardened the standoff, how “essential” designations keep some services moving while paychecks stall, and where the real economic bruises show up if this stretches from weeks into months. From missing jobs reports and data gaps that complicate...

What if the best way to serve members one-on-one is to scale their guidance to thousands? That’s the question we explore with Homebot’s Nicole Herrick, a credit union veteran who moved from the teller line and branch leadership to a fintech seat where impact multiplies. We dig into how “people helping people” becomes a practical strategy in mortgage lending, why credit unions scrutinize technology differentl...

Housing isn’t just math on a screen, it’s a story about stability, memory, and the people who fight to keep a roof overhead. We sit down with Julian Joseph, former FHA leader and founder of JYJ Consulting, to unpack what the “human side of housing” really means when rates are sticky, costs are rising, and trust is fragile. Julian takes us back to her time in foreclosure counseling, ground zero during the hou...

Consistency might be the most underrated superpower in the mortgage industry. While many professionals chase the next big strategy or market shift, Rebecca Lorenz, CEO and founder of Infinite Success Strategies, reveals a profound truth: your daily habits determine your ultimate success.

During this illuminating conversation with host Peter Benjamin, Rebecca unpacks how small, consistent actions compound over time to create ...