Desert Financial Credit Union has built its reputation over decades by embracing innovation and putting members first. Founded in 1939 by fifteen Arizona educators with just $78.75 between them, it grew into the state’s largest and most trusted credit union – now serving over 450,000 members and managing $8.7 billion in assets. Throughout this growth, Desert Financial stayed true to its mission of “Sharing Success,” returning value to members and the community through annual cashback bonuses and philanthropy. To sustain that member-first ethos in a fast-growing organization, the credit union continually seeks to improve its operations – including the behind-the-scenes technology powering its mortgage services.
One area that demanded attention was Desert Financial’s mortgage lending and servicing process. The credit union’s mortgage subsidiary, Define Mortgage Solutions, handles everything from loan origination to servicing in-house. This meant relying on two powerful yet separate systems – MeridianLink’s OpenClose for loan origination and FICS MortgageServicer for loan servicing. Traditionally, once a mortgage loan closed in the origination system, employees had to manually transfer data into the servicing system or use cumbersome file imports. This manual bridge between systems was time-consuming and prone to errors.
As Desert Financial’s mortgage volume grew, so did the inefficiencies of this data divide. Duplicate data entry not only drained staff time but also introduced the risk of typos or inconsistencies in critical loan information. A slight mistake in transferring a borrower’s data or loan terms could lead to payment processing errors or member confusion down the line. Moreover, delays in boarding new loans to the servicing platform meant borrowers might not see their updated loan information promptly, affecting the member experience. For an institution proud of its quick closings and local loan servicing, these behind-the-scenes hurdles were unacceptable. Desert Financial’s leadership understood that to keep delivering exceptional service at scale, they needed to eliminate the data silos between their loan origination system (LOS) and servicing platform.
Determined to solve this integration challenge, Desert Financial implemented MortgageExchange® – a powerful integration platform from Mortgage Workspace (the fintech arm of Access Business Technologies). MortgageExchange is designed to link diverse mortgage software systems and enable smooth, accurate data exchanges. In essence, it serves as the digital “bridge” connecting MeridianLink OpenClose and FICS MortgageServicer, automating what was once a manual, error-prone transfer.
Working closely with the Mortgage Workspace team, Desert Financial’s IT and lending departments mapped out the data flow between the LOS and the servicing system. Key loan data – borrower details, property information, loan terms, escrow accounts, payment schedules – were configured to flow through MortgageExchange’s rules-based engine. No detail was left behind; if MeridianLink OpenClose had a field for it, MortgageExchange could transport it into FICS MortgageServicer in the proper format. The integration was tailored with business rules to meet Desert Financial’s specific needs, ensuring that data would synchronize in real-time or at scheduled intervals with minimal human intervention.
Once implemented, the effects of the MortgageExchange integration were immediate. Instead of loan officers and servicing staff spending hours every day on data re-entry or reconciliations, the information now flows automatically from the moment a loan closes. For example, when a member’s mortgage is finalized in OpenClose, all relevant details are swiftly and securely transmitted to MortgageServicer – creating the loan account for servicing without anyone typing in a single number. This not only slashed the time to board new loans; it virtually eliminated the possibility of human error in the handoff. “Enter once and done” became the new mantra. By the time a borrower makes their first mortgage payment, Desert Financial’s systems are already in harmony, thanks to the MortgageExchange pipeline working behind the scenes.
For Desert Financial, this successful MortgageExchange integration is more than just an IT upgrade – it’s a strategic win that reinforces the credit union’s values. The project transformed a formerly laborious process into a streamlined pipeline, freeing employees from the burdens of duplicate data entry and delays. In the big picture, that means more time and resources to devote to members and the community. “Sharing success” isn’t just a slogan on the wall; it’s now embedded in Desert Financial’s operations. With modern tools ensuring efficiency behind the scenes, the credit union can focus on what it does best – serving its members with exceptional care and giving back to causes that matter. Desert Financial’s journey from a humble teachers’ credit union to a tech-forward industry leader shows how embracing innovation can create an oasis of efficiency in the desert, benefitting both the institution and the people it serves.
Explore more MortgageExchange case studies to see how other institutions are streamlining post-closing.