Also: Fairway fires back at UWM, private equity goes big with mortgage deals, manufactured homes aid the inventory crisis and how servicers will navigate the CDC's eviction ban extension.

Top executives from the 49 companies that earned a spot in this year's ranking of the Best Fintechs to Work For cite the need for nimble shifts in business strategy, leadership style and recruiting tactics among the lessons they took away from the challenges of the coronavirus crisis.

Small, often intangible quality-of-life perks are a big part of what makes some fintechs the best ones to work for.

The Utah fintech encourages a playful attitude by devoting the first floor of its offices to entertainment and comfort with video games, Ping- Pong, a pool table and a lounge area.

Without its funhouse office, annual trips or volunteering events, the executive found ways to engage his staff virtually.

Known for giving away its signature canary-hued Converse to employees and clients, this small API-centric fintech is poised to become a significant player in open banking thanks to parent company Mastercard and its vendor status with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Half of Facet Wealth’s employees haven’t met face-to-face. Here is how the fintech is working to strengthen community.

This venture-backed company, which specializes in creating banking and payment platform APIs for other fintechs, attracts new recruits through a culture of learning.

As credit remains tight, Opportunity Financial’s work with consumer financial services Brightside firm aims to offer a wider swath of borrowers access to small loans.

Point of sales providers are bringing improvements to their systems as loan officers look for ways to keep their pipelines active.

New entrants in the market may believe: “We’re doing everything right. Fraud isn’t a problem, and we have a fraud alert tool in place anyway.” This, of course, is exactly when fraud risk grows, warns Paul Harris of First American Data & Analytics.

Five transactions in the past week provided cash infusions for tech companies that are developing products for real estate finance.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s acting director has said he could rethink the pending Fair Debt Collection Practices Act rules, but a report released Monday indicated they’re moving ahead for the time being.

The Military Urban Development Initiative, which is also open to civilians, allows buyers to select a lot, house design and mortgage.

Proptech CEOs and investors fully expect a huge year for the sector due to the pandemic’s “watershed” effect on digitization, according to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

The government-sponsored enterprise greenlit the use of CoreLogic and LoanCraft’s tools that validate self-employed borrowers’ incomes, and it certified Finicity, a firm that facilitates the equivalent for W-2 employees’ payroll data.

The American Fintech Council and the Financial Technology Association say they’ll promote responsible innovation, fair access to financial services and more. Their dozens of members include some of the biggest names in fintech.

The acquired platform, while remaining stand-alone, will have integrations with Black Knight's Empower loan origination system for mortgage lenders.