Excerpt from an Interview with Tom Rath, bestselling

author of books such as "StrenghsFinder 2.0" and

"Eat Move Sleep" 

Written by Anita Bruzzese, a syndicated columnist for Gannett/USA Today  

... Tom Rath says that many of the poor health choices made by savvy career professionals are rooted in a "good-natured and dedicated work ethic," that has them grabbing a packaged snack to eat on the go or skipping a workout when pressed for time - or forgoing sleep to complete a project.

But all those small things can cause big problems, he says.

"If you look at any of these little decision points in a day, investing in healthy food, a brief walk, or an extra 30 minutes of sleep can make or break a day," he says. "The challenge for all of us is to think about how making better decisions in the moment can actually increase our productivity, energy, and well-being throughout the day."

For example, some of the tips in the book include:

• Getting off your keester. As soon as you sit down, electrical activity in your leg muscles shuts off and the number of calories you burn drops to one per minute. Enzyme production, which helps break down fat, plunges by 90%. After two hours of sitting, your good cholesterol drops by 20%. Rath suggests taking short walks throughout your day, which can also help jumpstart creativity and make you more focused.
• Forgetting the snooze button. If you're hitting the snooze button every morning trying to get more sleep, you're making a mistake because studies show those broken chunks of sleep don't count toward the total amount of restorative sleep. One simple way to stop such a bad habit is putting the clock across the room, he says.
• Being smarter when dining out.  Studies show that when dining out with a group of four or more people, you increase your consumption by 75%. The first person ordering sets the tone, which means that a colleague who orders fried chicken, for example, will prompt others to give into temptation and make an unhealthy choice. Try being the first one to order something healthy, and you're likely to influence others.
• Mixing it up. Many workers complain of chronic back, neck or wrist pain that comes from sitting at a desk and computer all day. Try switching a computer mouse to your non-dominate hand, or switching the phone from ear-to-ear while talking. Rath says he has trackpads on the left and right side of his computer to force himself to use both arms interchangeably. "Doing this for a few years eliminated my chronic wrist and shoulder pain," he says.

If you need more help in figuring out your health status and improving it, Rath also offers a free assessment on eatmovesleep.org . You can use it to build a personalized plan based on the content of the book.

Rath says he hopes that the book and the assessment will lead "to a few small behavioral changes that contribute to better days. It is these small choices that accumulate over time and eventually help people to live longer and healthier lives."   

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fired a shot across the bow Wednesday, announcing thousands in penalties against two mortgage lenders for failing to accurately collect and report data on certain mortgages, as required under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

The two targeted firms - Mortgage Master out of Walpole, Mass., and Washington Federal out of Seattle - will have to pay $425,000 and $34,000 in penalties, respectively, after the CFPB claimed it had found numerous data errors in the firms' mortgage applications.

The lenders released statements, with both highlighting the administrative nature of the alleged errors.

"After a rigorous audit, which took over a year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau raised a matter concerning our reporting under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act," said Paul Anastos, president of Mortgage Master.

"Their finding was related to administrative errors in our reporting system, and the audit confirmed that no borrowers were harmed in any way, nor did any borrowers need to be refunded. We agreed to settle this matter with the CFPB and the state of Massachusetts," he added.

Washington Federal released its own statement, saying "We agreed to a consent order because we did not believe that the technical issues involved or the small penalty justified litigation. We are, however, disappointed with the harshness of the language in the CFPB's press release, which in our view is not consistent with prior discussions, including their repeated statements to us that the order is the equivalent of a traffic ticket."

The two firms entered into consent orders, agreeing to pay penalties while making adjustments to ensure compliance with the CFPB's guidelines under HMDA.

The penalties show not only the CFPB's power, but the compliance areas it considers non-negotiable in the data collection process.

In this case, the CFPB is asserting its power under HMDA-an act that forces lenders to make certain loan information available to the public. HMDA information is often used to determine whether a lender is in compliance with other mortgage-related laws such as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and the Community Reinvestment Act.

"When financial institutions report inaccurate information, it obstructs the purpose of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and makes it more difficult for the CFPB to discover and stop discriminatory lending," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. "Today we are sending a strong signal that no mortgage lending institution - whether bank or nonbank - should be able to mislead the public with erroneous data."

HMDA has been around since 1975, but Dodd-Frank transferred enforcement authority to the CFPB in 2010.

The CFPB's takeaway from the probes was that Mortgage Master and Washington Federal had systems that "were inadequate and that they had severely compromised mortgage lending data."

The CFPB claims it found significant data errors on 20,015 Mortgage Master loan applications filed in 2011, while Washington Federal allegedly had 5,785 applications with issues.

The firms are required to collect and resubmit their 2011 HMDA data, while developing compliance systems.

Washington Federal candidly expressed its reaction to the CFPB's press release on this issue.

"For the record, the consent order relates to very technical interpretations of application data, such as date of application, on a sample of files reviewed during an examination occurring over a year ago," Washington Federal said. "While we differ with their conclusions, we also realize that the CFPB has the final say and we will strive to meet their expectations in future examinations. Here at Washington Federal, we look forward to continuing our nearly 100-year track record of doing the right thing for our clients."  

Dodd-Frank and Community Banks:

Your Guide to 12 Critical Issues

The American Bankers Association prepared this guide, which highlights 12 of the most important Dodd-Frank issues that will see action, to help community bankers prepare for, respond to and manage regulatory pronouncements that could have a significant impact on their institutions.

Download your Copy of Dodd-Frank and Community Banks: Your Guide to 12 Critical Issues

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon, just opened its flagship store in San Francisco. Among the amenities are coffee and chocolate tastings, iPads and computers for customer use, and mobile concierge services. This reflects Umpqua's new approach to branches and recognition of the need to utilize technology effectively. Whether others do it Umpqua's way or differently, the key to success is the recognition that bank branches and delivery systems will continue to change.

As we all know, change is inevitable. However, what's startling to me is the rapid pace of change we are experiencing. Just the other day, I read a story about the unveiling of smartwatches, watch-like devices that will allow you to take pictures, surf the internet, etc., similar to a modern-day Star Trek scenario. They will be available this fall.

Recognizing that hard copies of books, magazines and newspapers may soon be historical relics, we all must be willing to adapt to change. It is unclear just what bank branches and delivery systems will look like in the future, but one thing for certain is that they will be different.

One key advantage of community banks is their ability to be nimble and responsive. While the big banks have more economic and human resources, they don't have a lock on ideas. You may not want to be on the bleeding edge, but thinking creatively and untraditionally may be a huge advantage going forward. I am willing to wager that in just five years, the way bank branches look and operate, and the manner in which banks deliver products and services, will be vastly different.

I think there will be an advantage for those banks that plan for and adapt to the future proactively. Will a mobile bank calling officer replace the more traditional in-branch mode? What kind of interactive technologies will best serve your existing and potential customers? And, why not call them clients, instead of customers? (Sounds a bit more upscale, doesn't it?)

Mere survival shouldn't be the goal for most community banks. The bar should be much higher. With consolidation inevitable, those community banks that choose independence should strive to excel. I really think there could be a renaissance for community banks on the horizon. Your success is only limited by your imagination. The face of banking will undoubtedly change. Are you willing to do the same? 

The Key to Customer Satisfaction?
Just Take Care

Over the last few weeks I have either heard stories of or have actually experienced myself a few things I would like to share. I share them because there might be an idea or two here that you can use for your own business.

• The real estate agent that carries a roll of red carpet in his car boot so that when he is showing people into a property, they have to walk up the red carpet. How do you think that makes them feel?

• I went to an appointment at an accountancy firm, to be greeted with not only a tray with teapot, cup, saucer and milk jug, but also a variety of chocolate biscuits. My own accountant who I pay each year has never offered me a drink yet.

• When my car goes in for service, the customer care team call about 1 week later to see if everything was satisfactory, and just as importantly, what can they do better next time?

• My car signage was peeling off after only 12 months and I thought I would have to get the remainder removed at my cost. The signage company simply said bring it in and we will do it all again for you. No trouble.

• The vet called to see how Molly my goat was after her visit.

• The dentist called to see how my sore tooth was after an investigative appointment couldn't find the cause. They had me back in the chair all fixed the following day.

Today I received a condolence card signed by the vet and her team after Molly had to be put to sleep.

It's the little things, the little touches of detail that make an experience special and stand out, even a sad one. It doesn't take much, it just takes care.

Your turn: What special experience have you encountered of recent? Let us know. 

provided by Gail Duffy, Title Services Manager, Virginia Title Center 

Unsure about the benefits of requesting an Arms-length (Purchase Money) or Current Owner Search for a client during a refinance? Read on!

An arms-length transaction is a vesting deed with a simultaneous mortgage from an institutional lender. To complete an arms-length search the searcher must go back to the last link in the chain of title that includes a deed and a simultaneous purchase money mortgage in favor of an institutional lender. An arms-length purchase money transaction is considered as a good root to begin a title search for certain transactions because there is a high probability that title insurance was issued on the previous purchase money transaction.  

In order to insure a property without a limited title search exception, an arms-length search is only acceptable on residential refinance or foreclosure transactions. This type of search is less expensive and takes less time than a full 40 year search. Savings can be up to $50 depending on the location of the property.

If the limited title search meets the requirements identified in the Residential Property Refinance Search Standards and a 2006 ALTA Loan policy is being issued on 1 to 4 family residential property, the following exception will appear in the commitment and final policy if the recording information for easements, restrictions, etc. is not supplied:   

STANDARD-L 

1.  Covenants, conditions, or restrictions, if any, appearing  in the Public Records; however, this policy insures against loss or damage arising from:

(a) the violation of those covenants, conditions, or restrictions on or prior to Date of Policy;

(b) a forfeiture or reversion of Title from a future violation of those covenants, conditions, or restrictions, including those relating to environmental protection; and

(c) provisions in those covenants, conditions, or restrictions, including those relating to environmental protection, under which the lien of the Insured Mortgage can be extinguished, subordinated, or impaired.

As used in paragraph 1(a), the words "covenants, conditions, or restrictions" do not refer to or include any covenant, condition, or restriction (a) relating to obligations of any type to perform maintenance, repair or remediation on the Land, or (b) pertaining to environmental protection of any kind or nature, including hazardous or toxic matters, conditions, or substances, except to the extent that a notice of a violation or alleged violation affecting the Land has been recorded or filed in the Public Records at Date of Policy and is not referenced in an addendum attached to this policy

2.  Any easements or servitudes appearing in the Public Records; however, this policy insures against loss or damage arising from (a) the encroachment, at Date of Policy, of the improvements on any easement, and (b) any interference with or damage to existing improvements, including lawns, shrubbery, and trees, resulting from the use of the easements for the purposes granted or reserved.

3. Any lease, grant, exception, or reservation of minerals or mineral rights or other subsurface substances appearing in the Public Records; however, this policy insures against loss or damage arising from (a) any affect on or impairment of the use of the Land for residential one-to-four family dwelling purposes by reason of such lease, grant, exception or reservation of minerals or mineral rights or other subsurface substances, and (b) any damage to existing improvements, including lawns, shrubbery, and trees, resulting from the future exercise of any right to use the surface of the Land for the extraction or development of the minerals or mineral rights or other subsurface substances so leased, granted, excepted, or reserved. Nothing herein shall insure against loss or damage resulting from contamination, explosion, fire, fracturing, earthquake or subsidence.

For more information on arms-length or current owner searches, please contact Gail Duffy at 1.800.468.5811 or by e-mail.   

VTC TEAMMATE FEATURE

Kara Ramsey, Title Insurance Underwriter

Kara Ramsey, Title Insurance Underwriter, Staunton Office

You can say hello to Kara by e-mail or call her at 800.468.5811.

Click here to view information about other members of the VTC team.