FNIS launches new tool, HQ Score. (Technology Update).

FNIS announced the availability of FNIS HQ Score(TM), a revolutionary risk management tool and predictive collateral valuation technology that evaluates current and future valuation risk and provides an instantaneous risk score.

The FNIS HQ Score offers investors, dealers and lenders a fast and highly predictive tool to identify and manage collateral risk. The score, which is based upon the company's vast residential property data sources and proprietary home price forecast indices and loan attributes, identifies potential under or overvaluation of a known value -- as well as identifying potential risk of borrower default as a result of negative equity over the next few years.

The result is a tool that provides consistent, objective and actionable information for mortgage originators, secondary market intermediaries, dealers and investors.

"The FNIS HQ Score is a fast, objective and cost effective tool for assessing collateral valuation risk during loan origination and underwriting, and secondary market use," said FNIS CEO Patrick F. Stone. "Much as the credit reporting industry relies on scores to determine borrower credit worthiness, the FNIS HQ Score enables lenders, underwriters and investors to accurately assess current and future collateral value, helping them control risk and reduce transaction time."

According to Merrill Lynch -- SURF Group's senior credit risk manager Ranae Lacey, "HQ Score consistently provides Merrill Lynch -- SURF Group with the analytical tools for all of our collateral analysis requirements:

HQ Score has been instrumental in streamlining our purchase and due diligence process, while maintaining a high level of quality, and we welcome the new FNIS HQ Score(TM) as an enhancement to our current due diligence process," Lacey said.