What the M

Welcome to the season 4 finale of What the M!  This season, Kent and Steve have interviewed amazing, thoughtful, and brilliant guests. Each guest has been uniquely qualified to speak about different aspects of the default servicing industry, and has provided valuable information to What the M’s listeners. Each guest is unique, but they all have one thing in common: they all got to answer “The Last...

The 67th episode of What the M features Joe Lara, founder of Find the X, plus a tribute to Ingrid Jaschok, a giant of the industry who we lost last week, by Michael Merritt. In this episode, Kent and Steve sit down with Joe to discuss his company, Find The X LLC. Find the X is a veteran-owned business that provides leadership development, talent development, and career transition support for organ...

The 66th episode of What the M features Talia Ramirez, President of Spectrum Solutions Acquisitions LLC. In this episode, Kent and Steve talk to Talia about her journey in the mortgage default servicing industry. Talia is well known within the industry for her incredible skills, including problem-solving, developing smarter ways to increase efficiency and productivity across teams, and helping tea...

The 65th episode of What the M features Sam Hantosh, Real Estate Broker at RE/MAX Team 2000.  In this episode, Kent and Steve sit down with Sam to talk about what Real Estate Owned (“REO”) Sales are and what it is like to be the boots on the ground— from securing possession, to getting a property ready to market, to securing a sale. The REO process is a vital part of the finalization of the forecl...

The 64th episode of What the M features John Dunnery, Loan Servicing Manager at Compu-Link Corporation.  Another longtime friend of the show is back for his 2nd visit! John Dunnery returns to What the M and, as always, brings a wealth of valuable information with him. This time around, John is here to discuss reverse mortgages: the differences between reverse and more traditional “forward” mortgag...

The 63rd episode of What the M features Marcel Bryar, Founder and Managing Director of Mortgage Policy Advisors, LLC. A longtime friend of the show is back for his 2nd visit! Marcel Bryar’s 25+ years of experience in mortgage operations, regulation, and policy oversight make him an invaluable industry resource. We feel incredibly fortunate to have him back on the show to share his thoughts on the...

The 62nd episode of What the M features Kevin Shivers, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers.  In this episode, Kent, Steve, and Kevin take a closer look at the community banking industry.  Community banks throughout the United States are a backbone of small community banking, lending and financial services to many. In these ever-changing times of the financial wor...

The 61st episode of What the M features Kent McPhail and Steve Hladik wrapping up 2025 with a year-end review. Check it out to find out what happened- and didn’t happen- in the default servicing industry this year, along with what Kent and Steve predict is next to come in 2026! *************************************************** A huge thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black...

The 60th episode of What the M features Sergeant Gina Dascola, retired from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and founder of Dascola Consulting, LLC.  In this episode, Sgt. Gina Dascola shares her 40 years of experience with the foreclosure sheriff sale process in Pennsylvania. While emphasizing the importance of due diligence and discussing the challenges faced during live sales, Gina also sh...

The 59th episode of What the M features Glenn Brooks, President of Genstone Asset Disposition.  In this episode, Glenn shares his journey into the industry, offering a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that have shaped his career over the past three decades. Glenn also discusses the current state of the REO market with Kent and Steve and shares his predictions for the future,...

For the 58th episode of What the M, Kent McPhail and Steve Hladik honor John Bell, a titan of the mortgage industry and dedicated public servant. John Bell III attended Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee before spending more than 15 years in the private sector, including serving as the Vice President of VA Real Estate Management at Bank of America. John was a Navy Veteran who served in both...

In the 57th episode of “What The M,” hosts Kent McPhail and Steve Hladik dive into the Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA). Steve, taking the guest seat, breaks down what FAPA is, why it was enacted, and how its retroactive application has created major challenges for lenders, investors, and servicers. From constitutional implications under the Takings Clause to ripple effects on the secondary...

The 56th episode of What the M features Michael Merritt, Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Default Mortgage Servicing at BOK Financial. A longtime friend of the show is back for his 3rd visit! Michael Merritt has returned to What the M. This time around, he is here to share his thoughts on the topic of the new HUD bidding guidelines and their impact on the industry. Michael is the Senior...

The 55th episode of What the M features LeAllen Frost, Executive Vice President & Deputy General Counsel - Head of Litigation at Pennymac. It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! Kent and Steve are excited to be joined by LeAllen Frost, Deputy General Counsel at Pennymac—a top lender and servicer that has helped more than five million homeowners achieve their aspirations of home...

The 54th episode of What the M features Rick Sharga, CEO and President of the CJ Patrick Company, and Daren Blomquist, Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com. It’s that time again… for a new SEASON of What the M!  Over the first three seasons of What the M, Kent and Steve have been fortunate enough to interview an incredible roster of talented professionals about their insights and pred...

Welcome to the season 3 finale of What the M!  This season, Kent and Steve have interviewed amazing, thoughtful, and brilliant guests. Each guest has been uniquely qualified to speak about different aspects of the default servicing industry, and has provided valuable information to What the M’s listeners. Each guest is unique, but they all have one thing in common: they all got to answer “The Last...

The 52nd episode of What the M features Gina Gallutia, Executive Membership Director of the Five Star Institute, and David Mulkay, Director of Legal League. Gina and David are long-time friends of the podcast and stopped by to discuss the benefits of Five Star and Legal League, trends in the default servicing industry, and upcoming industry events. With their extensive experience in- and knowledge...

For the 51st episode of What the M, Kent and Steve have a "fireside chat" about the economy, current regulatory conditions… and whether you should use ChatGPT for your March Madness bracket! Listen on for up-to-the-moment updates about the default servicing industry.  Steve Hladik is a Partner at Hladik, Onorato, and Federman, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State Uni...

The 50th episode of “What the M” features Walter Mullen and Michael Keaton from Onity Group, Inc. This episode focuses on the changes taking place on a state and federal level within the default servicing industry, the record-high credit debt and auto loan defaults that Americans currently face, and the use of technology within the industry. We are extremely fortunate to have Walt and Michael as o...

The 49th episode of “What the M” features the return of Michael Merritt, Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Default Mortgage Servicing at BOK Financial. This time around on "What the M," Michael is here to share his thoughts on the topic of AI in the servicing industry. Michael is the Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Default Mortgage Servicing at BOK Financial. Michael...

The 48th episode of “What the M” features Dusten Hendrickson, Founder and CEO of Mailbox Money.  Mailbox Money specializes in transforming real estate development through strategic land selection, wellness-focused design, and innovative project leadership. Dusten’s expertise extends to real estate syndication, working closely with partners to structure impactful, high-yield opportunities for inves...

The 47th episode of “What the M” features Ty Miller, Managing Director at Annaly Capital Management.  Ty graduated from Missouri State University (Go Bears!) with a BS in Psychology and Management. He has held executive leadership roles in operations management, sales leadership, and default administration. Before going to work for Annaly Capital, he spent more than a decade as Vice President of S...

The 46th episode of “What the M” features Kent McPhail and Stephen Hladik with a year-end wrap up of 2024.  Check it out to find out what happened (and didn't happen!) in the default servicing industry in 2024, and what Kent and Steve predict is next to come in 2025!  *************************************************** A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome...

The 45th episode of “What the M” features  Matt Watson, President of LegalFee Consultants, LLC and Jenny Lee, Senior Consultant for LegalFee Consultants, LLC.  Today’s episode is about a challenge many law firms face daily: the managing of their invoicing processes, hidden costs of inefficiencies in those processes, and how their companies seek to unlock revenue for firms through smarter billing p...

The 44th episode of “What the M” features Matt Reilly, Business Development Specialist at Stonecrest Financial. Matt received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He moved into the mortgage industry working with Empire Mortgage, Inc. Since 2009, he has been with Stonecrest Financial, where he works in an alternative investment group and asset management, focused on real estate lending and dist...