Looking at the attendees of various mortgage events around the nation over the last several months, I remember back to when a “new hip joint” meant some place that I wanted to go on a Friday night. Here at the MMLA Conference in Boyne Falls (if you ever have a chance to visit in the summer or autumn, do so!), where there is definitely some youth appearing, one of the dinner discussions was “remember back when everyone was hiring” and whether hiring is on the upswing. For some companies, the answer is definitely “yes” and this month’s STRATMOR blog is titled, “Hiring: Do You Remember How to Do That?” Another discussion topic is the feeling that most lenders have definitely “turned a corner” in terms of profitability and had a good second quarter for various reasons. Let’s hope your numbers validate that! (Today’s podcast is found here and this week’s is sponsored by Truv. Truv lets applicants verify income, employment, assets, insurance, and switch direct deposits. Unlock the power of open finance, with Truv. Hear an interview with Marvin Chang on how mortgage originators can tailor products and services for the next generation.) Lender and Broker Software, Services, and Products ICYMI: Last month, Optimal Blue unveiled three new AI capabilities in the CompassEdge hedging and trading platform as part of its ongoing strategy to address real-world challenges for mortgage lenders. The first, Profitability Assistant, designed for CFOs, uses generative AI to write a succinct summary of the top drivers that caused a gain or loss of profitability in a pipeline. The second, Projections Assistant, assists capital markets leaders in predicting the real-time impact of various factors on the risk profile of a hedged mortgage pipeline. Finally, Trade Assistant suggests a combination of sells, buys, rolls, and swaps to maximize effectiveness in alignment with a lender’s hedge policy, while minimizing transaction cost. These AI assistants aim to reduce manual processes, aligning with Optimal Blue’s mission to maximize lenders’ profitability on every loan. These new AI capabilities come at no additional cost to CompassEdge users. Read more in the press release.