|
Press Releases ...
We're proud of publish recent announcements for our career oriented mortgage training center
July 14, 2008
IMAGINE
HOUSING WITHOUT A SECONDARY MARKET FOR YOU
 |
"This afternoon the company is pleased to announce we
have a new live class all about how to locate a steady stream of loan
funding money, to support your operation," announced Peter Samuel
Cugno, company Chairman & CEO.
"The idea was developed from a Blog
posting this past Saturday, and in conjunction with today's bomb-shell
events surrounding Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Indy Mac Bank," Peter
continued. I remember as all the known funding sources were
exploding all around me back in the mid 1980's, during the most terrifying
time I have had in this industry, as I watched the entire savings and loan
industry of mortgage loan buyers crumble." |
"We live in interesting and difficult times for our
industry; having a solid step by step road map at hand, is what will be shown to
students who attend this new class. It will demonstrate exactly what, and how I
did what I did, that worked and got my own operation from certain collapse, to
a successful future," Mr. Cugno reported. "Our first class should be
within 30 days; limited to a handful of mortgage broker/banker
owner/operators."
July 8, 2008
IN
THE NEWS
 |
Chain of Blame: How Wall Street Caused the Mortgage and Credit
Crisis,
chronicles this incredible disaster, with a specific focus on the players
who participated in such a fundamentally flawed fiasco.
Authors Paul Muolo and Mathew Padilla, well-regarded journalists for
National Mortgage News and the Orange County Register respectively, reveal
the truth behind how this crisis occurred, what individuals and
institutions-from lenders and brokers to some of the biggest investment
banks in the world-were doing during this critical time, and who is
ultimately responsible for what happened. This great educational read, is
a must for all individuals involved in our industry," a company
spokesman announced this morning. |
"We understand the role of subprime was discussed in
some detail and our Founder Peter Samuel Cugno, was extensively quoted in
this newly available publication at Barnes & Noble & Amazon.com. We
anticipate to have this new book For Sale on our website as well. You can listen
to a 30 minute NPR interview with Paul HERE."
May 31, 2008
Free
Lifetime Mortgage CD Lesson Upgrades!
 |
"Today we are announcing a Free Lifetime Upgrade Guarantee
on all of our CD Mortgage
Lessons. This trademarked series, Secrets of the
Mortgage IndustryTM consists of nearly a
dozen and a half, wide-ranging core instructional materials for the Mortgage
Professional.” reported Peter Samuel Cugno, Chairman & CEO of the Secret!
University division of Americas Money Center, Inc.
|
“We’re part of the consumer residential real estate mortgage lending
business, one of the fastest moving and rapidly changing industries in the
Country,” Peter went on to say, “it just makes good sense to offer
complimentary upgrades of our CD Lessons to all past, present, and future
students.”
“As of this morning, we are only a day or so away from the complete
modification of these Lessons; so far some have required only minor adjustments,
yet others have needed almost a complete re-write!”
In conclusion Peter said, “We only ask that the old ones be returned, and
we’ll promptly send back out our latest version; today that’s Version
8.5.”
May 9, 2008
FHA
Approval In!
 |
"Today we got word that the long awaited FHA Approval for
our affiliate Loan Officer Opportunity
Program, has finally arrived," reported Peter Samuel Cugno, Chairman & CEO
this morning. "Over the last several months we have had scores of inquiries
asking when this would take place; we're pleased it happened today. It's my
guess, once the boss returns from his overseas vacation at month's end, the FHA
portion will be rolled out; if not then, shortly thereafter we anticipate."
|
Peter went on to say, "We have endorsed this organization for more than six
years. I know them to be honest, genuine, and all they purport to be; financially strong and no
'tricks' unlike many other similar type opportunities available."
April 7, 2008
UP TICK
EMERGING
"Upon a recent analysis, we've experienced a fourteen percent (14%) increase in traffic to our mortgage industry's education learning and training center's website March 2008 over February, along with a fifty-four percent (54%) boost in individual potential student readers of my own personal Blog as well," reported Peter Samuel Cugno, Chairman & CEO of the Secret! University division of Americas Money Center, Inc. a leading industry education and training learning center,
"these numbers today are an encouraging sign of our residential real estate mortgage lending industry's improving health today.
Even considering the scores of new State and Federal legislation being considered nationwide, to squeeze the industry for it’s apparent reckless neglect of controls in recent years, along with the devastation to employment for many workers involved with residential mortgage origination, many have weathered the storm, and it looks like they’re coming out the other end of the ‘punishment phase portion’ of this correction intact and looking toward their future."
|
"Even though at six weeks out, right now we're encountering sluggish RSVP's for our next scheduled
‘Master Seminar’ May 17th in Southern California; due to a twenty-six percent (26%) increase in online inquiries about this upcoming session, we're none-the-less anticipating a healthy turn-out from the survivors. Tieing into the theme of this summer’s movie Blockbuster, the subject for this one is GET SMART, and we'll offer up a new Game Plan for mortgage bankers, brokers and their loan officers!
|
"These and other confidence building indicators we’ve observed, suggest we're apparently approaching the bottom of the 'punishment phase' of this latest residential real estate mortgage lending industry wide 'correction', which we're now more than
twenty-eight (28) months into at this point," Peter concluded.
March 23, 2008
HAPPY
EASTER
March 19, 2008
ARTICLE
BRINGS SITE BACKLINKS TO 2094
"This article, the lead piece in The Mortgageland
Journal's
March edition, was picked up by more than 27 other websites, who have
republished it for their readers," reported Peter Samuel Cugno
Chairman & CEO. "This special situation has increased our website's
back links (a vital SEO characteristic) to more than 2,000! I'm excited to see
this," Peter said, "as my perspective on industry events continues to
be unique when compared to other industry trainers/gurus. And, more viewpoints
helps our readers and potential students to more clearly judge the direction of
their future career path."
How it Was is not how it Will be
Picture an old grand-father’s clock in your mind, with it’s pendulum swinging back and forth. That’s how the residential real estate mortgage lending industry trends have historically performed.
The pendulum swings in one direction for a time; then it reverses itself and goes back the other direction. With each ‘correction,’ the newly changed course brings fresh and innovative ways to operate; many new concepts develop that were not a part of the former path.
After the last correction that started during the Fall 1998, several original concepts evolved. As we think about that period, we need to remember through the 7 years of that pendulum swing, home values soared nationally and interest rates plunged to historical lows, inspiring mortgage brokers and LO’s to think ‘short-cut’ and ‘easy money’ was the way to go (and thus keeping them from growing in business knowledge and realizing they should have been learning their trade – but the Greed was intoxicating). With property values and rates acting like they had never done before, it encouraged the scheme of refinancing customers 2, 3 or even four times over a short period – stuffing large YSP’s and raising loan balances each time, effective burying many of them in their homes; all the while persuading every Tom, Dick & Harry to jump into our industry so they could make Big Bucks! Unlike the more traditional way of thinking, Integrity and Ethics seemed out of place during that cycle. Also among the more startling ones that grew, included the idea of paying LO’s and AE’s commissions (six plus figure incomes!) vs. previously customary salaries + bonus – which made them
transaction and commission check focused and it took away from a fiduciary duty to place the customers interests ahead of their own; the notion of permitting unsupervised and unqualified LO’s operate as independent contractors working out of their home; wholesale funding sources, overcome by greed, offering one irresponsible loan program after another chasing production; the net branch biz plan often utilizing unlicensed and always poorly trained loan officer/agents to uncontrollably operate nationwide … I could go on and on about all the changes that came to pass during the 98-05 pendulum swing. This was a most regrettable period for our industry, thankfully, most of the careless concepts are disappearing as we speak.
Let’s not forget, the Aug '98 - Dec '05 swing brought us astronomical production numbers all up and down the line – however, those were not true loan volume numbers, but really GIFT stats, as most transactions were a present/gift to the borrowers as there was very little resemblance to real lending being done, given the major deterioration of the vital checks and balances from LO to broker to processor to underwriter to lender and up stream from there.
I have never seen the amount of total industry destruction these and others ridiculous practices have caused.
Since the current ‘correction’ began during the Winter 2005, at the moment we’re just over 2 years into the current pendulum swing; on this new path you’ve already seen a great many changes – there’s more to come ... don’t look backward for what’s now gone, instead look forward to up-to-the-minute ways of doing
things(*).
A great many new State and Federal laws are being enacted to protect the public from the Wild West ‘out of control’ attitudes of the mortgage industry recently, with regulators looking at those they license more closely and enforcement of existing laws being stepped up. By and large, the barriers of entry into the industry should return. A return to previous foolish programs being offered by wholesale lenders is not likely; neither is the business model of permitting unsupervised LO’s to be our 'front-line' with the public; optimistically the general idea of avoiding industry education and training should disappear since the ‘big easy money’ has stopped at last. Wholesalers accepting new business from mortgage brokers without performing appropriate due diligence first, should vanish. Traditional/ conservative underwriting standards (some of you vets I'm sure remember the old 28/36) will resume (including across the board LTV reductions); and along with hundreds of other important areas to consider, the upstream warehouse funding sources, the wall street conduit developers, pool & bond insurers, etc. all should return to the previous checks and balances each were designed for and must perform, to maintain a viable secondary market.
To be expected during this swing, would be rates increasing and property values declining, the beginning of things returning to a more normal and balanced way of doing business. Today however, since the Fed is artificially pushing rate lower in an effort to boost the American economy, that variation in this correction will have an unknown effect on business in the long run. We’ll therefore, likely see a rush into the conforming arena by most, with subprime/non-conforming taking a bit longer to transform itself into what it will look like, during the rest of this present day cycle the next seven to 10 years. And when it does, it won’t look at all like it did during the 98-05 period; probably more like it did preceding the '98 correction. They’ll be all new players, novel hot loan products, etc.
Thankfully, long gone are the Low score high LTV Stated GIFTS!
I have seen in previous 'corrections,' nearly all of the formerly weakest areas tend to come to recognize how they contributed to problems and then they make adjustments and improve!
Adapting to the changes, is the key to any long-term success in this business.
Those 'good old days' of fast & easy money are gone.
PS: (*) loans will stay on the books longer than they had been during the 98-05 swing (where many borrowers refinanced regularly, frequently traded up on home purchases, etc.) to the more historical 5 to 7 year loan durations. Therefore one example would be that due to the changes in loan life, if you have been churning your former customers for new loans or trying to survive on referrals from them, you’ll discover in this new climate, the number of loans you’ll be able to get funded will be significantly reduced.
January 3, 2008
2007
- A QUICK LOOK BACK
"Beginning December 2005, we entered the fourth industry
'correction' in my long career in the consumer residential real estate mortgage
lending industry," reported Peter Samuel Cugno
Chairman & CEO. "This correction is proving to be as serious as the
industry collapse of 1988, which was a result of the far reaching S&L
crisis. As cycles go, the punishment portion of this one should bottom
out this Fall, and slowly start to begin to improve. By then, many of the new
players that typically emerge during these cycles, should be at hand. However,
much like 2007 - until we hit that point, 2008 should be as ugly as 2007
was; maybe even worse."
"December 2007 proved to be the most active month on our
website in the last 22 months; a strong website visitor showing that we are
quite happy with. Unfortunately, even with all that action, our current student
base as well as potential new ones are themselves in financial trouble, so
very few of them actually took advantage of our products, services and materials
in December, or even much throughout the entire lackluster year. As with almost every
industry vendor/supplier I've spoken with, 2007 was a financial disaster at
Secret! University ... we're looking to better times ahead."
December 21, 2007
MERRY
CHRISTMAS

December 15, 2007
CURRICULUM
& LESSON PLAN UPDATE
"We
are updating our website and the entire curriculum here at Secret!
University for 2008," Peter Samuel Cugno, Chairman & CEO announced this
afternoon.
"For
the last three months, the Mentor/teacher faculty has
been upgraded; today each one has received our Certified
Mortgage Professional (CMP) training, certification, and designation. A
level which no other mortgage learning center has achieved.
Each
of our lesson plans; our various services,
materials, CD Mortgage
Lessons, etc. have been reviewed and modified to correspond with today's
industry challenges," Cugno went on to say.
"Furthermore,
there is an ongoing SEO project, so our website will continue to rank favorably
on many organic search engine keyword/phrase searches. To date I am proud to
evaluate where we stand. To see the continuing work in this area as it unfolds,
visit my own Blog."

November 22, 2007
HAPPY
THANKSGIVING
November 5, 2007
OUR
LATEST MENTOR ADDITION
|

|
"It is my pleasure to announce this afternoon, Charles
Fitzgerald MBA, CMPS, CMP of Las Vegas, Nevada has joined our faculty
expansion of Mentors. His company has mortgage licensing authority in 21
states and is also a FHA Title II approved lender. He maintains direct
supervision responsibilities for 30 Loan Officers on a daily basis. He's a
consummate industry professional that speaks on behalf of our industry in
many different venues including print media, radio shows and television
and is known nationally for his no BS style and contagious positive
attitude," CEO Peter Samuel Cugno announced. "Learn more about
Charlie at our Mentor Program venue." |
October 30, 2007
JOIN
OUR NEW FRATERNITY!
| We
just sanctioned our first on-campus fraternity here at Secret! University
- it's called Secret! Society.
As a 'frat brother' you receive many benefits other students don't have
access to. Take a close look and consider
joining our Fraternity, there's some sizable discounts available to you if
you do - we're still working on the secret decoder ring,
but there's lots of other good stuff for you.
Our first pledge class is being formed right now, time to RUSH us.
|

|
October 27, 2007
WE
HAVE A NEW MENTOR!
| "We're
really happy to announce Andrew Campbell, CMP of Madison, Wisconsin is the
newest addition to our Mentor/Teacher faculty and is today available to
new students looking for an industry professional Mentor,"
a company spokesman announced this afternoon.
"Andy
has been in the mortgage industry since 1994 and in the past five years
has grown his own mortgage company from a one man shop to over 20 mortgage
consultants with multiple offices; he's joined us at just the right
time." |

|
October 26, 2007
UNANNOUNCED
THANKSGIVING SPECIAL
|

|
"All across the website, this morning we added a number
of unannounced Thanksgiving Specials to several of our CD Lessons, the widely respected
Mentor program and
our popular CMP study lesson & designation program as well," company
Chairman and CEO Cugno announced. |
October 3, 2007
SMOOTH'S
TO HOST 'BIG EVENT FOR ACACIA'
Fundraiser
Set For 16-Year-Old In Need of Double-Lung Transplant
Long
Beach, CA. – Smooth’s Sports Grill will be the location to host the ‘Big
Event for Acacia’.
Overlooking
Pine Avenue in historic downtown, Smooth’s Roof-Top Terrace will be the
setting for a fundraiser to help Russ Cugno and Lisa
Rizzo-Cugno's sixteen year old daughter, Acacia.
Acacia
has been diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension -a serious life
threatening heart and lung condition. She and her mother, who’s had to leave
work, are currently living in a Pittsburgh hotel near the hospital awaiting the
life-saving double-lung transplant surgery.
The non-insured expenses for pre and post-operative care
are astronomical. The financial impact on the family is severe and continues to
grow daily. The event is planned to be a fun filled evening with food, music, prizes and a giant silent auction and is to raise money for Acacia to help with expenses for her and her
family.
Smooth’s
‘Big Event for Acacia’ will be held on Wednesday, November 7th
beginning at 5:30 p.m. Smooth’s Sports Grill is located at 144 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, California.
The
donation at the door is $25. per person.
If
you are unable to attend but wish to make a contribution, tickets can be purchased online http://www.americasmoneycenter.com/eventtickets.htm
For
more details and updates on prizes and celebrities planning to attend please
visit http://www.lofan.com/acaciafund.htm
for updates on her condition visit http://acaciaupdates.blogspot.com/
September 1, 2007
ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION!
"This morning, the company is pleased to announce the 5th
Anniversary of the Secret! University learning center, division of Americas
Money Center, Inc." announced Peter Samuel Cugno the company Chairman &
CEO.
AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc. formerly
was an Internet platform based online financial institution, leverage the
convenience, speed, and cost efficiencies of the Web. Through it's award winning
website, the company specialized in Internet based lending by providing funding
with liberal underwriting standards, for residential real estate consumer
homeowner mortgage loans to customers of all credit grades, from Coast to Coast.
With the latest addition of it's Secret! University Division, it is playing an
important part in the continuing education of
mortgage industry professionals.
August 4, 2007
HOTLINE
DISCONNECTED
"This morning we discontinued our Mortgage Broker/LO
HOTLINE service", Peter Samuel Cugno, CEO reported. "This 900#
service, which we began in October 2004 to provide instantaneous assistance to
the cell phone carrying world of loan originators 'for those quick answers they
need all the time', has proven to be a colossal flop! It was clearly a good idea
that was ahead of it's time, it just came too soon."
"In spite of the clear cut evidence they had received little or
no proper training, we originally felt having access to our Help Desk, that was
only a quick phone call away, would have been a life-line frequently utilized by
many people out in the field and away from their boss. Turns out, that even at
only $1.99 a minute, most didn't think it would be cost effective for
them."
June 8, 2007
OUR
JOB BOARD IS ONLINE!
"Today we became affiliated with
industry’s largest and most widely used niche job board. We are now
representative of a growing list of periodicals, non-profits, government
agencies, and professional organizations using this proprietary “Powered by
TheBoardNetwork.com” affiliate module.
Through their Partnership Plus+ ™ program, our organization now offers our
website visitors the very latest 'Secret! University Job
Board powered by mortgageboard.com.' By adding this industry specific
resource to our organization’s website, we are able to provide a value added
service to our students, alumni, and new members. We've very excited about this
new addition to the Secret! University learning center," reported a company
spokesman.
September 11, 2006
CMP
PROGRAM LAUNCHED!

"I'm pleased to
announce the launch of our all new Certified
Mortgage Professional program and designation (CMP) today.
We
have developed our this Certified Mortgage Professional (CMP) designation,
for candidates who graduate from our CMP course. A 'Certified
Mortgage Professional' is a designation bestowed upon career-minded
individuals in the residential mortgage finance industry who have met the
requirements of our CMP program. It identifies the candidate as a
professional in the mortgage finance industry, along with demonstrating
your achievements and accomplishments. It will give you the
confidence to know you have a broad understanding of the industry, and
therefore will benefit you by attesting to any industry employer, and to
your peers as well, that you are a knowledgeable residential real estate
mortgage lending professional.
We don't want our graduates to simply be able to FIND an answer like a
high school research student on Google; we teach them how to KNOW the
answer/solution to a wide variety of industry issues, before they're
allowed to graduate. That way our CMP graduate's designation has 'real
world meaning and value' to our students," announced
the learning center's Chairman & CEO Peter Samuel Cugno. |
May 16, 2004
STOPPED
LOAN ORIGINATING
 |
"Today the Company
is announcing we are halting our retail residential real estate mortgage
lending activities," chairman Peter Samuel Cugno reported.
"After a long and distinguished period of helping the public
improve their family budgets and finding the American Dream, our plans
are to spend our remaining resources in improving the educational &
training needs of mortgage brokers and bankers across the Country - education
for the common good."
|

January 2, 2004
A
SHIFTING FOCUS IN 2003
 |
“Our numbers are in for 2003, industry wide the busiest
mortgage lending year since records have been kept! Although we found our
origination numbers, coming in at just under $12 Million respectable, they
were considerably off over previous years," reported Chairman Peter
Samuel Cugno. "For the third year running California came in as the
number one State for mortgage loan applications received, followed in
order by New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma and New Jersey this past
year. Four of these were in the top six highest ranking States in 2002 as
well." Mr. Cugno continued,
"Our attention for much of the year was aimed at our rapidly
developing Secret! University division and it's industry educational
activities, a direction the company is aggressively moving into more and
more." |

December 18, 2003
INDUSTRY
DISCUSSION BOARD LAUNCHED
“This morning we launched our own mortgage professional
discussion board. The Secret! University division of our company is growing
leaps and bounds," an executive said in the statement. "We are hopeful
our board will
become the industry web leader. With the Internet playing such a
major role in our lending business, and with it's enormous impact on loan
providers everywhere these days - online communities such as this are
vital, especially from an educational and ethical point of view."

September 15, 2003
SECRET!
UNIVERSITY IN THE NEWS
|
"In today's issue of National
Mortgage News' annual Recruiting and Training issue, as well as today's
HomeEquityWire, there's a nice front page article on our Secret!
University division", remarked company Chairman & CEO Peter
Samuel Cugno.
"The long association with our
friends at Thomson Media (owner of the popular 'Mortgage Grapevine' a
mortgage professional discussion board) has been an enjoyable 30+ year
relationship. I'm always happy to see nice publicity for our
organization. They also support our industry training programs."
|

|
August 18, 2003
SECRET!
UNIVERSITY ANNIVERSARY
| "Our Secret! University division
celebrates it's one year anniversary at the end of this month; I'm very
proud how it has developed so far" said company Chairman & CEO
Peter Samuel Cugno. He continued, "We started to offer industry
training CD Lessons for mortgage loan providers this morning, and we
expect brisk sales from nationwide loan providers who frequent the
'University' section of our website". |

|
"Our long association with the 25 year
old American School of Mortgage Banking (a registered U.S. Dept. of Education
UNITID # 377838 BPPVE 3006351 secondary education school), has had our class a
part of its curriculum since its beginning. To date we are proud to report
100% student satisfaction with our course on our unique 'Secret!
System'
pipeline automation efficiency techniques."

July 25, 2003
WE'VE
REACHED ANOTHER MILESTONE
“I’m very happy to announce the company has surpassed several thresholds
recently. Via this website, we have now originated over 2,000 individual
transactions, totaling in excess of $175 Million in residential real estate
consumer mortgages direct, in 40 different States across the Country!
Considering our lending processes are web based and significantly automated;
because of that, this is indeed quite an achievement!" - Peter Samuel Cugno
Chairman & CEO went on to say - "I want to congratulate our webmaster
and staffers for doing a wonderful job."

September 1, 2002
CUGNO
CONTINUES INDUSTRY EDUCATION
"I am pleased to maintain my position as a teacher
and consultant to our industry", company Chairman & CEO Peter Samuel
Cugno said today.
"For
the past three years, I have been a regular, and an active participant in one of
the most widely utilized mortgage professional discussion boards on the
Internet, Mortgage Grapevine. Day in and day out it has been
apparent, continuing education is key to the successful and ethical operation of
a mortgage origination loan officer's career; I have long been involved with
helping that young and growing segment of our industry. I have held
several class sessions on the topic of Mortgage Website/Internet originations.
So far I have had students come from Seattle, Phoenix, New York, San Diego, Pennsylvania,
Denver, Oregon, Baltimore,
Ohio, Las Vegas, Utah, Chicago, Northern and (of course from several) Southern
California counties as well. After almost 40 years in this business, I
very much enjoy 'giving back' to the industry, that has been very good to
me."

July 23, 2001
OVER
$100 MILLION SERVED!!
| "Not burgers! But just like McDonalds, we're on
the move", said company Chairman Peter Samuel Cugno. "The
Internet learning curve can be a steep one, it took our people many months
and a great deal of marketing time and money, to finally figure out how to
attract a steady stream of qualifiable applicants to our website.
Our visitor counter passed the 94,000 mark this morning; that fact alone,
has revolutionized our granular bandwidth and enabled us to seize
proactive infrastructures! |

|
And, since October 19, 1999 when we found the 'key' to Internet
advertising - we have originated 1,388 loans for $100,024,470 of consumer direct
residential real estate mortgage loans on our website, we've very proud of that
accomplishment, it is a fine benchmark of our dot-com partnerships."

October 3, 2000
HIGHEST
LEVEL OF CERTIFICATION RECEIVED
 |
“As many of you know, gomez.com is
utilized across all industry categories to find and evaluate the best
e-commerce sites around," Company CEO Peter Samuel Cugno
announced. "This morning Gomez Advisors presented their Certificate
of Review for Americas Money Center, and we received their 'Three Star'
Merchant Certification rank of Pass +" |
"Three Star Pass + is their 'highest level of Merchant
Certification', the Gomez announcement went on to say. This Certificate of
Review validates our aggregate proactive paradigm online website, and is no
small accomplishment since 50% of those reviewed do not meet even their minimum
criteria. We particularly were happy to be able to see a ranking of our
site, as it compares to our competition. We also noted they publish
exactly their industry evaluation criteria utilized, for all to understand.
Our webmaster's done a great job. We're very proud to receive such an
honor from the fine people at Gomez Advisors."

September 19, 2000
FINANCIAL
POWERHOUSE SPOTLIGHTS OUR WEBSITE
|
“Powering Online Profits” is the
name of their piece in the September/ October Mortgage
Technology magazine issue - it highlights Americas Money Center!
The Thomson Financial Publishing
people, are the leading provider of communications, reference, publishing, and compliance
info on financial institutions around
the world. Their
directories, database products, and solutions are used by over 200,000
customers in nearly 200 countries.
|

|
“I was pleased to see this rather nice article; they brand
best-of-breed metrics and presented the company experience with our website
quite fairly,” Chairman Peter Cugno was quoted as saying.
“There are a great many websites that promise instant pre-approvals for
top notch credit customers, those type of sites are a dime-a-dozen, however.
What’s meaningful about our site, is it addresses not only those top
notch credit type customers, but also the special needs of real people -- the
average American family who have lower than premium credit scores, who have experienced
credit problems with some minor, and even some significant ones.
That’s the customer who we help day in and day out.”
“Since
we're easily able to mesh cross-media portals, therefore when someone applies
for a cash-out refinance, a home improvement loan, or a home equity type bill
consolidation loan on our website, once their credit report is pulled – they
speak directly with our long experienced credit administrator, not to some
clerical or commissioned sales natured loan agent.
They get prompt straight answers to their situation from our
people," Mr. Cugno went on to say.

March 10, 2000
Americas
Money Center
RELOCATED TO DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH
|
“Today
I am pleased to announce we are expanding our facility and moving our
Executive & Administrative offices to the most prestigious address in
downtown Long Beach,“ said Peter Samuel Cugno Chairman & CEO of
AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc. at a press briefing this morning.
“The One World Trade Center complex will facilitate dynamic
infrastructures, and will provide all the right elements for a company
like ours that’s ‘on the move’!
From our new eighth floor windows, we can see one of the busiest
harbor in the World, have a vantage point view of the Queen Mary, the
Grand Prix – and all that energy is just perfect for our needs.”
“Internet based
‘DOT-com’ mortgage origination companies are hot, especially those
that specialize in the ‘non-conforming’ industry niche.
Those that are publicly traded are enjoying strong stock earnings,
and even privately owned firms like ours, are enjoying many investor/
partnership type offers. We
have had nearly 21,000 visitors to our website, since January 1st alone,
we have originated nationally over $5.2 Million of residential real estate
mortgage loans exclusively through our website,
www.americasmoneycenter.com. Easy
access to our checkbook, 24/7.” |
 |

February 24, 2000
CUGNO
SELECTED TO RE-WRITE
SCHOOL'S "NON-CONFORMING" CURRICULUM
In addition to his duties as the instructor of the 'Integrity
& Ethics in Mortgage Lending' executive course for mortgage lenders and
brokers, at the American School of Mortgage Banking's national campus in Orange
County, California - Peter Samuel Cugno has been chosen to completely redo the
entire non-conforming/subprime Lending course. "With Peter already a
part of the school, plus his almost 36 years as a non-conforming lender, he was
the natural choice to update our program", Bart Dueslar, President of the
American School of Mortgage Banking was quoted as saying.
"Non-conforming applicants are potential customers with less
than perfect credit. They are the largest segment of the borrowing
population - not everyone can 'walk-on-water'. They all have a unique story and
they must receive special handling by mortgage loan professionals. Loans
for this segment of the American population MUST be customized, handled
carefully, and can only be done well by someone that understands the uniqueness
of each customer," Peter said. "and, AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc.
focuses on this special group of customers exclusively. Due to my own long
experience is this industry niche, I'm pleased to help out the school."

October 16, 1999
COAST
TO COAST MORTGAGE LENDING NOW POSSIBLE
| Supplementing it's national commercial small business
equipment finance lease operation, AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc.
announced it has completed the negotiations and executed partnership
funding agreements with various nationwide 'net branch' organizations this
month. "These new associations will benefit both the company
and its customers through the benefits derived from the economies of scale
of a national firm," Chairman & CEO Peter Cugno said |
 |
"These new partnership relationships will now allow the company to close
loans in virtually every state, and therefore target world-class ROI.
Considering 100% of our retail customer marketing is Internet based, with over
12,000 previous visitors to our online award winning website - and with as many
as 1,316 visitors this month alone - having access to the funding capabilities
of long established solid countrywide partners has become critical to our day in
and day out operations. No longer is it prudent to isolate marketing
efforts to any one particular state, more than 98% of our October website
visitors came to us from outside California! We can now strategize frictionless
niches within the net branch systems."

June 7, 1999
FUNDING
FOR COMMERCIAL BUSINESS EQUIPMENT NOW AVAILABLE
 |
In addition to its consumer residential real estate lending
operation, AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc. has reported they have opened up a
credit department division specifically to provide commercial &
industrial small business equipment finance-lease funding directly for
retail business customers, thereby integrating one-to-one e-markets
nationwide. "For a company like ours, this is a unique
feature of also funding business needs," Chairman Cugno remarked
today. |

May 1, 1999
NEW
CREDIT FACILITY APPROVAL REPORTED
AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc. has reported they have received the approval a
multi-million dollar mortgage warehouse line of credit facility from a large
Mid-west commercial bank. "We are all thrilled about this addition, since
credit lines to firms like ours (that specialize in non-conforming/ subprime and
high LTV loans), are hard to come by these days," stated Peter Samuel Cugno
Chairman & CEO. "Because we have this credit line, we’ll have
access to the most popular institutional investor programs, and it will
generally speed up funding, since the closing checks will come from our local
bank account.
This new credit line development, when combined with our own
money available to fund and portfolio loans, gives me a great deal of comfort to
provide uninterrupted service to our customers" Mr. Cugno reported.
"Also, we can now expand our potential customer base with more intense
Internet e-commerce activities, and help us orchestrate leading-edge
initiatives."

April 16, 1999
NEW
LENDING SITE REVEALED
AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc. has announced the completion of
its Internet based website www.americasmoneycenter.com which went
"online" April 10, 1999.
"With the advent of growing e-commerce, e-mail, and
websites virtually everywhere – especially after being very Internet involved
in several ways since August 1995, using the 'net' to make doing business
easier, "… we’re excited about it's opening, it’s right on the mark,
we're no longer part of the off-line world" said Peter Samuel Cugno
Chairman & CEO. "Borrowers can apply for loans with us online,
as we morph front-end bandwidth, thus obtaining the benefits of lower costs and
faster processing of their applications," he said.
"This new website contains more helpful information than ever before,
and it will optimize end-to-end paradigms within the organization", Cugno
commented. "We are a young and growing California based online specialty
financial services organization. The Company specializes in providing funding
for residential real estate consumer homeowner mortgage loans, to customers of
all credit grades."

February 1, 1999
INDUSTRY
PIONEER OPENS LOCAL OFFICE
 |
After three major surgeries and a two+ year
fight with cancer, Peter Samuel Cugno of Cugno Consulting is back hard
at work helping folks in LA and Orange County. "I have enjoyed my
consulting work with various mortgage brokers and mortgage bankers
around the country (to help make the residential real estate mortgage
loan process painless - 'Training the Lender'), in addition to my
scheduled activities as speaker and instructor on Integrity &
Ethics in Mortgage Lending for the American School of Mortgage
Banking these past couple of years," Peter said, "but my
heart’s always been where the action is – I Love the 'jazz' of
operating." He has opened the AMERICAS MoneyCenter, Inc. office
located on busy Chapman Ave in Orange, CA. |
Mr. Cugno is widely considered the inventor of the High LTV
Second Mortgage, with 34+ years operating experience in the B/C and High LTV
industry sector. After leaving a 14-year career as a retail
non-conforming/subprime portfolio lender with Beneficial, in the early 1980’s
he started-up a successful nationwide wholesale High LTV and B/C second mortgage
lending operation. With this foundation and using its subsequent FreddieMac
Seller/Serviced (second mortgages) status, it was his company that invented the
High LTV second mortgage product back when 70% CLTV was common. Their trade
marked 90 SECONDTM Second in 1981, and
their 100% CLTV second mortgage product in 1988, were forerunners of today’s
High LTV second mortgage product. Mr. Cugno has been widely quoted in various
publications - Wall Street Journal, New York Times, National Thrift News,
Origination News, Home Equity News, National Mortgage News etc., about mortgage
lending operations. His last speaking engagement was January 20, 1999 at the
Orange County Chapter of the Women’s National Organization of Mortgage
Professionals.

October 10, 1998
MORTGAGE
BANKING SCHOOL ANNOUNCES
’Advanced Executive Seminars for B/C & High LTV Lenders’
| The American School of
Mortgage Banking (ASMB) announced it is offering its second
"Advanced Executive Seminar on High LTV Lending" for Southern
California lenders, loan broker executives/management, and company
owners at its Tustin campus. This next session is scheduled for
Saturday, October 24, 1998. |

|
"Today they’re faced with increased challenges in
light of the recent economic crisis that’s hit Wall Street. It’s knocked
many of them for a loop!" Bart Duesler, ASMB’s General Manager said.
"Now’s the time for a calm assessment of the marketplace, there’s too
much hysteria right now, and it’s not necessary."
"The sessions will be conducted at ASMB’s Tustin
campus by strategic alliance partner Peter Samuel Cugno Chairman & CEO of
Cugno Consulting. Known by many as the father of the High LTV Second Mortgage,
Cugno has more than three decades experience in the B/C sub-prime non-conforming
and High LTV industry niche, Peter is also our instructor of Integrity &
Ethics in Mortgage Lending."
"Some reports today are saying ‘The Sky Is Falling’,
Duesler stated. "This tends to make uninformed individuals a nervous wreck,
the session will ease many of those concerns."
Tuition for the all day seminar is $395. Advanced
registration and payment are required, as seating is limited. For Reservations
and Information, send e-mail to bart@asmb.com.
The ASMB campus is located in Tustin, CA.
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