There really is no place like home for the holidays. For more than 40 years, I had the pleasure of returning to my childhood home to celebrate the holidays with my family. That house felt more like home to me than any other place ever… Read more

As a representative of the title industry, no one knows better than you that the community places their implicit trust in us to properly deal with their greatest assets. Think about that. Whom do you trust? It’s not someone who wants to be your newest… Read more

I have always been fascinated by the study of human behavior. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that environment is often overlooked, but is in fact the most critical dynamic in decision-making. We have a tendency to look only at results,… Read more

If there is one thing that mortgage bankers have learned to accept is the reality of the new world order, that quality and compliance will become the forefront of all origination for the foreseeable future. Anyone who has been involved in the closing of a… Read more

The economic climate continues to improve. Revenues of nonfinancial companies have recently returned to pre-recession levels, and U.S. companies are spending more on capital assets, inventory and other expenses, and these are positive indicators for the U.S. economy. This is a good sign for commercial… Read more

It’s almost impossible to watch the news on television or read any financial publication and not hear about the looming “fiscal cliff” facing America. Current tax law, unless modified by Congress and the President, calls for automatic tax increases coupled with spending cuts beginning in… Read more

The holidays seemed to come early this year. Decorations, sales and festive music popped up long before Thanksgiving dinner was even set on the table. As we approach one of the biggest seasons of the year for philanthropy and corporate giving, I can’t help but… Read more

Because customer service relies so heavily on responding to a customer’s unique needs, Stewart focuses a great deal of time on truly getting to know our customers. In addition to regular interaction, we’ve found that surveys are a great tool for generating customer insight. But… Read more

2012 has been a successful year. Although the year is nearly over, there is still much work to be done. The uncertainties facing the nation in 2013 – the Fiscal Cliff, tax changes, interest rates, job growth (or lack thereof) – are driving clients towards… Read more

There’s nothing like a bad customer service experience to remind you of how critical customer service can be to the success of an organization. I recently tried to cancel a credit card I’d had for 38 years. The online cancellation seemed convenient, but more than… Read more