The Difference Is in the Details: Secure Texting

State National’s Partnership With Solutions by Text Is a Secure Way To Reduce Borrower Noise When was the last time you wrote or received an office memo? Or had stamps handy to mail a letter? Have you dialed the operator to make a phone call lately? Or eavesdropped on a party line? Some of you may have never experienced these “old school” methods of communication — and although each of these had their charms (eavesdropping on your neighbors over a party line was sometimes just as entertaining as watching drama unfold on General Hospital!) you should probably consider yourself lucky that those days are mostly behind us. Communication has evolved to become faster, easier, and far more convenient over the years, and here at State National we are no stranger to the incredible efficiencies technology has gifted us. Whether business or personal, emails and texting have drastically altered how we connect with each other and share information. 89% of adults check emails daily and 98% of all text messages are read within three minutes! (When was the last time you checked yours?) Both are instant and can be read and responded to at the convenience of the recipient as opposed to interrupting them with a phone call, which many people report causes them a certain amount of anxiety nowadays. Both email and texting is where it’s at these days, and each have their particular strengths. While emails can provide a little more space to respond at leisure, texts create a sense of urgency. Receiving a communication from another channel also helps reassure borrowers of the authenticity and validity of the message by adding another touchpoint communicating what is needed. Adding Email Notifications In 2016, State National implemented email notifications to borrowers as part of the notice cycle. This provided a quick and efficient way for borrowers to respond with their insurance information through the MyLoanInsurance.com website or by replying to the email with their insurance information. On average, we saw 23% of borrowers log into MyLoanInsurance.com from the email. Considering that 2% to 5% is considered a good click-through rate for email, this result was an immediate success. Next, Text Messages Then, in 2019, State National added text messaging to the notice cadence to further increase ease and convenience for borrowers while also instilling an urgency to submit their insurance. Like our email notifications, these text messages have a secure link into the MyLoanInsurance.com website a recipient can effortlessly access from their smartphone — which, let’s be honest, is always inches from their fingertips at any given moment. So far, we are seeing an average of 18% of borrowers log into MyLoanInsurance.com from a text they’ve received and we expect that number to continue to climb. Overall, of those who log into MyLoanInsurance.com from the email or text, over 70% are submitting their insurance! Borrowers also have the option to simply reply to the text with a photo of their information, making this a true two-way interactive text program. But Is it Secure? Of course, scams and phishing are unfortunately a reality and very prevalent in the world of emails and texting and, rightly so, have everyone on high alert. Let’s face it, receiving a text asking you to provide your insurance information may cause some hesitation, but then when you receive an email a few days later, you start to think it may be legit. Then you receive the notice in the mail. OK, the recipient thinks, now I know this is my financial institution trying to get ahold of me to get this information. We want your borrowers to feel at ease that their information is protected. That’s why we include your financial institution’s logos on the emails and on the secure MyLoanInsurance.com website. If you’re a client of State National or thinking of becoming one, putting the MyLoanInsurance.com website on your loan documents or even on your website can help reinforce the authenticity with your borrowers. The Proof Is in the Results So how does all this translate to your CPI program? Well, we have found that clients who utilize our email and texting programs are experiencing an average penetration that is 34% less than before they added these enhancements to their program. In addition, the "flat cancel" rate (the percentage of certificate placements resulting in a full refund) has decreased as much as 11%. That means fewer unnecessary certificates placed and refunds processed — which translates to less work for your staff. The Difference Is in the Details State National’s texting and email programs are completely free of charge and State National does all the heavy lifting for you. You simply provide us the email addresses and phone numbers associated with the loans and we’ll take it from there — only reaching out to borrowers we haven’t yet received insurance information from. Before the first text ever goes out, an "OPT OUT" option text is sent, giving recipients the choice whether they would like to receive texts or not. And should one of your borrowers decide later that they no longer want texts, they can easily reply STOP and they’ll immediately be opted out, with their opt-out immediately reported back to your financial institution. We’ve worked diligently with outside legal counsel and partnered with Solutions by Text, a compliance-first provider of enterprise texting solutions with a proven track record with the FCC, TCPA, FDCPA, CFPB, CTIA, and MMA to ensure that our program is fully compliant. And since there is no advertising of a product or service, our emails are exempt from the CAN-SPAM Act. We continue to closely monitor any and all regulations surrounding these programs so you can keep peace of mind. See what our partner Solutions by Text has to say about financial services users and texting! There’s no doubt that the borrowers we serve are enjoying the convenience — and responding to these more modern ways of both receiving and sharing information. Who knows what the future holds for even better communication techniques? Whatever it is, you can count on State National to be ahead of the pack in offering it to our clients!

CPI expert and Sr. Client Executive Kathy St. Clair shares her insights on how to educate borrowers about CPI and what to say if a borrower has questions about a CPI certificate placed on their loan. In Part 1, Equipping Your Staff, she shared the value of informing borrowers proactively and the multitude of resources and support State National has available to assist you. If you do not know what CPI is, we recommend first reading What Is Collateral Protection Insurance (CPI)? Borrower Questions Covered in This Article Will I receive a refund once I show proof of insurance? I submitted my insurance, but have not received a refund Can I keep CPI as my only car insurance if I want to? How do I rectify my insurance status? Can this insurance be refunded? While you can redirect a borrower to State National at any time to be helped by one of our friendly, highly trained team members, we want to share the answers to some common questions a borrower may ask so you and your staff feel prepared to answer anything. Borrower Questions: "Will I receive a CPI refund once I show proof of insurance?" "If I go out and get insurance, can I be refunded for what I have paid for CPI so far?" "Will I still have to pay a premium on my loan each month once I show proof of insurance?" Once State National receives proof of insurance, a refund is quickly processed and sent back to your financial institution. If the borrower had adequate insurance for the time period in question, a full refund will be issued. There may be a charge for any verified lapses in coverage. How quickly we can issue a refund will depend on the agreed-upon process, such as ACH or manual check. The refund is then posted to the borrower’s loan. In many cases, this can be done through an automated process, eliminating any manual administration for your staff. Along with quickly processing a refund, we send a notice to the borrower to let them know that their refund was processed. "I submitted my insurance — why haven’t I received a refund?" or "Why am I still receiving notices?" This is where InsurTrak can once again come to your aid. If InsurTrak indicates that we have sent a borrower an impairment notice, you can let them know that we did receive their insurance but that the information they sent us was not complete. Through our tracking, we are making sure the borrower provides full-coverage insurance, both comprehensive and collision, with you listed as lienholder. Making the borrower aware of this can help them understand what additional information they need to submit for quick rectification. "Is CPI considered insurance? I may want to keep CPI because it is cheaper and more convenient than my previous insurance." "Can I keep CPI as my only car insurance if I want to?" Some of our CPI partners have shared that borrowers occasionally ask about keeping their CPI insurance instead of purchasing their own auto insurance. A borrower should understand that CPI is not an equal alternative to car insurance they can buy on their own. By educating a borrower on what CPI is, you can deter them from keeping CPI. CPI is meant to cover only the cost financed by you as a lender — it is intended to protect your loan portfolio, not the borrower. While CPI provides comprehensive and collision coverage on the automobile, it does not cover the driver. CPI will not assist a borrower in covering any damages to another individual’s property. Most states also require drivers to carry liability insurance in case an accident occurs and there is another party or property damage involved. Not realizing the specifics of their insurance, a borrower with CPI coverage will sometimes return to their lender after an accident or other loss and ask for a copy of the policy. You can let them know that even though the insurance policy is mainly there to protect the lender, and excludes damages outside of their vehicle, if they have damage to their own car they can file a claim so that they will remain in good standing on their loan. If they are not delinquent by more than 45 days, we will accept a claim directly from the borrower to repair that collateral and get them back in the driver’s seat. Please encourage your borrowers to get and maintain their own insurance. "How do I rectify my insurance status?" "Can this insurance be refunded?" The quickest way a borrower can have a CPI certificate removed is to submit proof of insurance to their lienholder — your financial institution — or directly to State National. We use a variety of methods to collect borrowers’ insurance on your behalf, and we make it as simple as possible for them to comply. Options for borrowers to provide evidence of insurance include calling into our Contact Center, or mailing, emailing, or faxing their Declarations Page to our Service Center. But text and email notifications are the fastest and most convenient way for a borrower to provide us with insurance. Each text and email notification we issue includes a link that takes the borrower directly to our self-serve portal, MyLoanInsurance.com, where they can easily upload a copy of their insurance information. This portal features notice-specific videos walking borrowers through their solutions for verification. Alternately, they can choose to reply to the text or email with an image of their coverage details. Borrowers also have the option to provide us with their insurance company name and policy number, and we'll reach out for verification on their behalf. Our goal with this multichannel approach is to make it as easy as possible for borrowers to submit their information in the way that is most convenient for them. Informed Staff Deliver a Better Borrower Experience All staff members who handle loans at your institution should have a basic understanding of what collateral protection is doing for you and how it works. We offer ongoing training and resources to your staff members. Your staff should also understand the premise and benefits behind the product — mainly, that it is there to protect your financial institution against uninsured losses. Here are some additional resources to build your knowledge about CPI: Short State National Animated Company Explainer Video What Is Collateral Protection Insurance (CPI)? Understanding the Differences Between CPI, Blanket, and Self-Insurance Remember, your financial institution’s dedicated Client Executive is here to help you with any of your CPI questions or needs! To read the first article in this SNC Spotlight series, visit Part 1, Equipping Your Staff

At State National, we recognize that collateral protection insurance (CPI) is not a term every borrower knows. Here, CPI expert and Sr. Client Executive Kathy St. Clair shares her insights on how to educate borrowers about CPI and what to say if a borrower has questions about a CPI certificate placed on their loan. If you do not know what CPI is, we recommend first reading What Is Collateral Protection Insurance (CPI)?

Innovative Research From Renowned “Think and Do” Tank Drives Real-World Results for Credit Unions With service as a core value, State National not only puts maximum effort into providing the best portfolio protection anywhere, but we also actively look for ways to help move the industry needle and be a part of a larger mission. This includes actively seeking to expose our clients to opportunities with leading organizations that explore innovative, growth-oriented ideas. What Matters to You Matters to Us The renowned research firm Filene is a credit union and consumer finance think tank headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. As an Inner Circle member and research sponsor, we provide support for their mission to connect credit unions with insights and innovations to change people’s lives. Their research ventures connect credit unions with the most impactful technology and drive forward-thinking business decisions. Through investing in organizations like Filene, State National further supports the credit union mission and helps our partners benefit from the latest insights into solutions to their industry's unique challenges. This partnership also gives us access to original research to better focus future CPI advancements and technology innovations to benefit our credit union partners. Keep Good Company At the start of 2020, State National joined forces with Filene by sponsoring their Center of Excellence for Emerging Technology, working with their industry experts to explore the future of digital financial services. This year, we are proud to also provide support for Filene’s new CoE, the Center of Excellence for Innovation & Incubation, which helps credit unions explore solutions to assist them in remaining adaptive and nimble as member and community needs continue to shift. Filene’s Centers of Excellence are identified based on the needs shared by hundreds of credit unions and created to empower them with the data they need to make decisions that will best serve their missions now and in the future. Filene's Center of Excellence of Innovation & Incubation — A Milestone Worth Celebrating All of Filene's Centers of Excellence are doing life-changing work to help credit unions — and their members — thrive. As a sponsor of the Center of Excellence for Innovation & Incubation and the Center of Excellence for Emerging Technology, we could not be prouder to support the amazing work Filene is doing to help credit unions succeed and to advance the credit union mission. We look forward to seeing these dedicated scholars and credit union advocates as they move into their second year of investigating ways to create, implement, and measure innovation in credit unions, identifying opportunities for credit unions to differentiate with innovation, and building a playbook of effective and consumer-friendly social innovation approaches for the future of all financial services! Check Out These Guest Posts From Filene Experts: Relationship Banking in a Digital Age Credit Union Digital Transformation in the Age of COVID – 19

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