Lykken on Lending

This episode explores a mortgage market caught at the intersection of global uncertainty and potential policy transformation, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to influence bond markets and interest rate direction while anticipation builds around possible changes in Federal Reserve leadership. With many expecting lower rates—but only if stability returns—industry experts break down how timing, inflation pressures, and energy markets are shaping the outlook. At the same time, a new wave of leadership at the Fed could signal shifts in monetary strategy, communication style, and long-term rate policy. For mortgage professionals, understanding how these macro forces converge is critical to navigating risk, advising clients, and positioning for what could be a pivotal turning point in the market.

This podcast segment explores how rapid AI adoption in mortgage lending is creating innovation opportunities while overwhelming lenders with too many tools and not enough strategic clarity.-----------------------------------------------------Allen Pollack, Tech ConsultantAllen Pollack, a Mortgage & Financial Services Technology Advisor, is a subject matter expert in the mortgage origination process along with software product management and software development.In today’s financial services push to all things Digital, Allen has been helping lenders and financial services solution providers align their digital transformation and technology strategies by removing the human element of risk, and automating processes that drive efficiencies and margins into profits.Over the course of his career, Allen has co-created and developed technology business models that have birthed highly successful, innovative solutions and companies.Allen co-founded and served as CTO of New York Loan Exchange (NYLX), a loan product eligibility and pricing engine (PPE) that made an immediate impact on the industry, scaling the company quickly and forming partnerships with multiple mortgage and financial lending companies. In 2012, Allen was a co-founder of a merger between NYLX and Aklero Risk Analytics that created LoanLogics, A Mortgage Loan Quality and Performance Analytics company. Allen served as CTO where he continued to bring new and innovative product solutions to the market that made a significant impact to mortgage lenders that reduced risk, scaled business channels, and grew profits in a very competitive and highly regulated market.Allen is also is mortgage and finance technology contributor on a weekly live industry podcast, Lykken on Lending, and is launching a new podcast soon to be released, TechStack Radio, dedicated to technology and innovation in Financial Services.

This podcast segment captures growing industry frustration as lenders and experts question the execution, costs, and real impact of FHFA’s credit scoring rollout despite years of development.------------------------------------------------------------------Alice Alvey, Master CMBVice President Partner Education and Training at Union Home MortgageShe handles development of their World Class Training program designed to support UHM partners and organizational effectiveness.Prior to UHM, Alice served as Senior Vice President at Indecomm leading the Indecomm-Mortgage U division, Internal QA and Compliance and SaaS technologies. Indecomm acquired Mortgage U in 2013, where Alice was President/Co-founder, providing training and consulting since 1996. Prior to MU she served as SVP of Operations at a national bank overseeing operations for wholesale, retail and correspondent from underwriting through servicing, and compliance.She has been in the trenches of mortgage lending operations from application through servicing for over 30 years. Her authoring work in training content, policies and procedures and the FHA/VA Practical guides illustrates her ability to bridge regulatory requirements with day-to-day operations.Alice has been a weekly contributor to the Lykken on Lending show since its beginning in April 2009 and has made her weekly contributions to 450+ episodes!

This podcast segment explains how bond markets and mortgage rates remain in a holding pattern as investors wait for clarity on the Iran conflict, with geopolitical headlines outweighing economic data.-----------------------------------------------------Matt began as an originator in 2002. He fell in love with the idea of following MBS in real-time but felt that existing products were only scratching the surface. Thus was born MBS Live in 2007, the first-of-its-kind platform with real-time market data/analysis, and live chat with analysts, traders, and originators around the country. He is currently the Founder and CEO of MBSLive!He's been covering bond/mortgage markets, writing commentary, alerts, and chatting with the live community every business hour of every business day ever since.Matt also serves as the Chief of Operations for mortgagenewsdaily.com, where he is one of the industry's most respected mortgage rate experts, frequently quoted in the media. Mortgage News Daily's rate index is used as the definitive resource on day-to-day mortgage rate averages.He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son, where he enjoys skiing, fishing, coaching youth sports, playing the guitar, and more DIY projects/hobbies than he'd care to admit.

04-29-20.26 Europe’s Growth "Headed For A Heartbreak"-----------------Mining came, but US blocked the Oil.Bye, Iran’s money.The blockade will lead to the closure of Iran's oil wells and a freeze on revenue. Bonds know that the Strait of Hormuz will open eventually. However, Oil and the Dollar dance to the tune of war headlines.Iran’s mullahs are pawns of the military, and its civil leaders want to maintain an economic future and stay alive. Leadership confusion causes ups and downs in negotiations. Thus, Europe’s growth feels the pain.Headed for a heartbreak.These views are mine.Join TMSpotlight to know who feels the pain.Don't you think Oil feels the pain?----------------Song: Headed For A Heartbreak (1989) Winger

This podcast segment breaks down FHFA’s push to modernize mortgage credit scoring through the rollout of VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T, aiming to increase competition and expand borrower access.-------------------------------------------------------------Adam DeSanctis, VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers AssociationAs a strategic public affairs and communications executive with nearly two decades of experience, Adam has deep expertise in strategy, management, and media relations. He is widely considered to be an expert in a variety of communications, including advocacy, brand, executive, crisis, grassroots, and social media. In his career, he has been the MBA spokesperson on a wide variety of real estate research and advocacy-related issues, promoted MBA research and advocacy efforts to financial, political, and trade industry media and on MBA's social media channels, and secured media opportunities for MBA leadership on key real estate trends and issues, generated media coverage for MBA's research and data on mortgage applications, credit availability, homebuilder applications, mortgage forbearance/delinquencies, commercial real estate originations, and forecasts, and other industry analysis, developed key strategic initiatives for MBA's organizational public affairs plan, media relations and member communications support for mPower, MBA's Opens Doors Foundation and MBA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program.

The mortgage industry isn’t simply adopting AI—it’s undergoing a structural shift in how work actually gets done. In this episode, David Lykken sits down with Troy Kennedy, CEO of LoanWorks, to unpack what really changes when AI is embedded directly into workflow infrastructure. Instead of layering automation onto broken processes, this conversation challenges the industry to rethink coordination, decision-making, and execution from the ground up. The result isn’t just faster loans—it’s a fundamentally different operating model where intelligence guides the workflow, reduces friction, and surfaces issues before they become problems. If you’re still thinking about AI as a tool, this discussion will reframe how you see the future of mortgage operations.

What separates mortgage companies that simply survive from those that truly endure? In this episode, David Lykken sits down with the leadership team behind Alcova Mortgage to unpack the real operating principles behind long-term success. Drawing inspiration from Built to Last, the conversation goes far beyond production numbers and into the core of what actually sustains a company—strong culture, disciplined decision-making, and the willingness to challenge each other in pursuit of better outcomes. From navigating AI without chasing hype to building a culture where employees stay and thrive, this episode offers a blueprint for leaders who want to build something that lasts, not just something that grows.

On 4-26-2010, mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests Alice Alvey and Joe Farr provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. Special Guest Mitch Kider of Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider talks about Senate Bill 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability. Andy Schell, Managing Partner of MBS comments on Mortgage Banking Accounting. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] Thank you for listening to Lykken on Lending. On 4-26-2010, mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests Alice Alvey and Joe Farr provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. Special Guest Mitch Kider of Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider talks about Senate Bill 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability. Andy Schell, Managing Partner of MBS comments on Mortgage Banking Accounting. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] Thank you for listening to Lykken on Lending.

On 4-19-2010, mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests Alice Alvey and Joe Farr provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. Special Guest Mitch Kider of Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider talks about Senate Bill 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability. Andy Schell, Managing Partner of MBS comments on Mortgage Banking Accounting. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] Thank you for listening to Lykken on Lending.On 4-19-2010, mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests Alice Alvey and Joe Farr provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. Special Guest Mitch Kider of Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider talks about Senate Bill 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability. Andy Schell, Managing Partner of MBS comments on Mortgage Banking Accounting. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] Thank you for listening to Lykken on Lending.

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]

Mortgage industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected] industry veteran, David Lykken, along with frequent guests, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Scott Sanderson provide up-to-the-minute information on interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry. E-mail me topic you would like discussed on the program to [email protected]