MBA Education’s David Upbin on How MBA Education Can Help Lenders and Servicers in 2021

David Upbin is Vice President of Education Operations and Programming & MBA Strategy with the Mortgage Bankers Association. He joined MBA in 2013 and is responsible for financial management, operations, delivery and programming of MBA Education’s suite of training products and events.

Over the past few years, Upbin has played a significant role in development and execution of several key initiatives, including Mortgage Banking Bound, Commercial Real Estate Basics, Level I of the Certified Mortgage Compliance Professional designation and Education Advantage, a training package geared towards Independent Mortgage Bankers and community-based lenders.

For MBA strategy, Upbin helps develop, track and manage annual MBA performance goals and objectives, and plays a key role in oversight of the MBA’s cross-department strategic initiatives. He can be reached at dupbin@mba.org.

MBA NEWSLINK: 2020 was a heck of a year for the mortgage industry, to say the least. What can mortgage servicers expect—or not expect—in 2021?

DAVID UPBIN: I’m not I am the right person to predict what lies ahead, but I do know that MBA Education is here to help our servicing members and professionals. Whether it is through onboarding new talent, grooming existing talent for leadership roles, or managing compliance challenges, MBA Education has a wide variety of offerings for the servicing community. With over 60 self-study courses that are servicing specific, one servicing specific designation, and several compliance resources, MBA Education is your trusted resource for servicing training.

NEWSLINK: Even in best times, mortgage servicers face challenges on numerous fronts—profitability, retention, risk management and loss mitigation. How has MBA Education designed its curriculum to maximize servicers’ success?

UPBIN: Nearly all of MBA Education’s servicing offerings can be taken anywhere and at any time, so your company or individual training goals do not interfere with the day-to-day business. Live offerings such as School of Mortgage Banking or School of Mortgage Servicing, while delivered during business hours, can be accessed 24 hours a day so students can take their coursework outside of normal business hours. With MBA Education going completely virtual for last several months and the foreseeable future, now is the time to take advantage of what we have to offer.

NEWSLINK: With so much refinancing activity taking place, servicers are having a difficult time retaining customers, as the latest MBA Quarterly Performance Report shows. What specific programs does MBA Education have to help servicers improve retention rates?

UPBIN: For any servicer worried about retention, I would recommend that mid-senior level staff take School of Mortgage Banking (SOMB) II which focuses on profitability and risk mitigation in mortgage lending. The Servicing Portfolio Valuation section of SOMB II is loaded with actionable content related to servicing investment alternatives, modeling for prepayments, and approaches to MSR valuation. No matter what your business model is, SOMB II with help your staff understand the complexities of managing a servicing portfolio.

NEWSLINK: What are the Top 5 things servicers need to know about MBA Education?

UPBIN: Here are five quick things:

1. Education Advantage is a no-brainer for your organization and can allow your staff to access all the MBA Education has to offer for one annual price that is based off your company’s MBA dues. Depending on which Education Advantage package you choose, your staff can get unlimited access to our library of servicing self-study courses and designations, and limited seats to School of Mortgage Servicing and School of Mortgage Banking. Be sure to contact Jeff Schummer at JSchummer@mba.org for more info and pricing.
2. We have group pricing for everything! Again, be sure to contact Jeff for more info.
3. There is no limit on the number of Path to Diversity applications that come from your company. Individuals are capped at one application per year, but if eligible, make sure your staff is leveraging this tremendous industry benefit.
4. Our webinars are free to members! Upcoming topics that are relevant to servicers include Engaging Borrowers in Today’s Digital Environment on January 19 and Compliance in a Rapidly Changing Servicing Environment on February 24.
5. Get letters after your name! The Residential Certified Mortgage Servicing (RCMS) is both affordable and accessible (completely online) and is something every servicer looking to grow in the industry should have. Additionally, several servicing professionals are going for their Certified Mortgage Compliance Professional (CMCP) designation and several servicers have recently achieved their Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB).

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