ALTA BEST PRACTICES
Successfully assisting residents & business in
Michigan since 2017.
OUR PLEDGE
At Great Northern Title, we are proud to announce we have established “Title Insurance and Settlement Company Best Practices” according to suggestions and guidance provided for by the American Land Title Association (ALTA). ALTA created these Best Practices to help its members highlight policies and procedures the title insurance industry exercises to protect lenders and consumers, while ensuring a positive and compliant real estate settlement experience. While our title agency has historically maintained the vast majority of these business practices in conducting our day-to-day business and also understanding that these ALTA guidelines are strictly voluntary, we have chosen to ratify and embrace the sum total of these Best Practices on behalf of our customers and business partner’s real estate transactions.
We hereby pledge to continually:
Innovate new business practices and tools to enhance the settlement experience
Provide ongoing employee training for quality service and regulatory compliance
Implement written procedures in conformance to these Best Practices on your behalf
We hereby pledge to continually:
“THE 7 PILLARS” OF ALTA BEST PRACTICES
Establish and maintain current License(s) as required to conduct the business of title insurance and settlement services:
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE holds all State of Michigan mandated title insurance licenses as a title insurance agency and for requisite individuals dependent upon job responsibilities. Such licenses are reviewed by our underwriters on an annual basis.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE provides all required corporate governance filings and reports to the State of Michigan as a matter of course. We also secure all local business licenses and permits required to do business for all branch locations we maintain.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE is part of an agreement with ALTA in utilizing all ALTA Forms and affiliated information.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE holds all State of Michigan mandated title insurance licenses as a title insurance agency and for requisite individuals dependent upon job responsibilities. Such licenses are reviewed by our underwriters on an annual basis.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE provides all required corporate governance filings and reports to the State of Michigan as a matter of course. We also secure all local business licenses and permits required to do business for all branch locations we maintain.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE is part of an agreement with ALTA in utilizing all ALTA Forms and affiliated information.
Adopt and maintain appropriate written procedures and controls for Escrow Trust Accounts allowing for electronic verification of reconciliation:
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE deploys all appropriate and essential procedures and controls related to its Escrow Trust Accounts as required by the Michigan Department of Insurance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and our underwriters to safeguard your funds. All Escrow Trust Accounts are reconciled daily.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE deploys all appropriate and essential procedures and controls related to its Escrow Trust Accounts as required by the Michigan Department of Insurance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and our underwriters to safeguard your funds. All Escrow Trust Accounts are reconciled daily.
Adopt and maintain a written privacy and information security program to protect Non-public Personal Information as required by local, state, and federal law:
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains an Information Security Policy that comports to federal and state law as well as requirements set forth by our underwriters for holding and securing non-public personal information.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE has developed a Disaster Management Plan for the company’s network, systems, and applications. This Plan is exclusive of the company’s routine upgrade and maintenance policies. This Plan has been provided to our underwriters.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE utilizes encrypted email for transmitting non-public personal information.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains a “Clean Desk” policy for all non-public information stored in its offices.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE performs employee screening in the form of background checks in its hiring process and regularly conducts background checks every 3 years. These background checks are available to our underwriters and our underwriters may institute random background checks on our employees as well.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE has procured a seven-figure “Cyber Liability” insurance policy for the benefit of our customers.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains an Information Security Policy that comports to federal and state law as well as requirements set forth by our underwriters for holding and securing non-public personal information.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE has developed a Disaster Management Plan for the company’s network, systems, and applications. This Plan is exclusive of the company’s routine upgrade and maintenance policies. This Plan has been provided to our underwriters.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE utilizes encrypted email for transmitting non-public personal information.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains a “Clean Desk” policy for all non-public information stored in its offices.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE performs employee screening in the form of background checks in its hiring process and regularly conducts background checks every 3 years. These background checks are available to our underwriters and our underwriters may institute random background checks on our employees as well.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE has procured a seven-figure “Cyber Liability” insurance policy for the benefit of our customers.
Adopt standard real estate settlement procedures and policies that help ensure compliance with Federal and State Consumer Financial Protection Laws as applicable to the Settlement process:
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE has written procedures that delineate our procedures and checklists (pre-closing and post-closing) for real estate settlements in Michigan that adhere to federal, state, and underwriter mandated requirements. All employees are trained and subject to future training on those requirements.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains training for Mortgage Fraud Awareness and Prevention.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE provides Pricing Procedures and Controls in the form of underwriter’s rate manuals, our production system (ResWare), and/or online calculators (as appropriate) to help ensure the correct fees are being charged for title insurance policy premiums, state-specific fees and endorsements as filed with the Michigan Department of Insurance. All credits, discounts, and other pricing accommodations are provided (whenever applicable) pursuant to our underwriter’s business rules and filed rates along with our filed settlement fees.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE administers written Document and Instrument Recording Procedures and Controls for e-recordings, overnight mailers, and desk presentations.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE has written procedures that delineate our procedures and checklists (pre-closing and post-closing) for real estate settlements in Michigan that adhere to federal, state, and underwriter mandated requirements. All employees are trained and subject to future training on those requirements.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains training for Mortgage Fraud Awareness and Prevention.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE provides Pricing Procedures and Controls in the form of underwriter’s rate manuals, our production system (ResWare), and/or online calculators (as appropriate) to help ensure the correct fees are being charged for title insurance policy premiums, state-specific fees and endorsements as filed with the Michigan Department of Insurance. All credits, discounts, and other pricing accommodations are provided (whenever applicable) pursuant to our underwriter’s business rules and filed rates along with our filed settlement fees.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE administers written Document and Instrument Recording Procedures and Controls for e-recordings, overnight mailers, and desk presentations.
Adopt and maintain written procedures related to title policy production, delivery, reporting and premium remittance:
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains all requisite procedures for timely issuance of title insurance policies to Owners and Lenders as dictated by federal law, Michigan Department of Insurance regulations, and underwriter mandates.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE also maintains the appropriate systems to timely report issued title insurance policies to our underwriters, remit payment to our underwriters, and overall meet our legal and contractual obligations thereto.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE maintains all requisite procedures for timely issuance of title insurance policies to Owners and Lenders as dictated by federal law, Michigan Department of Insurance regulations, and underwriter mandates.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE also maintains the appropriate systems to timely report issued title insurance policies to our underwriters, remit payment to our underwriters, and overall meet our legal and contractual obligations thereto.
Maintain appropriate professional liability insurance and fidelity coverage:
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE secures Professional Liability Insurance (Errors and Omission Insurance as an example) that stands by our financial capacity and commitment to provide professional real estate services to our customers. Such insurance also includes any mandated coverages called for by our underwriters.
GREAT NORTHERN TITLE secures Professional Liability Insurance (Errors and Omission Insurance as an example) that stands by our financial capacity and commitment to provide professional real estate services to our customers. Such insurance also includes any mandated coverages called for by our underwriters.
Adopt and maintain written procedures for resolving consumer complaints:
Not happy? We welcome receiving any complaint you might have. The company has developed written procedures to capture, review, and timely address any issues or concerns you may have regarding our services. You can submit a complaint at Contact Us via our website, or simply send company management an email explaining your situation. We want to know about any poor service experience or compliance concern you might have. Your confidence and satisfaction is important to us.
Not happy? We welcome receiving any complaint you might have. The company has developed written procedures to capture, review, and timely address any issues or concerns you may have regarding our services. You can submit a complaint at Contact Us via our website, or simply send company management an email explaining your situation. We want to know about any poor service experience or compliance concern you might have. Your confidence and satisfaction is important to us.
