OVERVIEW GUIDE TO HOME COUNSELOR ONLINE NATIONAL FORECLOSURE MITIGATION COUNSELING (NFMC) FEATURES

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Caitlin Simon
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1 OVERVIEW GUIDE TO HOME COUNSELOR ONLINE NATIONAL FORECLOSURE MITIGATION COUNSELING (NFMC) FEATURES

2 WHO SHOULD USE THIS OVERVIEW GUIDE? WHAT IS NFMC? This overview guide contains information for Home Counselor Online (HCO) counselors who work for agencies participating in the NeighborWorks National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program. It may also be useful for HCO counselors whose agencies are performing foreclosure type counseling. This guide assumes you have a general understanding of HCO and its terminology. BACKGROUND INFORMATION On July 30, 2008, President Bush signed The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law ) which appropriated $180 million to NeighborWorks America to continue the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program. This appropriation provided funds for foreclosure counseling, legal assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure, training for foreclosure counselors, and administrative expenses associated with running the NFMC program. See the NeighborWorks America press release, or view an excerpt from the statute [PDF, 31 KB] for additional details. To address the need for reporting for the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program from multiple Client Management Systems (CMS), a secure web-based solution has been created by NeighborWorks to receive uploads of a standard export file format. Awardees can collect, manage and consolidate all of their sub-grantees data and submit it to the Data Collection System ( DCS ) at any frequency they choose. There are currently 45 data points which NFMC grantees are required to collect during their Foreclosure Counseling sessions. These data points may change as the requirements of the program change. It is the reporting of the data points which has been added to HCO s external reporting features. CONTACT INFORMATION For more information about the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, call , or nfmc@nw.org. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS The terms below are specific to the NFMC program. Please see the NeighborWorks document titled: Reporting Requirements Guide - National 2

3 Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program - Data Collection System- Production Reporting for their latest definitions. This can be found on the NeighborWorks website Branch ID Client Unique Identifier Counseling Level Counseling Intake Date Counseling Mode Total Individual Foreclosure Counseling Hours Received Total Group Foreclosure Education Hours Received Reason If No Credit Score Source of Credit Score Total Monthly PITI at intake Counseling Outcome Counseling Outcome Date Back-end DTI (Debt-to-Income) 3

4 Index NFMC Quick Reference Checklist...5 How do I get access to HCO s NFMC Features?...6 How do I indicate that a client is an NFMC client?...9 What other HCO screens gather NFMC information?...11 How do I enter NFMC Case Detail information?...18 How do I enter NFMC Loan Detail information?...22 How do I manage my NFMC counseling level activities?...27 How do I record an NFMC Counseling Level?...30 How do I determine if I am missing NFMC information?...36 How do I produce my.csv export file containing my completed counseling levels?...43 How do I fix a counseling level rejected by NeighborWorks and then re-export it?...47 How do I disassociate a case from the NFMC program?...51 How do I re-associate a case to the NFMC program once it has been dissassociated using the Deactivate feature?

5 NFMC QUICK REFERENCE CHECKLIST The checklist below list provides a quick reference to ensure a smooth NFMC process.. Initial Setup (One time only) Setup your agency as participating in NFMC Agency Information screen - Page 6 NFMC Case Create Case/Enter client information - Page 9 Indicate that the client is an NFMC Client - Page 9 Enter the AMI information - Page 11 (Optional) Enter address information - Page 12 Enter the client s demographic information - Page 13 Enter income information - Page 14 Enter appointment information - Page 15 (Optional) Enter Home Purchase Information - Page 16 (Optional) Enter Loan information - Page 17 Complete NFMC Case Details screen - Page 18 Complete NFMC Loan Details screen - Page 22 Enter completed activities on Counseling Details screen - Page 27 Enter Counseling Level and Counseling Start Date - Page 30 Upon completion of Counseling Level Tasks Enter Counseling Level End Date and any other Counseling Outcome info - Page 31 Verify that the NFMC case has all required data using the NFMC Alerts report - Page 36 Use NFMC Export Selection screen to produce the.csv file used for importation into the NeighborWorks application. - Page 44 5

6 HOW DO I GET ACCESS TO HCO S NFMC FEATURES? This section contains instructions on how to activate the NFMC features within HCO for your agency. These instructions can only be carried out by a user who has the role of HCO administrator. 1. On the top menu, choose Administration, then Setup, then Agency Information. 6

7 2. The agency information screen will be displayed. Scroll down until you see the section called Additional Agency Information. 3. There are two fields in this section which are NFMC related. They are: NFMC Participant and NFMC Branch ID. 7

8 4. To activate the NFMC features, place a check in the NFMC Participant checkbox and enter your NFMC Branch ID. These two fields are the only fields required to activate the NFMC features. Note: Branch ID s for each intermediary or HFA have already been assigned their identification numbers for their sub-grantees. This number is the HUD Agency Identification Number assigned to subgrantees of Intermediaries or HFAs (if applicable). If no HUD Agency Identification Number was available, the grantee listed a unique ID number that identified its branch offices or sub-grantees. All sub-grantees must be on file with NeighborWorks. If you are an NWO that has just one branch, you must enter Main in the NFMC Branch Id field. 5. Click Save to retain your settings. Note: After clicking Save, it is helpful to scroll down to the bottom of the agency information screen to ensure no errors were found upon saving. 8

HOW DO I INDICATE THAT A CLIENT IS AN NFMC CLIENT? This section contains instructions on how to indicate that a client is a NFMC client and should be reported under the NFMC Program.

There are actually two screens which can be used to indicate that a client is a NFMC client: the Create Case screen and the Contacts screen.

9 HOW DO I INDICATE THAT A CLIENT IS AN NFMC CLIENT? This section contains instructions on how to indicate that a client is a NFMC client and should be reported under the NFMC Program. Indicating that a client is a NFMC client allows for the system to automatically pre-populate the NFMC Case Details screen with the client information. There are actually two screens which can be used to indicate that a client is a NFMC client: the Create Case screen and the Contacts screen. New Case: If you are creating a case for the first time, follow the procedures below: 1. On the top menu, click Create New Case. 2. The Create New Case screen will be displayed. Enter in the appropriate Intake information. At the bottom of the screen is a checkbox labeled NFMC Client. If the newly entered client should be reported as an NFMC Client, then click this checkbox. 9

3. Once all client information is entered, click one of the three buttons: Save, Save and Add Another

Existing Case: If you already have an existing case and you later find out the case will be part of the

On the Case File menu, click the Edit link next to the client that you wish to mark as being the NFMC

10 3. Once all client information is entered, click one of the three buttons: Save, Save and Add Another Case or Save and Close. Existing Case: If you already have an existing case and you later find out the case will be part of the NFMC program follow these procedures. 1. On the Case File menu, click the Edit link next to the client that you wish to mark as being the NFMC client. 2. The Contact Information screen will be displayed. At the bottom of the screen is a checkbox labeled NFMC Client. If the client should be reported as an NFMC Client, then click this checkbox. 3. If all client information is correct, click Save. 10

WHAT OTHER HCO SCREENS GATHER NFMC INFORMATION? This section reviews other screens within HCO which collect NFMC information, other than the screens designated as NFMC.

This screen contains the AMI field. Once this field is populated, it will pre-populate the NFMC Case Details screen. Summary: AMI field. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Summary menu option. 2.

11 WHAT OTHER HCO SCREENS GATHER NFMC INFORMATION? This section reviews other screens within HCO which collect NFMC information, other than the screens designated as NFMC. These screens include: Case Summary, Address, Demographics, Income, Appointments, Home Purchase and Home Financing. The first screen we will discuss is the Case Summary screen. This screen contains the AMI field. Once this field is populated, it will pre-populate the NFMC Case Details screen. Summary: AMI field. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Summary menu option. 2. The Summary screen will be displayed. You will find the HUD AMI Bracket in a section called Financial Summary. It is located near the bottom of the screen. In this field, simply enter a number corresponding to the % of AMI for the household. i.e. 75 would mean 75% AMI. 11

Address: Street, City, State and Zip Code 1.

then click the Add Address button or the Edit link next to the address which will be used

Entering an address as part of the Client Intake allows it to be copied into the NFMC Case

12 Address: Street, City, State and Zip Code 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Address menu option under the Client Intake menu option, then click the Add Address button or the Edit link next to the address which will be used for NFMC reporting. Entering an address as part of the Client Intake allows it to be copied into the NFMC Case Details screen. 2. The Client Address Details screen is displayed. You will find the Street, City, State and Zip Code near the top of the screen. Note: The Street Address 2 is not used for the NFMC reporting. 12

which is the NFMC Client. 2. The Demographic screen is displayed.

13 Demographics: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Birth Date 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Demographic menu option under the Client Intake menu option, then click the Edit link next to the client which is the NFMC Client. 2. The Demographic screen is displayed. You will find the Race, Ethnicity Type Code, Birth Date and Gender near the top of the screen. This information automatically pre-populates the NFMC Case Details screen for the NFMC client indicated. Note: NeighborWorks will also accept a client s birth date in place of the client s age. 13

The Income screen is displayed. Enter in the Income Amount field, the Income Type and the Pay Frequency.

14 Income: Annual Household Income 1. On the Case File menu, click the Income menu option, under the Client Intake menu option; click the Add Income button or the Edit link next to the income you wish to modify. 2. The Income screen is displayed. Enter in the Income Amount field, the Income Type and the Pay Frequency. HCO will automatically calculate the NFMC Annual Household Income based on the amount entered in the Income amount field and using the Pay Frequency selected. This information automatically pre-populates the NFMC Case Details screen. Note: The NFMC Annual Household Income is a required field; therefore, you must have an income greater than 0 in order to not receive an NFMC alert for the case. Please contact NeighborWorks in order to locate the exact policy to use when no income exists. 14

Appointments: NFMC Total Individual Hours 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Appointment menu option. Click the Add Appointment button or the Edit link next to the appointment you wish to modify. 2.

These fields are: Date - The date value must be within the NFMC Start Date and NFMC End Date. Duration This value is used to calculate the total hours Type This field is a required field for HCO.

15 Appointments: NFMC Total Individual Hours 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Appointment menu option. Click the Add Appointment button or the Edit link next to the appointment you wish to modify. 2. The Appointment screen is displayed. This screen contains several fields used to calculate the NFMC Total Individual Hours value. These fields are: Date - The date value must be within the NFMC Start Date and NFMC End Date. Duration This value is used to calculate the total hours Type This field is a required field for HCO. Attended This checkbox must be checked of the hours will not be included in your NFMC Total Individual Hours calculation. Counseling Level This value must match that of the counseling level billed for that same time period. Counseling Need The value must be the value Seeking Help with Resolving or Preventing Mortgage Delinquency. Note: Do not select the Counseling Need value of Seeking Mortgage Delinquency Counseling. 15

(This step is optional because the address can also be entered within the NFMC Case Details screen) 2.

16 Home Purchase: Street, City, State and Zip Code 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Home Purchase menu option, under the Lending Center menu option. (This step is optional because the address can also be entered within the NFMC Case Details screen) 2. The Home Purchase screen will be displayed. You will find the Address 1, City, State and Zip Code near the top of the screen. Entering the address on the Home purchase allows it to be copied into the NFMC Case Details screen. Note: The Address 2 is not used for the NFMC reporting. 16

17 Home Finance: Lender, Lender FDIC/NCUA #, Lender Full Corporate Name, ARM, Hybrid ARM, Option ARM, Loan Privately Held, and Interest Only. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the Home Financing option, under the Lending Center menu. Click the Add Loan button or the Edit link next to the loan you wish to modify. 2. The Home Finance screen is displayed. Entering of the information on the Home Finance screen allows it to be copied into the NFMC Loan Details screen. Note: You also have the ability to enter Loan information directly in the NFMC Loan Details screen. 17

18 HOW DO I ENTER NFMC CASE DETAIL INFORMATION? This section reviews information contained on the NFMC Case Details screen. Although there is no specific order to entering NFMC information, this screen is typically used to start the process. Most of the information on this screen is copied from other screens within the HCO application. This will be covered in further detail within the next several sections. Now let s review the NFMC Case Details screen. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the NFMC Information menu option, then click the NFMC Case Details menu option. 18

The NFMC Status will change depending on actions taken to the NFMC information. 3. The next section on this screen is Household Information.

19 2. The NFMC Case Details screen is displayed. The status of your NFMC information is displayed at the top of the screen. When you are creating NFMC information for the first time, your case status will be Case is not associated with the NFMC Program. The NFMC Status will change depending on actions taken to the NFMC information. 3. The next section on this screen is Household Information. Many fields in this section are automatically prefilled based on information entered on other screens within HCO. These fields are prepopulated based on whichever client was indicated as the NFMC client. 19

20 Let s review the fields in this section in more detail. Field Name Information Source Screen Casefile Unique This number is automatically assigned to the N/A ID case by HCO. It issued by NeighborWorks to uniquely identify the case. Last Name Last name of the client who is considered head Contact Screen of household. First name First name of the client who is considered head Contact Screen of household Gender Gender of the client who is considered head of Demographics household. Date of Birth Birth date of primary customer. Client who is Demographics considered head of household. Ages less than 12 or greater than 110 will be rejected by NeighborWorks. Household Type This field is specific to the NFMC program. It N/A Annual Household Income AMI Bracket specifies the type of household for the client. Family s total gross income rounded to the nearest dollar. Area Median Income refers to the middle or midpoint income for a particular area. The term is used to estimate the typical income for a particular area. More information is available in the AMI data sets at: Income Summary Race Ethnicity Credit Report Source Credit Score Reason for No Credit Information Race of the client who is considered head of household. Ethnicity of the client who is considered head of household. You have the ability to copy the Ethnicity from the Demographic screen, or choose the option of Chose not to Respond. This is the provider of the credit score. This is the credit score at intake for foreclosure counseling. Acceptable values are between 0 and 3000 inclusive. In addition, the special values 9001 through 9004 are also acceptable. If you do not provide a credit score then you must supply the reason explaining why you are not providing a credit score. Demographics Demographics If you pulled credit through HCO, you may use the Copy most recent HCO credit report to auto-populate the credit information. If you pulled credit through HCO, you may use the Copy most recent HCO credit report to auto-populate the credit information. N/A 20

21 Note: You will receive an error message if you have entered both credit information as well as a Reason for No Credit Information. 4. The next section, Property Address, pertains to the address of the property being counseled upon. This section allows you to either enter an address or copy an address using any of the addresses listed on the Address screen or the address from the Home Purchase screen. 5. Once you have entered your data, click Save. 21

22 HOW DO I ENTER NFMC LOAN DETAIL INFORMATION? This section reviews information contained on the NFMC Loan Details screen. Some of the information on this screen may be copied from the Home Finance screen within the HCO application. This will be covered in further detail within the next several sections. Now let s review the NFMC Loan Details screen. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the NFMC Information menu option, then click the NFMC Loan Details menu option. 22

23 2. The NFMC Loan Details screen is displayed. The status of your NFMC information is displayed at the top of the screen. When you are creating NFMC information for the first time, your case status will be Case is not associated with the NFMC Program. The NFMC Status will change depending on actions taken to the NFMC information. 3. The next section, Loan Information, allows you to capture data regarding the loan which is being counseled upon. This screen allows information to either be entered directly or to be copied from any of the loans listed in the Home Finance screen. To copy Home Finance Information, simply chose the loan from the dropdown list and click Copy. 4. Not all fields on this screen are copied from the Home Finance screen and will require data entry. Therefore, let s review the Loan Information fields in more detail. 23

24 Note: This screen contains a link which allows you to go to the FDIC website to research the lender s FDIC #. Simply click the link, Lookup FDIC Number, to be taken to the FDIC Website. Note: Once a loan is copied from an existing loan, all information is editable. 24

25 The information below describes the NFMC Loan Details fields in more detail. Field Name Information Copied from the Home Finance screen. Originating Lender Name: Originating Lender FDIC/NCUA #: Originating Lender Full Corporate Name: Original Loan Number: Name of lender originating the foreclosure problem loan to the client (prior to any refinances or other workouts). If the client is seeking counseling on more than one loan, report values for the loan with the highest impact. This applies to this field as well as all following fields that refer to a single loan or lender. The values for all loan related fields should refer the same loan. If the originating lender is FDIC insured, use their FDIC number. If originating lender is a credit union insured by NCUA, use the NCUA number. If you cannot find either an FDIC or an NCUA number for the mortgage company or lender, enter the company s full corporate name. If you do not know the company s name, leave this field blank. If you cannot find either an FDIC or an NCUA number for the mortgage company or lender, enter the company s full corporate name. Loan number of foreclosure related problem loan. Yes Yes Yes Yes Servicer Name: Servicer FDIC Number/NCUA #: Servicer Full Corporate Name: Servicer Loan Number: Total Monthly PITI: Loan Product at Intake: NFMC FHA or Name of current loan servicer for the loan with the foreclosure related problem. If the current servicer is FDIC insured, use their FDIC number. If the current servicer is a credit union insured by NCUA, use their NCUA number. If you cannot find either an FDIC or an NCUA number for the mortgage company or lender, use the company s full corporate name. If you do not have the company s name, leave this field blank. If you cannot find either an FDIC or an NCUA number for the mortgage company or lender, use the company s full corporate name. Loan number assigned by current servicer for the loan with the foreclosure related problem. Total principal, interest, taxes and insurance paid by customer at intake on the loan which is being reported. This describes the type of loan with the foreclosure related problem. Is the loan, with the foreclosure related No No No No Yes No Yes 25

26 VA Insured Loan: Option ARM: Hybrid ARM: If ARM, has the Interest Rate Reset: Loan Privately Held: Interest Only: Loan Type being Reported: Does Second Loan Exist? problem, a FHA or VA loan? Is the loan, with the foreclosure related problem, an Option ARM. Is the loan, with the foreclosure related problem, a Hybrid ARM. If the loan, with the foreclosure related problem, an ARM, has the Interest rate reset? Is the loan, with the foreclosure related problem, privately held. Is the loan, with the foreclosure related problem, interest only This field specifies whether you are reporting on a first or second loan for this client. If you are reporting on the first loan, does a second loan exist? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 5. Once you have entered your data, click Save. 26

27 HOW DO I MANAGE MY NFMC COUNSELING LEVEL ACTIVITIES? This section reviews information on how to indicate, for a case, which NFMC counseling activities are complete. These activities correspond to the activities needed completing prior to billing a specific counseling level. Let s review the steps needed to manage NFMC activities. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the NFMC Information menu option, then click the NFMC Counseling Details menu option. 2. The NFMC Counseling Details screen is displayed. The status of your NFMC information is displayed at the top of the screen. When you are creating NFMC information for the first time, your case status will be Case is not associated with the NFMC Program. The NFMC Status will change depending on actions taken to the NFMC information. 27

3. Below the NFMC Status message is the Activity Checklist section of the Counseling Details screen. It is used to track completed NFMC activities.

Note: You save at least one activity, before the Add Counseling Level button becomes visible.

28 3. Below the NFMC Status message is the Activity Checklist section of the Counseling Details screen. It is used to track completed NFMC activities. As you complete each NFMC activity, click on the checkbox associated to that activity and then click Save. Note: You save at least one activity, before the Add Counseling Level button becomes visible. Note: The Counseling Level Activity Definition help link explains the Counseling Levels and their associated activities. Note: The Activities checkboxes allow for edits to be performed against Counseling Levels to ensure the completed activities match those required by the NFMC Program. See an example of a Warning message below. 28

29 The table below describes the activities associated with a "Counseling Level". Counseling Level Counseling Level 1 Counseling Level 2 Counseling Level 3 Counseling Level 4a Counseling Level 4b Activities o Conducted Intake o Received Authorization o Developed Budget o Developed Action Plan o Engaged in Budget verification o Received Authorization o Outlined steps for client s solution using Action Plan and Notes o Close-out documentation complete o Conducted Intake o Received Authorization o Developed Action Plan o Engaged in Budget verification o Outlined steps for client s solution using Action Plan and Notes o Close-out documentation complete o Received Authorization o Documented Debt-to-Income Ratio o Developed Budget o Developed Action Plan o Discussed terms of mortgage and how to stay current o Received proof of referral from servicer o Documented each counseling session o Scheduled/conducted follow-up appointment o Engaged in Budget Verification o Verified Debt-to-Income Ratio o Verified that borrower is progressing with Action Plan o Verified payment status on loan modification 29

30 HOW DO I RECORD AN NFMC COUNSELING LEVEL? This section reviews information on how to enter a NFMC counseling level. Each counseling level represents a set of counseling activities which can be billed to NeighborWorks under the NFMC program. HCO allows you to create any combination of counseling levels for a case, since it depends on which ones are selected to be exported as to their validity. Let s review how to create a counseling Level in HCO. 1. On the Case File menu, choose the NFMC Information menu option, and then choose the NFMC Counseling Details menu option. 30

2. The NFMC Counseling Details screen is displayed. Click Add Counseling Level. If this is your first time to the screen you will not see the Add Counseling Level button.

31 2. The NFMC Counseling Details screen is displayed. Click Add Counseling Level. If this is your first time to the screen you will not see the Add Counseling Level button. You first must indicate that you have completed at least one activity in the Activity Checklist. Once you choose an activity and click Save, the Add Counseling Level button will be displayed. 3. The Counseling Details window will expand and allow you to enter your counseling level information. Let s review the fields in more detail. 31

Field Name Information Counseling Level According to NeighborWorks, a Level 1 Counseling constitutes the completion of the following: o Conducted Intake o Received Authorization o Developed Budget o

32 Field Name Information Counseling Level According to NeighborWorks, a Level 1 Counseling constitutes the completion of the following: o Conducted Intake o Received Authorization o Developed Budget o Developed Action Plan According to NeighborWorks a Level 2 Counseling constitutes the completion of the following: o Engaged in Budget verification o Received Authorization o Outlined steps for Client s solution using Action Plan and Notes o Close-out documentation complete According to NeighborWorks a Level 3 Counseling constitutes 32

33 as the completion of the following: When all necessary documentation for Levels 1 and 2 are completed in succession by the same agency. o Conducted Intake o Received Authorization o Developed Action Plan o Engaged in Budget verification o Outlined steps for Client s solution using Action Plan and Notes o Close-out documentation complete According to NeighborWorks a Level 4a Counseling constitutes the completion of the following: o Received Authorization o Documented Debt-to-Income Ratio o Developed Budget o Developed Action Plan o Discussed terms of mortgage and how to stay current o Received proof of referral from servicer o Documented each counseling session o Scheduled/conducted follow-up appointment According to NeighborWorks a Level 4b Counseling constitutes the completion of the following: o Engaged in Budget Verification o Verified Debt-to-Income Ratio o Verified that Borrower is progressing with Action Plan o Verified payment status on loan modification Counseling Level Start Date (Counseling Intake Date) Counseling Level End Date Primary Reason for Anticipated Delinquency, Delinquency or Default Counseling The Counseling Level Start date is the same field as NeighborWorks field called Counseling Intake date. It is defined as the date the client first enters the counseling agency seeking foreclosure counseling services. For NFMC purposes, intake date refers to the date of the intake session for Counseling Level. This date is used by HCO to indicate that the counseling level is complete. By entering this date, the counseling level will appear on the NFMC Export screen and selectable for export. It is also used to know which appointments or classes apply to the counseling level in order to calculate the Total Individual Foreclosure Counseling Hours Received and the Total Group Foreclosure Education Hours Received. This field is not used by or reported to NeighborWorks. This is the Primary Reason for Anticipated Delinquency, Delinquency or Default Counseling for the state the homeowner is in at the time you are performing the counseling level. 33

Loan Status Back-end DTI Counseling Mode Counseling Outcome Counseling Outcome Date This is the Loan Status at the time you are performing the counseling level.

34 Loan Status Back-end DTI Counseling Mode Counseling Outcome Counseling Outcome Date This is the Loan Status at the time you are performing the counseling level. Back-end DTI is a ratio of the client s debt to their income. The value of this field by default is 0. It must contain a value greater than 1. If you enter a value between 0 and 1 you will receive an alert. This field is required for both Counseling Level 4a and 4b. This value can differ between Counseling Levels. Note: Please consult NeighborWorks for the formula to use for calculating this field. The counseling mode should best represent the type of mode used to perform counseling. If you provide a counseling outcome, you must also provide the counseling outcome date. If you provide a counseling outcome date, you must also provide the counseling outcome. When uploading, the outcome date must be later than the Counseling Start date and must also be before or on the date at which you upload the counseling level. When uploading a counseling level for round one, the earliest permissible counseling outcome date is 03/01/2008. When uploading a counseling level for round two, the earliest permissible counseling outcome date is 01/01/ Once you have entered your counseling level information, click the Save button. The newly entered counseling level will appear in the counseling level details list. Once a counseling level appears in this list, you may use the Edit option to modify any of its information. If you wish to delete the counseling level entirely, simply use the Delete option. The values listed under the Total Individual Hours or Total Group Hours represent the time spent in these areas. i.e. a value of 1.25 = 1 hour and 15 minutes. The value after the decimal point represents the percentage of 60 minutes. Note: A Counseling Level 1, 2 or 3 must have either Total Individual Hours or Total Group Hours greater than 0. Note: Counseling Levels 4a and 4b are required to have Total Individual Hours greater than.25 (15 minutes). If the appointment(s) or class(es) do not provide enough information to calculate the Total Individual Hours or Total Group Hours, and you are still 34

35 receiving Warning messages, please check the rules below to ensure your appointments or classes are setup properly. In order for an appointment to count towards Total Individual Hours, 1. Appointment must have a Counseling Need of Seeking Help with Resolving or Preventing Mortgage Delinquency and 2. Appointment s Counseling Level value match that of the reported Counseling Level and 3. Appointment must be marked as being Attended by the client. Counseling Levels 1, 2 and 3 - In order for a class to count towards the Total Group Hours, the Class Topic must be marked as Mortgage Delinquency and be marked as being Attended by the client. Counseling Levels 4a and 4b - In order for a class to count toward the Total Group Hours, the Class Topic must be marked as Post Modification Counseling and be marked as being Attended by the client. 35

HOW DO I DETERMINE IF I AM MISSING NFMC INFORMATION? This section reviews the steps for helping to determine if your NFMC meets the requirements of the NFMC program.

36 HOW DO I DETERMINE IF I AM MISSING NFMC INFORMATION? This section reviews the steps for helping to determine if your NFMC meets the requirements of the NFMC program. HCO contains a report called the NFMC Alerts report which helps users find NFMC cases that are missing required information. Let s review the process to execute the NFMC Alerts report. Note: Although a case may contain a NFMC alert, HCO will not stop its associated counseling level from being exported. 1. On the top menu, choose the External Reports menu option, then choose the NFMC Reports menu option, then choose NFMC Alerts menu option. 2. The NFMC Alerts report is displayed showing all NFMC cases which have NFMC alerts for your agency. The top portion of the screen reviews the parameters used to execute the report. You may change the report criteria by clicking Change Search Criteria. 36

3. The NFMC Alerts Search Criteria is displayed. It contains several options for limiting what NFMC Alerts are displayed. Simply enter the additional criteria and click Search.

37 3. The NFMC Alerts Search Criteria is displayed. It contains several options for limiting what NFMC Alerts are displayed. Simply enter the additional criteria and click Search. You will be taken back to the NFMC Alerts report where cases are displayed based on your new search criteria. Note: By entering search criteria in the NFMC Alerts Search Criteria screen, you automatically exclude any NFMC Warnings from your search results. This is result since these options focus only on Counseling Level data and their associated NFMC alerts. Note: The highlighted options above are only displayed for agencies which have a sharing relationship with another agency. Therefore, not all agencies will see this option. Using these options, an agency can execute the report for any agency and its shared NFMC case files. 4. The next area of the NFMC Alerts screen focuses on the types of NFMC Alerts which are being displayed in the Case Files with NFMC Alerts list. You may filter the NFMC alert types by unselecting the checkbox next to the NFMC Alert Type and clicking Refresh. 37

38 There are three types of NFMC Alerts: NFMC Warnings - This alert type lists messages for a case when it is missing NFMC case level data. The three screens which may have missing information are: NFMC Case Details, NFMC Loan Details or NFMC Counseling Details. NeighborWorks has specified key data points which should be populated prior to creating an export file. Although a case may have alerts, further research is required to determine if the alerts are applicable to your agency's policies. Counseling Level Warnings - This alert type lists messages for Counseling Levels which have no "Counseling Level End Date" or when a "Counseling Level 1" has missing credit information. These alerts are only "Warnings". Note: The "Counseling Level End Date" should not to be confused with the "Counseling Outcome Date". Export Warnings This alert type lists messages for Counseling Levels which are complete but have inconsistent Counseling Level combinations based upon NeighborWorks requirements. A counselor will need to perform additional research to determine if the current combinations are correct if uploaded into the NeighborWork s application. Note: Since Counseling Level 3 should not be used the Export Warnings can be ignored. To do this, simply unclick the Export Warning checkbox and click Refresh. 5. The main section of the NFMC Alerts screen is the Case Files with NFMC Alerts details area. This area displays information for NFMC cases which have NFMC Alerts. By clicking on the underlined message you are taken to the NFMC screen which has the issue. Once you are taken to the screen with the issue, you should easily identify what is missing based on the current NeighborWorks NFMC requirements. 38

6. The Case Files with NFMC Alerts details area lists many different messages based on what is missing. Let s review the messages and what needs to be done to resolve the issue.

39 6. The Case Files with NFMC Alerts details area lists many different messages based on what is missing. Let s review the messages and what needs to be done to resolve the issue. Message What should I do? Case Details: Missing NFMC case information. Ensure the NFMC case has all requested data points. Click the Case Details link to go to the NFMC Case Details screen. Review the screen to identify missing information. Information can be missing in any of the following fields: Last Name First Name Gender Household Income Race Is the client's ethnicity Hispanic? House # Street City State Zip Code Information in this section originates from several screens throughout HCO. These screens are: Case Summary, Contact Information, Demographics, Address or Home Purchase. In most cases, information will need to be updated in these screens and saved in NFMC Case Details prior to exporting. 39

40 Case Details: Credit Information or Reason must be provided. Case Details: Not enough information included. Ensure the case has either a reason for no credit or contains a credit score and credit source. Click Case Details to go to the NFMC Case Details screen. Review the screen to identify which information is missing. Ensure the case has half of the 6 required data points. Click Case Details to go to the NFMC Case Details screen. Review the screen to identify missing information. You may also need to review the NFMC Loan Details screen to determine if anything is missing. Information must be populated in half of the following fields: Date of Birth Household Type AMI Bracket Credit Score Credit Source Servicer Loan Number Case Details: Counseling Level? Back-end DTI is invalid. Contact Information: An NFMC Client has not been identified. Loan Details: Missing NFMC loan information. Ensure your back-end DTI is not less than 1 but greater than 0. i.e..78. Ensure the case has a client marked as an NFMC Client. Click Contact Information to go to the Contact screen. The NFMC Client checkbox is located at the bottom of the screen. Ensure the NFMC loan information has all requested data points. Click Loan Details to go to the NFMC Loan Details screen. Review the screen to identify missing information. Information can be missing in any of the following fields: Loan Status at Foreclosure Counseling Intake Name of Lender Originating Foreclosure Current Servicer Lender Name 40

41 Total PITI FHA or VA Insured Interest Only Loan Product If the Loan Product is type of ARM, the following three fields are required. Option ARM Hybrid ARM If ARM, has Interest Rate Reset Loan Type being Reported Does Second Loan Exist? Information in this section can originate from the Home Finance screen. Note: Loan information remains editable after copy. Counseling Details: Missing at least one Counseling Level assignment. Click Counseling Details. In the Counseling Level Details screen create at least one Counseling Level. If this information needs fixed, click on the screen name link. Once the information has been updated, click the [ ] in the upper right hand corner of the screen to be taken back to the NFMC Alerts screen. If the information has been updated correctly, the alert will no longer appear on the report. The following conditions can cause a Counseling Level Warning alert: Message Counseling Details: Counseling Level # with Start Date ##/##/#### is missing an End Date. Case Details: Credit information is required unless exempt by NeighborWorks. What should I do? Click Counseling Details. In the Counseling Level Details screen, ensure the Counseling Level End Date is populated for the Counseling Level specified. Click Case Details. In the Case Details screen, ensure the Credit Source and Credit Score are populated. Note: This is only applies to Counseling Level 1. Counseling Details: Counseling Level # has a Counseling Start Date before 01/01/2008. Click Counseling Details. In the Counseling Level Details screen, ensure the Counseling Level Start Date is not earlier than 01/01/

42 If this information needs fixed, click on the screen name link. Once the information has been updated, click the [ ] in the upper right hand corner of the screen to be taken back to the NFMC Alerts screen. If the information has been updated correctly, the alert will no longer appear on the report. The following condition can cause an Export Warning alert: Note: Since Counseling Level 3 should not be used, the Export Warning messages can be ignored. Message Counseling Details: Current Counseling Level combinations are not supported by NeighborWorks. What should I do? Click Counseling Details. In the Counseling Level Details screen, ensure the Counseling Levels are correct. a. Should not have Counseling Level 3 if a Counseling Level 1 or Counseling Level 2 exists. b. Should not have Counseling Level 1 or Counseling Level 2 if a Counseling Level 3 exists. c. Should not have both a Counseling Level 1 and Counseling Level 2 which have not been exported. Note: Since you control which Counseling Levels are exported, this may not be an issue if you export them separately. If this information needs fixed, click on the screen name link. Once the information has been updated, click the [ ] in the upper right hand corner of the screen to be taken back to the NFMC Alerts screen. If the information has been updated correctly, the alert will no longer appear on the report. 7. You also have the ability to create an excel report containing NFMC Alert information. Simply click Download Report at the bottom of the screen. You will be prompted with several screens which eventually require you to Save the.csv file to your computer. Note: Please select a location on your PC and name the file something you will remember. 42

43 HOW DO I PRODUCE MY.CSV EXPORT FILE CONTAINING MY COMPLETED COUNSELING LEVELS? This section reviews the steps needed to create the export file which is importable into the NeighborWorks application. HCO contains a report called NFMC Export Selection which provides the ability to select which completed counseling levels are included in the importable.csv file. A counseling level will only show up on this report once it has its Counseling Level End Date entered. Let s review the process to execute the report. NFMC Export Selection. 1. On the top menu, chose the External Reports menu option, then choose the NFMC Reports menu option, then choose NFMC Export Selection menu option. 2. The NFMC Export Selection report is displayed. It shows all NFMC cases/counseling levels which have never been exported. The top portion of the screen reviews the parameters used to execute the report. You may change the report criteria by clicking Change Search Criteria. 43

3. The NFMC Export Selection Search Criteria screen contains several options for limiting what NFMC counseling levels are displayed. Simply enter your additional criteria and click Search.

44 3. The NFMC Export Selection Search Criteria screen contains several options for limiting what NFMC counseling levels are displayed. Simply enter your additional criteria and click Search. You will be taken back to the NFMC Export Selection report where counseling levels are displayed using your new search criteria. Note: By entering search criteria, you can limit what counseling levels are displayed for selection. This is very useful if billing for a particular month or based on a particular counseling level. Note: The highlighted options above are only displayed for agencies which have a sharing relationship with another agency. Therefore, not all agencies will see this option. Using these options, an agency can execute the report for any agency and its shared NFMC case files. 44

5. You have the ability to select the counseling levels for export using several methods.

45 4. The main section of the report is the Counseling Levels Eligible For Export details area. This area presents information for NFMC cases which have a counseling level which can be exported. 5. You have the ability to select the counseling levels for export using several methods. Individually All counseling levels in the entire list, across all screens All counseling levels on the screen 45

46 6. Once you have selected the counseling levels you wish to have in the export file, simply click Next. 7. The following screen displays information regarding the parameters used to execute the report as well as confirmation type information regarding your selections. The Export Summary section displays counts based upon the counseling levels which were selected. These counts can be compared to those presented by the NeighborWorks application upon import. If the counts are correct, simply click Export Report. Note: If the Total All Counseling Levels does not add up properly, it indicates that a counseling level has been selected for export which does not contain a counseling level value. Note: Once this Export button is clicked, each counseling level selected will be flagged as having been exported; it will no longer appear as selectable for export. The system records who and when a counseling level is exported. 8. You are prompted with several screens that eventually require you to save the.csv file to your computer. Please select a location on your PC and name the file something you will remember. You can then use this file as import into the NeighborWorks application. 46

47 HOW DO I FIX A COUNSELING LEVEL REJECTED BY NEIGHBORWORKS AND THEN RE-EXPORT IT? This section reviews the steps needed to re-export a counseling level after it has been rejected by the NeighborWorks application. If an NFMC file contains an issue, the NeighborWorks application will identify the row within the import file which contains the issue. Using this information, we will begin the process to re-export a counseling level. Note: Please keep in mind that requirements may change over time which may require a manual change to the.csv file prior to uploading into the NeighborWorks application. 1. Using the file used as import into the NeighborWorks application, identify the row that had the issue. 2. Locate the number found in the ClientID column. This number will be used to find your case within HCO. 3. Once you have identified the Client ID number, go to the HCO Home screen and use the Search feature to find the case. 4. Enter the ClientID number in the Search field and click Go. 5. Once you have found the case, update the case information based upon the issue(s) identified by the NeighborWork s application. 47

The NFMC Export Selection report is displayed showing all NFMC cases/counseling levels.

48 6. After you make your modification, navigate to the External Reports menu option, and choose the NFMC Reports menu option, then choose NFMC Export Selection menu option. 7. The NFMC Export Selection report is displayed showing all NFMC cases/counseling levels. The top portion of the screen reviews the parameters used to execute the report. You must change the report criteria by clicking Change Search Criteria. 48

49 8. Once the NFMC Export Selection Search Criteria is displayed, you must click the Include Previously Exported Counseling Level checkbox. This will display all previously exported counseling levels on the Export Selection screen. You may add additional filtering criteria such as a Counseling Level value or a date range based upon the Counseling End Date. Note:By adding additional filters, it will make finding your specific counseling level easier once you return to the NFMC Selection report screen. Once the search criterion is entered, click Search. 9. You are returned to the NFMC Export Selection screen with all previously exported counseling levels displayed that matched your search criteria. From this list, you must select the counseling level which was rejected by the NeighborWorks application. 10. Once you have selected the counseling level you want to include in the export file, simply click Next. 11. The next screen displays information regarding the parameters used to execute the report as well as information about your selections. The Export Summary section displays counts based upon the counseling levels selected. These counts can be compared to those presented by the NeighborWorks application upon import. If the counts are correct, simply click Export Report. 49

Note: Once this Export button is clicked, each counseling level selected will be flagged as having been exported, thus not appearing again as selectable for export.

50 Note: Once this Export button is clicked, each counseling level selected will be flagged as having been exported, thus not appearing again as selectable for export. The system records who and when a counseling level is exported. 12. You are prompt with several screens which eventually require you to save the.csv file to your computer. Please select a location on your PC and name the file something you will remember. You can then use this file to upload your results into the NeighborWorks NFMC application. 50

HOW DO I DISASSOCIATE A CASE FROM THE NFMC PROGRAM USING THE DEACTIVATE FEATURE? This section reviews the steps for disassociating a case from the NFMC program.

51 HOW DO I DISASSOCIATE A CASE FROM THE NFMC PROGRAM USING THE DEACTIVATE FEATURE? This section reviews the steps for disassociating a case from the NFMC program. This process should be used when a case is deemed no longer participating in the NFMC program. This will remove the case from appearing on the NFMC alerts report and the NFMC Export Selection report. Let s review the process to remove a case from the NFMC Program. Note: Once a case has been disassociated from the NFMC program, it can be very easily re-associated to the NFMC program using the Activate button. 1. Open the case that you would like to disassociate from the NFMC Program. 2. Navigate to any of the three NFMC screens: NFMC Case Details, NFMC Loan Details or NFMC Counseling Details. 3. Once inside either of the NFMC screens, an option appears at the bottom of the screen. The option is called Deactivate. 4. Click Deactivate to remove the case from the NFMC Program. Case Details: 51

52 Loan Details: Counseling Details: 5. After you click Deactivate,, the NFMC information will be removed from the screen and the NFMC Status will be changed to Case has an inactive association with the NFMC program. 52

This process should be used if a case was disassociated in error or the case becomes eligible for the NFMC program.

53 HOW DO I RE-ASSOCIATE A CASE TO THE NFMC PROGRAM ONCE IT HAS BEEN DISASSOCIATED USING THE DE- ACTIVATE FEATURE? This section reviews the steps for re-associating a case to the NFMC program once it has been disassociated using the Deactivate button. This process should be used if a case was disassociated in error or the case becomes eligible for the NFMC program. This will allow the case to appear on the NFMC alerts report as well as the NFMC Export Selection report. Let s review the process to re-associate a case from the NFMC Program. 1. Open the case that you would like to re-associate with the NFMC Program. 2. Navigate to any of the three NFMC screens: NFMC Case Details, NFMC Loan Details or NFMC Counseling Details. 3. Once inside either of the NFMC screens, an option appears at the bottom of the screen. The option is called Activate. 4. Click Activate to re-associate the case with the NFMC Program. Case Details: Loan Details: 53

54 Counseling Details: 5. After you click Activate, the screen will display the NFMC information as it was before the disassociation and the NFMC Status is changed to Case is associated with the NFMC Program. 54

Reporting Requirements Guide National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program Data Collection System Production Reporting

Reporting Requirements Guide National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program Data Collection System Production Reporting Version 3.1 September 15, 2009 Program Administered by NeighborWorks America