[David] Marc Helm, we’ve gotta make room for your rant. So folks, we always let, lemme a new segment. There is Mark’s rant.
[Marc] I want to comment on Allen’s presentation. When it sounds too good to be true, it probably is and just remember the old medicinal medical people that rolled into a wagon in the old West and would sell this concoction that’s supposed to cure any ailments you had, it killed more people than it helped, and there’s factual information on that. So I just caution people, yes, AI is good, but it’s gotta be controlled. I’m not worried about the fraud as much as I’m worried about it. AI is not perfect. It’s not perfect and it misses things and it might be perfect a hundred years from now, but it’s not now. So, you gotta be real careful when you use it. I’m gonna do my rant real quick. Travel a lot. And my wife and I just bought our own little service dog. That’s what I say. It is a little poodle, about 4.1 pounds. It fits in a little bag under the airplane seat. It’s already got three round trip flights under its belt and I’m paying for each one of those round trip flights, $300. I have a problem with that, and I’m gonna relate this to mortgage banking right at hand. I have a problem with that because I’m putting that dog in that container in the same place where my wife rests her feet on the flight. I’m already paying for that space, but they’re charging me again just because I’m putting a dog down there. Now, should they charge me a fee to check in a dog? Yeah, but it’s not $150 on each leg and is that a way to treat a customer who’s nearing two, 2 million miles on United and who’s a one K flyer? I don’t think so. But then I know they’re not gonna gimme special treatment, so I just, that’s my rant and it’s a big rant and it doesn’t affect a lot of people. It’s a big grant. But let me relate that to the common day. If you’re a servicer and you wanna make money off fees, you charge your bar, why should you make fees? Offer them in areas where it’s gonna cost them more money when they’re having a hard time making their payment. You need to be, you need to pay attention to what customers say and take care of them and if you’re not gonna spend money on loss mitigation, you’re not gonna save loans. If you’re not gonna spend money on other things, you need to manage your fees. We gotta pay attention to our customers in the world today, especially in our mortgage banking and in banking environments we’re in and we’ve gotta treat the customers right And treating ’em right is not finding every place you can to charge ’em extra money is charge ’em for what you do in fees that you need to cover your expenses. Give them good service, but don’t rip ’em off every time you turn around and every one of us on this phone call can think of a retail experience or a sales experience, auto experience, or a telephone company experience, or a cable TV experience where they rip us off every day until those people start addressing their problems in this country are we real having the calling the customer service? We think we should have our bars and our customers out there.
[David] Great point. Good stuff. Bill, it’s good to have you back from Italy. I’m glad you had a good trip. Marc, we wish you the best with what you’re going through with your family and love your rant this morning. I pay for the space where my feet’s already going. It’s, yeah it’s like it’s fee income gone bad. Everyone’s trying to figure out a way to make a little bit extra money at our expense. Gotta backfire when you have other airlines provide other off solutions.
Marc Helm
, CEO, and Author
Marc Helm serves as a Principal Partner at Transformational Mortgage Solutions, bringing over 46 years of extensive experience in the financial services and mortgage banking industry. Currently serving as the President and CEO of both ReverseAmerica Advisors, Inc. and Mortgage Consultants of America (MCA), Marc has established a proven track record of leadership and accomplishments, both within and beyond the mortgage banking sector.
In his notable role as the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc. (RMS), Marc played a pivotal role in steering RMS to become one of the largest Ginnie Mae Securitizers, originators, and servicers/sub servicers in the reverse mortgage industry. His influence has reached various key positions in the industry, including serving as Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Loan Administration Committee and Chairman of the MBA Technology Committee. Recognizing his expertise, he has been honored with memberships in prestigious advisory boards such as the Fidelity (LPS) Information Systems Mortgage Servicing Advisory Board and the National Reverse Mortgage Lender Association’s (NRMLA) Board of Directors.
Marc’s commitment to community involvement and philanthropy is evident in his roles as a Board Member of the American Heart Association (AHA), his past chairmanship of the AHA’s “Open Your Heart Campaign” for the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of The Year Award, and his service on the boards of additional organizations such as The Helm Foundation. His dedicated support extends to various causes, including initiatives for children, veterans, military service organizations, and the welfare of homeless mothers and children.
Marc’s dedication to philanthropy is complemented by his prior involvement in various committees and campaigns, such as his role as the Former Chairman for the Houston Area Special Olympics Campaign and Former Chairman of the Houston Area United Way Campaign.
Beyond his professional achievements and community engagement, Marc Helm is a family man, celebrating 49 years of marriage to Sallie Fortner Helm. Together, they have two children, Thomas Charles Helm and Dr. Jean Ann Helm Allen, and five grandchildren. Holding a BS Degree (Summa Cum Laude) and an MS Degree from Troy University, Marc showcases his commitment to education and continuous learning. Currently pursuing a PHD in Organizational Psychology, Marc Helm’s multifaceted expertise, leadership roles, and philanthropic contributions make him an invaluable Principal Partner at Transformational Mortgage Solutions and reinforces his active role as a Co-Host of the “Lykken on Lending” Podcast.