For the year of 2019, net income attributable to the Company increased 43.7% to a record $31.5 million, or $16.59 per diluted share, versus $21.9 million, or $11.54 per diluted share, in the prior year. For the quarter, net income attributable to the Company increased to a record $11.4 million, or $6.00 per diluted share, versus $135,000, or $0.07 per diluted share, in the prior year period. Revenues for the year increased 17.4% to a record $183.5 million, compared with $156.3 million in the prior year. Operating expenses increased 11.2% to $143.7 million, compared with $129.2 million in the prior year. 

Chairman J. Allen Fine commented, "We are pleased to report another year of strong performance for the Company. For both the quarter and the year, the Company set new records for revenues, premiums, and earnings. A strong economy led to another year of increases in the level of home sales and average real estate values, while historically low interest rates drove a sharp increase in the level of refinance activity." Click HERE to review the full press release.

by Geoffrey James, contributing editor, Inc.com

Only ask this question if you really want to know if this individual candidate will be successful in this particular job as it  reveals massively valuable information:  "To do your best work, how do you need to be managed? Feel free to use an example."  A big advantage to this question is that it uncovers three important perspectives and it can't be gamed with a pat answer because the candidate won't know the management style of the person for whom they would be working. A pat answer thus might easily misfire. Click HERE to learn more. 

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by Dustin Brohm

It seems that agents and lenders don't know how to talk to consumers...."Guess what, consumers! Conforming loan limits were just raised! Awesome, right!? Call me!" "Woo hoo! FHA just increased loan limits! Give me a call today!""Fannie and Freddie just did...""FHFA just announced..."Rates! Bond charts! Comps! CMAs! 15-year fixed! Jumbo! How many of these posts do we see on social media from our fellow agents and lenders every day? Like, a bazillion! It's not necessarily the topic that is the issue, it's the delivery of the topic that's the problem. Do you know what was missing from 5.999 bazillion of those posts? An explanation of what in the world a conforming loan even is! An explanation of how a major move in rates actually affects consumers' purchasing power. Nothing tangible, just generic, unhelpful nonsense. Click HERE to read on.

by Bill Streeter, Editor at The Financial Brand

According to a new study, tech companies are winning the battle for payments, branches will disappear, and mobile banking dominates delivery options. For now, financial institutions maintain a big edge over fintechs, but consumers would welcome more personalized advice and new security tools. Click  HERE to learn great insights from a consumer survey into how they see the future of banking 

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