What’s new out there? Well, United Airlines is talking about having couches in the air. There’s always something new in compliance, and there are firms that specialize in it including Feewise, Truework, Asurity, RiskExec, TENA, ACES Quality Management, Firstline Compliance, and LicensingStore.com listed in the Marketplace. There’s always something new impacting mortgage rates. “Rob, I know that short term rates have gone up more than long term rates. Doesn’t an inverted yield curve, where short term rates are higher than long term rates, portend a recession?” Not always, especially when it is temporary. All kinds of people predicted a recession a few years ago that never materialized, reminding us that no one can predict the future. That said, financial companies like JPMorgan Chase predict no Fed cuts in 2026 and mortgage rates, which have gone back up to last summer’s levels, aren’t helping biz. Investors don’t think much of the prospects for builders, and their stocks have behaved accordingly. PulteGroup, for example, is at a one-year low, down 20 percent from a few months ago. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s ‘casts are sponsored by Quorum Federal Credit Union offering a broker outlet. Quorum empowers brokers to close more deals with flexible, high-LTV mortgage and HELOC solutions featuring up to 4 percent comp, low FICO options, and versatile programs for nearly every borrower scenario. Each day’s podcast features an interview with a mortgage luminary after 6AM PT, today’s with Peter Idziak with Polunsky Beitel Green on President Trump’s executive order’s impact on mortgage regulations.)

Products, Services, and Software for Brokers and Lenders

Arc Home continues to invest in the growth of HomeEQ, recently adding Lori Monahan as a dedicated HomeEQ Account Executive. Lori brings significant HELOC experience in the broker channel and is focused on helping partners expand their product mix and win more deals. For those looking to get up to speed, a recent HomeEQ webinar recording and full presentation are now available, offering a clear look at the program, use cases, and how brokers are positioning HELOCs in today’s market. HomeEQ is backed by top of the stack pricing in the digital HELOC space, along with expanded income eligibility that helps brokers qualify more deals, including 1099 and alternative documentation, and the ability to lend on homes currently listed for sale. Combined with funding in as few as 5 days, the program is built for both speed and execution. To take a deeper dive or discuss specific scenarios, connect with Lee Malone, VP of HELOC Sales for a program overview.

Most mortgage AI tools automate part of the process and leave your team to catch what they missed. That doesn't reduce risk, it just relocates it. JazzX goes further by reasoning across the loan lifecycle and validating data across documents to produce findings that are complete, explainable, and audit-ready. Every output is tied to a guideline, a document, and a field, so your team can verify every decision independently. That’s the difference between automation that looks good upfront and automation that holds up under scrutiny. Request a demo with our team to see how JazzX makes every decision audit-ready.

Logan Finance is raising the bar for high-balance non-QM lending with the launch of Open Road Elevated, a premium product tier designed for borrowers who’ve outgrown conventional limits. With loan amounts up to $5.0M and a 740 minimum FICO, Open Road Elevated offers four qualification pathways: Full Doc (Roam), Bank Statement (Overland), Asset Qualification (Beyond), and DSCR (Autobahn, up to $4.5M). All programs feature up to 65% LTV, interest-only options on 30-year terms, and eligibility across primary, second home, and investment properties. Whether your client qualifies on documented income, business deposits, liquid assets, or rental cash flow, Logan has a premium solution ready. Open Road Elevated is now available exclusively through Logan Finance's Wholesale and Wholesale Commercial Broker channels. Contact your Logan AE today or visit loganwholesale.com to get your high-balance pipeline moving. Logan Finance Corporation | NMLS ID 127722 | Equal Housing Opportunity Lender

Fraud isn’t slowing down in 2026, and neither can you. On April 15 at 10am PT, join experts from Cotality and Secure Insight at the Cotality Fraud Summit, a must-attend virtual event designed for mortgage lenders, servicers and risk professionals who need practical strategies to detect, prevent and respond to evolving fraud threats. From synthetic identity and income manipulation to emerging AI-driven schemes, today’s risk landscape is more complex and costly than ever. The Cotality Fraud Summit brings together experts across data, analytics, and operations to share real-world insights, actionable best practices and technology-driven solutions that help you stay ahead of risk without slowing down your pipeline. Attendees will gain perspective on wire fraud risks, and how advanced data and intelligence can strengthen decisioning across the loan lifecycle. If protecting margins, preserving borrower trust and safeguarding your organization are priorities in 2026, this event belongs on your calendar. Register here.

Analyzing complex loan data is an essential business function, but many mortgage professionals rely on manual or outdated approaches that can quickly lead to inconsistencies and bottlenecks. Investing in a specialized business intelligence solution helps organizations overcome these shortcomings and unlock the full potential of their data to improve efficiency, inform strategy, and gain a competitive advantage. ICE Business Intelligence (BI) is built specifically for the mortgage industry and integrated with Encompass® and MSP® to deliver the deep insights needed to make more informed business decisions. By combining robust proprietary, internal and third-party data sets, ICE BI equips lenders and servicers with intuitive dashboards, preconfigured analytics and automated workflows that help decrease operational costs, optimize processes, identify trends, and uncover new growth opportunities. Don’t settle for more reports. Discover how ICE BI helps you turn your data into a strategic advantage.

The Chrisman Marketplace is a centralized hub for vendors and service providers across the mortgage industry to be viewed by lenders in a very cost-effective manner. We’re adding new providers daily, so check back often to see what’s new. To reserve your place or learn more, contact us at info@chrismancommentary.com.

Thought Leadership: When Do You Verify Something?

Marvin Chang with Duke University has some thoughts on when to verify information and stay competitive. “The real risk in underwriting today is not inaccurate data, it is delayed truth, and that distinction is forcing lenders to rethink where verification sits in the workflow. When income and employment clarity arrives after rate locks and decision points, it no longer reduces risk, it simply documents it. That is a structural inefficiency, not a technology gap. What feels different now is that margins are too tight to absorb this lag, and fallout costs are becoming more visible and attributable. Leaders are being pushed to move verification upstream, even if it disrupts long-standing processes. The competitive edge will come from changing when decisions are informed, not just how.”

Capital Markets

With geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty driving volatility in the bond market, lenders are once again navigating swings in MBS pricing. In MCT’s blog post, Reacting to Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) Market Movement, readers will find practical ways to recognize market signals, interpret MBS price changes, and keep pipelines resilient. By exploring how macro-driven volatility interacts with hedging strategies and patterns in rallies and selloffs, the post offers a framework for managing secondary market risk in uncertain conditions. Join MCT’s newsletter to stay informed with the latest market commentary and mortgage capital markets education.

Yesterday MBS prices and U.S. Treasuries enjoyed a solid midweek bounce in price that pushed yields down from their highest levels of 2026. Treasuries recorded the bulk of their gains at the open after a night that saw growing hopes for a resolution to the Iran conflict. There were reports of several Asia-bound ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, alleviating worries about supply shortages in a region heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East.

In terms of news, pretty much anything scheduled is barely considered compared to war news, tweets, and geopolitical events in general. We do have several speakers from the Fed, and did have the weekly jobless claims numbers (210k, as expected, 1.819 million continuing claims). This morning, after oil prices shooting higher (again), MBS prices are worse .125-.250 versus Wednesday’s close, the 2-year, which closed at 3.88 percent, is up to 3.92, and the 10-year, which closed at 4.33 percent, is at 4.37. (Mortgages don’t track the 30-year bond, but the yield on that is up to 4.90 percent… if and when it hits 5, it’ll make headlines.)