ACUMA's OnPoint Podcasts

ACUMA’s ONpoint Podcast series features some of the mortgage lending industry’s leading lights offering strategic insights and sound solutions to the challenges lenders face every day. In addition, each episode ends with a little bit of humor to help reset the tone of your day. Both personally and professionally, Onpoint Podcasts are an excellent investment of small amounts of time in return for great rewards.

Podcasts are available wherever you get your podcasts.

ACUMA 2023: The Highlights and the Even Higher Lights

Looking back on ACUMA in 2023 may mean different things to different members, but it clearly meant good things – let’s say GREAT things – to the association’s powerhouse staff: Peter Benjamin, President; Krista Korfmacher, Director of Events and Member Relations; Justin Hawkins, Director of Marketing & Communications; and Camryn Hinton, Associate Director of Events and Member Relations. The four association professionals come together in this podcast for a candid, often humorous discussion of the year’s high points, biggest surprises, and best lessons learned throughout the year. 2023 was a year of growth with successes embraced and goals achieved. Tune in to relive the year’s highpoints, gain insights into ACUMA’s personalities and operations, and get an early-bird view of what’s coming in 2024. Hint: It’s going to be a great year!

Cultivating Servant Leadership

The lack of affordable housing continues to plague society’s different economic strata, but there are things credit unions can and should do to foster greater homeownership among current and potential members. To credit unions, members are more than mere transactions, and it behooves them to act as servant leaders to make the dream of homeownership a reality. Join ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, as he learns how Le Tran, AVP of Mortgage Underwriting with WEOKIE FCU, and Tim Cox, Director of Neighborhood Funding with Neighborhood Housing Services of Oklahoma, reach the heart of the human spirit to deal with this critical issue.

Dreams + Action = Reality

Sometimes the smallest decisions we make have the greatest consequences, often defining and shaping the trajectory of our lives. For Suha Zehl, founder and senior advisor with Z Technology Solutions, understanding and seizing those pivotal moments define us and, ultimately, influence the direction and the success of our lives. This is true not only for ourselves as individuals, but for those we mentor, and even those who mentor us. ACUMA president Peter Benjamin, CMB, participates in a fascinating discussion with one of the financial services industry’s most original thinkers, learning that action leads to reaction and, most importantly, reflection, and that dreams without action are just dreams.

Know Your Members. Tell Your Story.

The clearest path to financial security is through homeownership, but how many of your members know your credit union not only offers mortgage loans but is sincerely interested in embarking on that journey with them? According to Wendy Dawson, Vice President of Mortgage Lending for Coastal Federal Credit Union, this awareness is especially critical for first-time homebuyers. Through propensity modeling, Coastal identified 76,000 members who qualified for mortgage loans. Join ACUMA president Peter Benjamin, CMB, during this podcast as he discovers just how the credit union went about knowing its members, telling its story, and increasing its share of wallet to include more mortgage loans.

Getting Back to Embracing Connections

We’ve all heard it at some point or another in the past few years. Face-to-face conversations have seen a large decline. Peter Benjamin, President of ACUMA is coming to you live from ACUMA’s Annual Conference in the beautiful Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, MD where he is joined by Kathy Weber, VP of Residential Lending at Delta Community Credit Union; and Mike Vough, Vice President Hedging and Trading Products with Optimal Blue talking about all things Annual Conference and what it means to really make these personal connections as we move through such tough times. Sponsored by Optimal Blue.

Success Turns on Trust and Accountability

How do you motivate your loan officers – internal as well as external – during difficult times? For Nestor Villanueva, AVP for Mortgage Production at Northwest Federal Credit Union, motivation and success are built on the twin cornerstones of trust and accountability. These are not processes that happen overnight, and they must create a two-way street to assure mortgage lending success. If both sides can hold each other accountable, then success will follow. Join ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, the host of this podcast, and learn more. Sponsored by MeridianLink.

Success Means Serving Members as THEY Want to be Served

Mortgage lending success requires different skills, abilities, and levels of awareness. Central to those is being readily available to members, Realtors, and anyone else involved in the mortgage lending process. That means being there when they call if only to let them know you’re involved and working toward a resolution. Such immediacy works wonders, says Jen Poniatowski, Vice President of Members Sales at Credit Union 1, along with the right mix of lending products, technology, and the ability to speak to them in a language in which they’d like to be addressed. Jen shares this and other success secrets with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, in this enlightening podcast. Sponsored by Member First Mortgage.

Capturing the Attention – and Trust – of Younger Homebuyers

The financial market is always changing, but emerging generations have difficulty distinguishing between credit unions, banks, and other lenders. When it comes to home mortgages, most don’t understand and are fearful of the process, knowing little about credit unions’ natural advantages to help first-time homebuyers achieve their personal financial goals. Education, outreach, and sensitivity to personal needs are just a few of the secrets to successfully serving Millennials, Gen Z, and the next cohort to come along. Join ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, and podcast guest Kristin Messerli, cofounder and executive director of FirstHome IQ , in a deep dive that explores how to successfully reach and better serve up-and-coming homebuyers. Sponsored by National MI.

Capturing the Mind of the Member and the Marketplace

Succeeding in any enterprise turns on your ability to understand the minds of your constituents. In credit union mortgage lending, your constituency starts with borrowers but stretches to include the Realtors you work with and the institutions you compete with to serve your members best. That quickly becomes a busy field of play, and ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, puts his head together with Mike Ferraro, President of Mortgage Markets CUSO, to compare notes and strategies to maximize credit union advantages while minimizing competitive threats. Sponsored by FirstClose.

What Does It Mean to Be a Good Teammate?

Everyone talks about leadership, but little is said about being a good teammate. Good leaders know that they, of course, can’t do it alone. Great leaders know that good teammates able to work together, support each other’s efforts, fill in the gaps, and score in whatever discipline they perform are both vital to success and themselves great leaders in the making. ACUMA president Peter Benjamin, CMB, joins friend and former colleague Jermaine Medley, VP of Mortgage Originations for Lafayette Federal Credit Union, former starting point guard for Villanova University, and Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame inductee to share inside thoughts on what makes a great teammate and what leaders can do to stimulate that performance.

Do the Right Thing at the Right Time for the Right Reasons

Work brings value to time, or so the saying goes. High-level credit union professionals know how to manage time productively in ways that maximize their own days and those of their staff members. But it takes a certain level of emotional intelligence to look beyond mere efficiencies and find a rationale for time management, especially as it relates to serving members.

That’s the wisdom Amber Speer, VP of Mortgage for Texell Credit Union, brings every day to better manage her operations, the employees she oversees, and the members she serves. She shares those thoughts and strategies with ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, and co-host Brandonn Dukes, EVP of Real Estate for Consumer Lending for Curinos, in this enlightening podcast that travels beyond its initial topics to an entirely different level. This one is worth a listen. Sponsored by Curinos.

Some Like It Hot (-ter Than Others)

Few things demand more time and energy than our professions. One of the exceptions seems to be hot sauce, especially when shared among friends. Join ACUMA staff members Krista Korfmacher, Justin Hawkins, and Camryn Hinton as they put ACUMA President, Peter Benjamin, CMB, on the hot seat about what the association has accomplished in the first 18 months of his tenure, and what lies ahead for the future. The discussion is framed within the context of a hot sauce tasting in which the samples run from 2- to 9-out-of-10 on the Scoville heat units scale. The discussion is as lively as the group’s taste buds become as they plan for the future. Tune in for thoughts on professional development as well as culinary insights into one of the world’s most challenging foods. (Hint: Keep your eyes open for both Piko Riko and The Seventh Reaper hot sauces but proceed with caution.)

Creating Your Personal Net Worth

Mortgage lending is all about helping members build net worth through home ownership. But the most difficult lessons come from creating your net worth, not only financially, but from both a personal and professional perspective. The work is more challenging than you may think.

Dale Syta, Managing Director of Bellco Home Loans, has found the key to that success with The Loan Officer Playbook, an ongoing series of online opportunities through which even the best loan officers can improve their game. Syta spells out the tenets of success in an engaging crossfire of questions and answers designed to help you improve your profession and life. Sponsored by Optimal Blue.

Elevating the Mortgage Lending Process for Greater Success

As a credit union mortgage lender, you strive to be a more effective leader for your team and the institution it serves. What makes you get out of bed in the morning to tackle the challenging problems and vault the growing hurdles to mortgage lending success? What enables you to inspire your team to follow into the fray while better serving your members? Join ACUMA President Peter Benjamin and our guest SECU of Maryland Managing Director, Mark Deitz as the two dissect what makes a successful leader during this enlightening podcast.

Success Stories During a Down Year and Overcoming Challenges

The ACUMA team is onsite at our FOCALpoint Workshop in Louisville, KY. Peter Benjamin, President of ACUMA was joined by Carolyn Morganbesser, Assistant Vice President Mortgage Originations at Affinity Federal Credit Union, and Bernie Chavira, AVP of Mortgage Lending Originations at Define Mortgage Solutions for this special edition episode of the ACUMA OnPoint Podcast. Coming together and connecting with other professionals in the credit union mortgage industry are just some of the keys to their success. They both were able to share with us their favorite parts of the workshop and how being vulnerable allows them to be not just better professionals, but also, better leaders to their teams.

What Value Am I Providing Today?

No one accidentally succeeds. No matter how big the challenge is, believing in yourself, your capabilities, and the value of your efforts is critical to achieving success. At the heart of all this lies a single word – optimism. Ali Nassirian, Vice President of Home Loans at Golden 1 Credit Union, understands the value of optimism. In this podcast, he and ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, share some insightful thoughts about optimism’s importance.

Become Your Credit Union's Advocate

Are you an active advocate for credit unions? As an active advocate, you can:

Better influence lawmakers with a real-world view of the lending process.
Better explain to your members what the rules mean.
How they as borrowers benefit from the new rules.

Elizabeth Sullivan, CUNA’s Senior Director of Advocacy & Counsel, joins ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, in this podcast’s frank discussion about why credit union lenders need to get actively involved in advocacy. If you’re not part of the process, as the pundits say, you better learn to live with the solutions, whatever they may be.

Sales is Not a Dirty Word

Credit union real estate lenders too often suffer heartburn over being called “salespeople,” especially in light of serving their members, according to Dr. Bruce Lund, founder, and director of The 90-Day Sales Manager. But supporting the demand for services drives the need to occupy the sales niche when courting professional partner firms to help the credit union and its members achieve their goals. Join Dr. Bruce Lund, Homebot’s Nicole Herrick, and ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, as they discuss strategies to stimulate sales staff, and create “solopreneurs” to operate within the credit union philosophy to create the right partner relationships and repeatedly beat the competition. It’s time for “The Great Reset.” Is your sales staff ready? Sponsored by Homebot.

Cultivating a Passion for Service

When Scott Albrecht became manager of a small credit union located within a Fortune 15 company in Columbus, Ohio, he wanted to ignite in his staff a passion for service, creating a credit union that replicated the old TV sitcom Cheers, “where everybody knows your name.” These days Albrecht serves as the AVP of Learning Development for ServiStar Consulting, a position that enables him to teach that same passion for service to credit unions nationwide. On this podcast, hosted by ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, Albrecht discusses the secrets for igniting the enthusiasm to create and foster the credit union’s mission of creating a passion for financial wellness for members. Tune in if you want the inside skinny.

Mortgage Lending Success – It’s a Matter of Both Lifestyle and Expertise

How do mortgage lenders rise to success in their industry? The most successful mortgage veterans know mastery of critical techniques is just part of the equation. Embracing the lifestyles of the members and communities they serve opens the door to new levels of understanding, and from that understanding comes mastery. In this episode, ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, and Sean Dugan, Director of Origination Technology and Sales for Black Knight, interview Brent Green, CMB, Mortgage Sales Manager for Lake Michigan Credit Union, on the strategies he employed to rise to success in his local market. His formula? A rich mix of education, mentoring, commitment, market savvy, and more. Sponsored by Black Knight.

Leadership is a Privilege. Have You Earned the Right?

Effective leadership is critical to success, but leadership skills are neither a natural talent nor a career rite of passage. Good leaders earn their position. In this podcast, ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, digs deeply into the leadership question with Casey Cunningham, the founder, and CEO of XINNIX. Cunningham knows that leaders must be strong, but that strength must be based on honesty and vulnerability in the face of their subordinates. Those with stamina and dedication earn the privilege of leadership and can expect the best results from their teams and themselves.

Networking, Collaboration, and Sharing Ideas are How We All Succeed

There are so many different opportunities for people to continue to learn and grow within the credit union space. ACUMA’s FOCALpoint Workshops are just one of those many ways. But we are joined today, by Julie Bowering from Elements Financial and Amber Speer from Texell Credit Union just getting to know them and why they chose to attend the FOCALpoint Workshops. Sharing their insights on collaboration, networking, and the sessions overall, they are sure to offer a new perspective on what made them want to attend this event.

Let Education Drive Your Staff Development

True professions are defined as enterprises that actively provide training and support for those who will take the reins in the future. Unfortunately, the question of how that will happen is too often ignored. In this podcast, ACUMA Peter Benjamin, CMB, discusses staff development with Andy Woodman, VP of Mortgage Lending and Loan Trading at Georgia United Credit Union. Joined by Lender Price’s Dawar Alimi and Dustin McClelland, Woodman believes leadership growth should be actively cultivated. It takes time and effort to help employees professionally advance in ways that will help them – and their credit union – grow. Sponsored by Lender Price.

Follow the Market Data

Navigating the mortgage market requires vigorous attention to detail and up-to-date market intelligence to make the right decisions at the right times and for the right reasons. In this podcast, ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, welcomes mortgage industry expert Bill Bodnar, Chief Revenue Officer for Tabrasa LLC, and Chief Market Analyst for the Mortgage Market Guide, to help listeners understand and effectively use market data to reach their mortgage lending goals in ways that build foundations for even greater success.

Krista, You're a Rockstar!

If any organization has a hub around which all movement turns, it’s usually someone with integrity, influence, endurance and, above all, energy. In this special podcast ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, honors Krista Korfmacher, ACUMA’s Director of Events and Member Relations, in celebration of her fifth anniversary with the association. Most members know her as the human whirlwind that keeps the wheels of the Annual Conference spinning at a rapid rate, but the closet Introvert’s influence stretches to so much further within the ACUMA realm. Want to know what it takes to keep Krista spinning at 150% for five days straight? Tune in.

Clearing the Path to Better Member Service

Credit unions were founded on the premise of serving the underserved and people of modest means. These days those potential members are getting harder to reach amid the clatter and competition characterizing the marketplace. How do credit unions clear the path to better fulfill their mission? Join ACUMA President Peter Benjamin, CMB, on the very first ACUMA ONpoint Podcast as he analyzes and discusses member growth challenges with Tony Thompson, CMB, founder and CEO of the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America. Sponsored by Black Knight.